John Clark invests £1m 19 | 06 | 2013
BMW'S ALL-NEW ELECTRIC 'i' car range will be the centre point of a new £1 million refurbishment of John Clark Motor Group's flagship BMW dealership in Aberdeen.
The work, which will also see the relocation of the John Clark Mini dealership, will create new sales and servicing facilities for the BMW i range which will be launched later this year.
The extended dealership will include a dedicated section for the pioneering electric i3 city car and i8 sports car.
In total, the new enlarged showroom — designed to the latest BMW corporate standards — will have space for 21 cars, including a new section for M-Series models. There will also be upgraded service reception facilities and a new customer lounge. Outside there will be extended display space for BMW used cars.
To make space for this expansion, John Clark Mini is being moved to dedicated premises. Next year, a brand-new purpose-built Mini complex is planned.
Until the new premises are built, John Clark Mini will be located in the upgraded former Specialist Cars Skoda premises on Aberdeen’s Craigshaw Drive. This temporary base will provide Mini with extended display space and dedicated servicing facilities, including a seven-car showroom.
Between them, the BMW and Mini developments will create 15 new jobs immediately with potential for more as business develops.
The John Clark BMW refurbishment and Mini relocation are part of a larger programme of investment in Aberdeen by JCMG. This programme has already seen the recently-opened £1.4m complex for Specialist Cars Skoda and Seat, one of the largest combined Skoda and Seat dealerships in the UK.
“It is more than 36 years since I established John Clark BMW as my first solus franchised motor trade business," John Clark, chairman and managing director of JCMG, said. "Since then we have grown into a group with eight motor businesses in Aberdeen and a total of 20 across the East of Scotland.
“As the largest and most established group operating in the premium car market in the Aberdeen area, the local market is hugely important for us. The BMW and Mini refurbishment represents a further £1m investment in our Aberdeen dealerships, with additional substantial investment programmed for the second half of 2013 and 2014.
”Our plans for future investment will provide our dealership teams with the exceptional facilities that they need to grow the business further and deliver on our Group’s reputation for the very best levels of customer service
With an annual turnover of £355m, 780 employees and 20 motor trade business in Aberdeen, Dundee, Fife and Edinburgh, the John Clark Motor Group is Scotland’s fourth largest motortrade group and one of the top 30 in the UK.
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Jim McGill
CAPTION: John Clark, with son Chris, JCMG business development director.