Takeover may lead to giant Jaguar Land Rover dealership in Shrewsbury
A Land Rover retailer has changed hands in a move that could lead to a big new JLR dealership being built in Shropshire.
Hatfields, which already runs the Jaguar dealership in Old Potts Way in Shrewsbury, has taken over the Land Rover site on Battlefield Road from Shukers.
It comes as motor manufacturing giant JLR looks to bring the two marques under a single brand in each of the towns and cities where they are sold.
The move does not affect plans for Ludlow, where it is building a £3 million dealership for the combined JLR brand.
While immediately the two dealerships will remain at their current sites, with a common Hatfields brand, ultimately the company is to invest in a major new retail centre selling both marques side-by-side.
It is not yet known what that would mean for the existing sites.
Hatfields, the £250 million-turnover chain, already holds the Land Rover franchise in Liverpool, Hull, and Pickering in North Yorkshire.
The move, which is scheduled for completion today, will mean it employs 400 people.
Oliver Benbow, who is becoming head of business at the Land Rover dealership having held a similar role at Old Potts Way, said: "Jaguar Land Rover are seeking to combine the ownership of both franchises in each location, so we are pleased to add Land Rover Shrewsbury to our existing Land Rover portfolio.
"It's great for jobs in this country, especially in the Midlands, and excellent news for the UK's balance of payments, as while sales are incredibly strong here, the majority of cars are exported.
"We're both excited and proud to be representing Land Rover here in Shrewsbury, and have plans to develop a brand-new, state-of-the-art retail centre to house both franchises in the future."
Hatfields' managing director, Gareth Williams said: "Shukers received an excellent offer for its Shrewsbury Land Rover retail centre and the deal has worked extremely well for both parties.
"We have retained many members of staff while a number of our established Hatfields team have transferred across to our new Land Rover Shrewsbury operation in order to bring the Hatfields experience to customers as quickly as possible."
