Well-known Galway main dealership, Western Motors, has announced some changes in its operations that will take effect from next January.
Western Motors will cease to operate as an authorised Mercedes-Benz sales dealer from January 2009, but will continue with Volkswagen passenger car, Volkswagen commercial, and Audi franchises in both the sales and service areas. Western Motors will also continue as a fully authorised Mercedes-Benz service dealer.
The company says a big issue was the serious space pressure at Western Motors where it operated four of Ireland’s largest franchises from a 1.8 acre site. The pressure to meet customer and manufacturer requirements, while still achieving a reasonable return on investment, gave rise to the need for some changes.
Commenting on these changes, managing director of Western Motors, James McCormack, stated: “The ever-changing motor business and ever-changing nature of business in general means that these changes are important in order to ensure the quality of service our customers and suppliers expect are delivered, while providing a reasonable return for our shareholders and a solid future for our dedicated team of staff.”
Chief executive of Mercedes-Benz Ireland, Stephen Byrne, has stated that although disappointed to lose Western Motors as a sales dealer, he fully appreciated the reasons for doing so. He assured all Mercedes-Benz customers in the west that their service interests would continue to be served by Western Motors. The appointment of a new authorised Mercedes-Benz sales dwealership would be announced in the near future.
Western Motors has recently opened a state-of-the-art Volkswagen and Audi sales and service centre in Drogheda as a result of what the company describes as a major €11 million investment. It says it has every intention of increasing its development as one of Ireland’s leading motor dealers.
