A North-East car dealership has kept its expansion plans local by commissioning Newcastle-based Silverstone Building Consultancy to oversee a series of construction projects.
The four-showroom Pulman Group — which has two sites in Durham and two in Sunderland — recently unveiled an ongoing investment programme that includes a major refurbishment of its existing Volkswagen showroom at Durham’s Framwellgate Moor.
Silverstone has recently completed the £2m refurbishment of an industrial unit on Abbey Road at Durham, which has been transformed into a temporary “pop-up” ŠKODA car showroom for the 1998-founded motor group.
Pulman is also in the process of buying a green field site at Durham where it intends to build a new state-of-the-art dealership following its recent acquisition of the county’s ŠKODA franchise.
The specialist firm of chartered building surveyors will project manage the construction of the multi-million pound showroom, designed to house nine display vehicles, and which will also have workshop space and a fully serviced café open to the general public.
Richard Farrey is a director at Silverstone Building Consultancy. “Within a tight timeframe of just six weeks we managed to convert a former industrial unit into a quality temporary dealership to allow Pulman to start trading under their new ŠKODA franchise and establish a presence in Durham,” he explained.
“To have been appointed on the new build project as well is fantastic news for Silverstone and we look forward to working closely with the Pulman team to help it meet its aspirations for the new dealership.”
Dealership founder Mike Pulman, whose business has grown from its original workforce of 17 to employ more than 160 people, said securing the full ŠKODA franchise this summer had made it a “fantastic” year for all his employees.
“We are all very excited,” added the managing director, “and we’re sure the development of the new retail site in Durham will deliver a fantastic customer experience in an exciting blended retail environment”.
Silverstone has also been appointed to project manage the refurbishment of Pulman’s existing Abbey Road Volkswagen car showroom. The £400,000 project will give the 15-year-old premises a major facelift in keeping with Volkswagen’s corporate image.
“The re-development of our Durham Volkswagen site will provide our customers with a revitalised and unique retail facility, whilst keeping the distinctive Pulman experience our customers demand and expect,” said Mike Pulman.
The photo shows Richard Farrey, Director of Silverstone Building Consultancy, with Ian Buckle, Finance Director of Pulman Group outside Pulman’s Volkswagen showroom in Durham.
