Car dealership doubles staff numbers after buying second site

Granby Car Sales, Leicester’s largest independent used-car dealership, has expanded after buying a second site on Aylestone Road, opposite its flagship premises in Aylestone.

The firm bought the site after landing a six-figure funding line from NatWest.

Husband and wife John and Tina Hopson have used the £221,000 finance package from NatWest to buying the site after renting it for eight years and investing £100,000 in renovations and refurbishments during that time.

The newly-purchased site houses 35 vehicles in total with space for 18 cars inside the showroom. The additional square footage has enabled the business to have 80 vehicles on sale at any one time, with 60 cars being sold on average every month by the five-strong sales team.
The couple’s business portfolio now sees them hailed as owners of the largest independent used-car dealership in Leicester, with annual turnover hitting £3m.

The deal comes three years after NatWest helped John to acquire his first location in 2016, after renting and investing for 12 years. This milestone saw Tina join the business as a director, having worked across the two sites for the last three years.

The addition of the second site has created six new jobs, bringing the total number of staff to 12.

John said: “We put the offer in on our second location in 2017 so to say it’s been a long time coming would be an understatement. Investing so much in our second site while we rented was always a risk but it’s a relief to be able to say we now own the site. This extra square footage makes us the biggest independent used-car dealership in Leicester, something we’re very proud of.

“Tina and I can’t take all the credit for the business expansion as we have a brilliant sales and after sales team working for us who consistently hit sales targets which in turn has made our business growth possible.”

AnnMarie Hussain, relationship manager at NatWest, said: “John and Tina are proud of what they’ve achieved with their business, rising through the ranks in the area and establishing a very profitable used-car dealership. The funding and support we have provided over the years, has helped the business to grow and achieve its potential.”