Meridian buys John Wilding Citroen dealerships
MERIDIAN Motor Group has bought two Citroen dealerships and an accident repair centre in the North West.
Harrogate-based Meridian has acquired the John Wilding business in Morecambe and Kendal.
It plans to retain all current staff at the dealerships and they will eventually be rebranded as Vantage centres.
They have been sold by Adrian Wilding, the son of founder John Wilding. He is leaving the motor industry to pursue other interests.
Mark Robinson, Meridian’s managing director, said: “This latest deal will help cement the group’s position in the North Lancashire and South Lakes region and will enable us to offer greater choice and value to customers in the area. John Wilding is a well respected family run business with a strong customer base which will be an excellent addition to our network.
“This is also significant in that it marks the start of our relationship with Citroen which is a manufacturer that shares our aspiration for growth and development. Citroen also has a very strong fleet offering and linked to this acquisition, we will be establishing a UK-wide fleet services department across all our brands.”
The two dealerships will be expected to sell a combined 1,500 new and used vehicles a year and contribute an additional £15m to group turnover. The value of the deal was not disclosed.
