The husband and wife team behind an independent used-car dealership have purchased their second site – right opposite their first one – with the support of six-figure funding from NatWest.
John and Tina Hopson, who own Granby Car Sales, have used the £221,000 finance package from NatWest to purchase the site in Aylestone Road, Leicester.
They had previously rented the premises for eight years, investing £100,000 in renovations and refurbishments during that time.
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The newly purchased site has space for 35 vehicles, including 18 cars inside the showroom.
The combined sites have space for 80 vehicles, with 60 cars on average sold every month by the five-strong sales team.
They are now said to own the largest independent used-car dealership in Leicester, with annual turnover hitting £3 million.
The recent purchase comes only three years after NatWest helped John to acquire his first location in 2016, after renting and investing for 12 years.
That milestone saw Tina join the business as a director, having worked across the two sites for the last three years.
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The second site has 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.”