JCB Group has acquired Ashford Orbital and its Kia, Mazda and Suzuki dealerships on a 2.5 acre site in Ashford for an undisclosed sum. The move follows hard on the phrchgase of Tunbridge Wells Volkswagen in December.
JCB is ranked 79 in the Motor Trader Top 200 Dealer Groups with annual turnover of £192.5m. Ashford Orbital deliverd pre tax profits of £694,000 on turnover of £26.1m in its latest financials for 2022.
Along with the acquired dealerships, JCB also represents Volkswagen, Renault, Cupra, VW Commercial Vehicles and Skoda in the south east of England.
Ashford Orbital which occupies a prominent 2.5 acre site, was purchased from Drake and Fletcher back in 2008 by Jeff Wilson and Oliver Barford.
Jonathan Bischoff, Managing Director of JCB Group said: “The Ashford Orbital business has been one that I have had my eye on for some time.
“Jeff and Olly have built a fantastic business on a very attractive freehold property that sits adjacent to some of our other businesses, therefore it complements the portfolio perfectly.
“We look forward to welcoming our new colleagues into the business which continues to develop every day.
“As a group we continue to grow and have been supported very well by Ian McMahon and the UHY team, therefore if any dealers in our region are considering an exit we are keen they contact Ian.”
Jeff Wilson, managing director of Ashford Orbital said: “We are proud of what we have achieved with our team in Ashford, however it feels the right time to pass the business on to a larger group who can further develop and grow it. We would like to thank our amazing team and wish Jonathan and JCB all the best for the future.”
The deal was managed by David Kendrick and the automotive team at UHY Hacker Young who represented Ashford Orbital with the sale.
Kendrick said: “We have worked with Jeff and Olly for some time now and they have built up a lovely business.
“The site, coupled with the franchise portfolio was prime for being acquired by one of the bigger groups and there was a lot of interest in the business, however it makes complete sense for JCB to bring it into their ever growing South East portfolio.”