Mazda Reading, the manufacturer’s first outlet in the town for more than 11 years, has made a solid start in the first four months of business and expects the final quarter of the year to be very positive, said General Manager Andrew Holtham.
“Considering we’re a new franchise in what has been a cold area for Mazda, we’re comfortable with the progress we have made,” said Mr Holtham, adding that his team is already anticipating the launch of the all-new Mazda CX-5 compact crossover in 2012.
“We’ve turned the corner and can see momentum building; more people are coming into the showroom and we’re getting a lot of interest through the internet – almost 100 enquiries from our own website and more than 30 from Mazda UK’s website,” he explained.
Now that the Mazda name is getting better known around the Reading area, Mr Holtham has ambitions to reinforce their presence by getting more involved in local community projects as well as supporting local sports teams. But what most impresses him is the fact that Mazda UK is ‘a brilliant company to work with – nothing is too much trouble for them.’ His view adds weight to Mazda’s claim to be the franchise of choice for companies looking to expand their portfolio.
Mazda Reading, based at Rose Kiln Lane near the Majedski Stadium, is the first Mazda outlet for the fast-growing West London Motor Group (WLMG). The company was founded in 1996 and Mazda Reading, part of an existing multi-franchise outlet, is its 16th dealership. Mazda has a dedicated eight-car showroom and five-bay service area alongside existing Hyundai and Fiat showrooms.
The redevelopment represents an investment of £250,000 in Mazda facilities and is the type of pragmatic solution that reinforces Mazda’s no-nonsense approach to business.
