Motor dealership group Donalds has celebrated the start of construction work on two new showrooms in Ipswich.
Directors from the company, led by group chief executive Daniel Stone, assembled at the Futura Park business estate on the edge of the town to carry out a traditional ground-breaking ceremony on the site of separate new buildings for the Mazda and Volvo brands.
Donalds, which operates a total of seven franchises across Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire, also including Alfa Romeo and Kia outlets, currently operates its Ipswich Mazda and Volvo dealerships from a site in West End Road.
The new Mazda building will include the marque’s “Customer Interaction Zone” concept, involving an area where customers can sit down with Donalds staff to learn about its products through technology.
A full range of Mazda cars will also be on display within the showroom and there will also be an enlarged workshop operation.
Plans for the new Volvo showroom follow the brand’s “Retail Experience” concept, which reflects the company’s Scandinavian design philosophy.
The open-plan showroom will feature views into the adjoining workshop and a “living Room” area with comfortable furnishings where customers can meet sales consultants, wait while their car is serviced or simply relax with a cup of coffee.
Daniel Stone said: “Futura Park is a prestigious location, with high-profile outlets and we’re immensely excited to get started on this new chapter in Donalds’ history.
“Our cutting-edge facilities will deliver much more than just vehicle sales and maintenance – they will create a truly memorable retail experience, in luxurious surroundings.
“We hope to be seen as a comfortable and welcoming ‘second home’ for customers returning to use our aftersales facilities, or even just stopping by for a friendly fresh coffee.”
A number of new jobs will be created at the opening of the Futura Park site although recruitment is not due to start until nearer the completion date for the project, this summer.
The Donald Group also includes Mazda dealerships in Bury St Edmunds, Peterborough and Stamford, alongside a Kia franchise in Bury and an Alfa Romeo outlet in Peterborough.
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