Jobs created as car dealer launches new £2.5m showroom in Shrewsbury

Faintree Seat and Cupra Shrewsbury has opened at Battlefield Enterprise Park.

With over 45 years’ experience in the motor trade, the new showroom adds to Faintree's Skoda business at Stafford Park 1 in Telford.

The new showroom displays nine Seat and Cupra models and features a modern waiting area for clients.

There is also a six-bay workshop, used car display of up to 60 used vehicles, customer parking of over 50 bays, five EV charging bays, and two disability parking bays.

Initially employing about 12 new staff, the dealer expects to take on more people in the next 12 months.

Director Paul Wedgbury said: "The business was founded by my dad and grandfather in 1964 in Faintree, a little hamlet six miles outside of Bridgnorth.

"My father passed away in 1991 and I basically took over at the age of 20 and have ran it since. My ambition has been to grow the business and to have the new showroom is very exciting.

"Skoda has grown massively over the years and we've had to grow with it.

"We uplifted the whole business to Bridgnorth town in 2005 on demands of Skoda. It was a case of moving or lose the franchise.

"We went from having six staff to 12 when we moved and had six good years there. The business grew a lot and we were approached by Skoda again in 2011 and I was asked if I would consider relocating or face losing the franchise again.

"We were put in a position to relocate to either Telford or Shrewsbury so we chose Telford as it was closer to Bridgnorth and easier for our existing customers to travel to Telford rather than Shrewsbury.

"We found a premises and relocated to the Telford site we are currently in. We have grown the number of staff from 12 to 28 there.

"The business has grown like crazy and has probably tripled since we moved from Bridgnorth."

Mr Wedgbury said they spent about £500,000 on renovating the Telford site in 2016.

"After that we wanted to grow more," he said. "We were approached by Seat and it appealed to me as I liked where they were going. I had various meetings and it snowballed from there.

"Shrewsbury was where they wanted it so we looked at building a new showroom there.

"We ended up buying a grass field and have built the new showroom despite delays caused by badgers, newts, Covid-19 and issues with building materials.

"At the time I didn't think it was a brave move, but with everything that is going on I think it has been brave."

Mr Wedgbury said they opened the doors to the new showroom in the middle of August, but it has taken few weeks to get properly operational.

"We are having a bit of an official opening on Friday, October 21 where there will be refreshments and we will be looking to deals with new customers," he added.