'The opening marks the next chapter': Northern Ireland's largest family-owned motor retailer accelerates growth with £8m showroom expansion
New Dungannon and Ballymena showrooms support growth as Donnelly Group, established in 1947, takes on Volkswagen Group brands outside Belfast
Donnelly Group is anticipating further growth in its business after the successful opening of two new showrooms at its Dungannon and Ballymena sites as part of an £8m investment, part financed by Danske Bank.
Established in 1947, Donnelly Group is Northern Ireland’s largest independently owned vehicle retailer. It represents 22 leading vehicle manufacturers and operates across nine locations in Northern Ireland. The group offers new and used vehicles, including hybrid, electric, commercial, and Motability solutions.
The £8m expansion has supported and positioned Donnelly Group as it has taken responsibility for all Volkswagen Group brands outside of Belfast, including Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Skoda and CUPRA.
The company has also recently added BYD to its franchise portfolio, a global leader in electric vehicles which operates in over 70 countries and is at the forefront of battery innovation and zero-emission transportation.
Donnelly Group has been a customer of Danske Bank since 2010, availing of stock finance, capital investment and cash management solutions to help fund its expansion.
Dave Sheeran, managing director at Donnelly Group, said: “We are pleased with the first months of trading from our new showrooms, which represented a major investment in growth by the business. The opening of the new showrooms marks the next chapter for Donnelly Group as we continue to invest in our people, our facilities and our customers.
“Danske Bank has been a fantastic support to the business and have been fully behind our plans to expand our sites and grow the business through the addition of new brands.”
Alan Wilson, senior corporate banking manager at Danske Bank, added: “It is great to see both of Donnelly Group’s new showrooms trading successfully following this very significant investment by the business.
“It speaks to the ambition of the team at Donnelly Group that it continues to grow and add new brands to its client portfolio, consolidating its position as Northern Ireland’s largest family-owned vehicle retailers. Danske Bank is proud to have supported this latest expansion.”