St Leonards Motors buys SMC Motor

It has been announced that the SLM Group has bought SMC Motor Group for an undisclosed sum.

New Brands

SLM Group operates dealerships in East Sussex, Kent and East Anglia, including five Toyota, one Vauxhall, one Suzuki, one GMW ORA dealerships. They also operate two used car SLM Select businesses and two body repair Centres. This acquisition means that SLM now operate sixteen representation points as well as introducing SEAT/Cupra, Renault and Dacia into their brand portfolio.

Exciting New Brand Partners

SMC Motor Group which has been family owned up to the sale, has been operating four dealerships in Surrey and Hampshire with the SEAT, Renault, Dacia and CUPRA franchises for just under forty years. Shareholders James Kimber and Anne Knight have also announced their joint retirement from the automotive industry.

Mark Phillips, CEO of SLM Group said: “We have been keen to expand for some time now and the addition of SMC Motor Group allows us to grow our AOI. We look forward to welcoming our new colleagues into the business and are excited to work with some new brand partners moving forward.”

Outstanding Success

James Kimber, Managing Director of SMC Motor Group said: “I am pleased to have concluded a deal with SLM Group who have very similar family values to ourselves and have no doubt they will continue the success we have managed to achieve at SMC over the past four decades. We would like to pay tribute to the hard work and commitment of our employees and for their contribution to the outstanding success SMC Motor Group has been able to achieve.”

SMC was represented in the sale by David Kendrick and his automotive team at UHY Hacker Young. Kendrick said: “SMC has been successful regional family run business for as long as I can remember. With the continued consolidation going on and lack of succession within the business, selling to SLM Group makes complete sense and I am sure Mark and his director team will make a huge success of the businesses moving forward.”