The Franklin region, and especially Pukekohe is well known for several things. It is the hub of New Zealand’s best volcanic fertile soils where the internationally renowned Long Keeper Onions are grown and Possum Bourne, champion race car driver was born here.
It will come as no surprise then to many locals that it will soon have a new claim to fame. That of the biggest car service workshop in New Zealand when the brand new Ebbett Autovillage opens this time next year in Svendsen Road.
Managing Director and Dealer Principal Ross Sheppard is excited about what this means not only for the Ebbett brand and the products it represents, but for the people of Pukekohe who will be the ones to benefit from this development.
“This is the culmination of a plan that started back in 2008. We always knew we would outgrow our current premises and at the moment we are scattered in various locations throughout Pukekohe. The creation of the Ebbett Autovillage is so much more than a large car dealership; we will have 26 workshop hoists, 2 car washes and chargers for customers to charge their EV’s even after hours.”
The new autovillage has just started construction and is to be built on Svendsen Road, on land nestled between the busy existing hub of many existing Pukekohe Businesses along Manukau road and the newer development that is the Pukekohe Mega Centre home to the likes of Rebel Sports, Spotlight and Countdown.
“The total site area is about 14,044m2. Customers can expect a much bigger showroom space in which to view all of the brands we represent. The service centre will also be a major investment, occupying four times the space of the current workshop. It is quite simply one of the biggest commercial developments ever seen in Pukekohe.”
Ross has been with Ebbett for over 16 years, the company has been around since 1928 and in that time has weathered some of the most volatile business periods in history, the most recent being forced into a sudden shutdown like many other businesses around the world with the arrival of Covid in 2020.
The team had to adapt and did so admirably. Despite the lockdown and the announcement by General Motors that they would be retiring the Holden brand in Australasia, 2020 was the franchises best year on record.
“We needed to work smart through the lockdown, we had already committed to the new building so there was no going back. It took a lot of hard work from all the team, but we emerged stronger and smarter in many of our processes. This has continued and it is our customers who are the benefactors.”
Whilst remaining loyal and committed to a long-term relationship to their Holden customers and their vehicles, Ebbett has replaced the brand with an even stronger range with the addition in July 2020 of MG, Volkswagen and Kia. Together with the top performing Nissan choice of models, there is something for everyone at Ebbetts.
Kia has been one of New Zealand’s top performing vehicle brands over the last decade, with 150% sales growth in the last 5 years. Kia have sold over 7000 vehicles in 2019, placing them comfortably in the top 10 of the country’s best-selling automotive brands.
The MG and Volkswagen brands bring with them a wealth of history, having been established as in 1924 and 1937 respectively. Both are well known for quality, originality and performance and they now have innovative models designed with the green conscious New Zealand driver in mind.
Both ranges offer a suite of cars with great looks and tech features that will make them a genuine option on many short-lists.
Ross says the acceptance of the new brands by existing Ebbett customers has been great and they are excited to see what is to come with the new state of the art autovillage. Ebbett’s customers return time and time again because they know they will always be well looked after from the purchase through to after sales service.
The new development will take about a year if things go to plan providing many jobs during the development with about 60 created at the auto village upon completion.
In the meantime, if you need a reliable vehicle at an excellent price; coupled with excellent sales and after sales service without the hassle of going further afield, you can’t go beyond the current Ebbett show rooms. Pop in and talk to one of the team and let them find you your next perfect vehicle.