A new vehicle repair facility is being opened by dealer group Lookers.
The AM100 group describes the new 66,000 sq ft facility on Tyne Tunnel Estate in North Shields as state-of-the-art and says it is the result of a £5 million investment – £2.75 million from Lookers itself and the rest from estate owners UK Land Estates.
The facility, branded as the Lookers Paint & Body Centre, will also include an advanced accident and repair centre, a Volkswagen Group service excellence centre and a specialist EV battery competency centre.
Lookers said the new facility would support the creation of up to 15 new specialist jobs, adding to its 65-strong North Tyne workforce, and bring together operations currently performed in three separate units.
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The official opening will take place later this month. A paint and body centre already operated by Lookers on the same estate will remain open until the official move is completed.
New facility to increase capacity and expertise
Derek Lyon, franchise director at Lookers, said: “We’re delighted to be investing further in the north east and to be delivering an enhanced customer experience for our customers across the region with new capacity and additional expertise in a world class, innovation-focused facility which has been carefully designed to meet existing and future needs with speed and exacting precision.”
David Morallee, general manager at Lookers, said: “We’ve worked closely with UK Land Estates and Focus Architecture to create a next-generation repairs facility that delivers to our exacting requirements and unlike any other in the UK.
“Once a car enters our site, it does not leave until all areas of repair work are complete. Aesthetically, it will have the look of a bright, modern retail dealership – even boasting a glazed hand-over bay adjacent to reception where customers can inspect their vehicle prior to collection.”
David Gibbs, managing director at UK Land Estates, said: “UK Land Estates takes great pride in providing the best business space for our tenants and creating the buildings and conditions that allow businesses to grow and thrive.
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“Our relationship with Lookers goes back over 20 years on the Tyne Tunnel Estate. Lookers’ new base will deliver A-grade energy performance certification, helping the company to meet its ESG commitments.”