Town’s-End Garage to take on Kia sales franchise

A Kia dealership is due to be launched in Lerwick at what was once the old Exhaust and Tyre Centre in the town’s Gremista Industrial Estate.

Town’s-End Garage, which already services Kia cars, hopes to offer up to five new jobs in sales, administration and workshop duties when it begins selling new Kias later this year.

An application has been lodged with the council’s planning department to develop a new showroom.

The business wants to install glass bi-fold doors and four floor-to-ceiling windows.

It comes almost three years after established garage J Burgess ended its 25-year stint as a Kia dealership.

Town’s-End owner Ian Manson says support for the brand remains strong, with over 90 new Kias have been brought into Shetland in the last three months.

“I’ve had enquiries for another three this last week,” he told The Shetland Times.

He said setting up a sales franchise for Kia had been the aim of the business for the last two years.

“We saw an opportunity with Burgess having given up the franchise and their servicing.

“We only started in 2017 but we were approached by Kia to see if we were interested in taking on the servicing and warranty side of work.

“I discussed that with them and said I didn’t see any point of doing one without the other, so this has always been on the cards.”

Mr Manson added he hoped to see the work completed by September.

He said he was working with a mainland-based trade partner, and had spoken to different building contractors about carrying out the necessary changes to the building.

The first hurdle is getting through the planning process – although Mr Manson said he did not foresee any problems with his application because it was helping to improve the area.