Hodgson, the north east-based family dealer group, is building a pre delivery inspection centre in West Chirton to further improve customer service.

The new facility will enable the company to take internal and reconditioning work off site, releasing capacity for retail customers.

Due for completion in May, the PDI centre will specialise in the preparation of new and used cars for the group and will feature four preparation bays, three valeting bays, and the installation of a small area repair technology.

Paul Platten, group aftersales manager at Hodgson, said: “The PDI centre will not only increase capacity throughout the dealerships, but it further reinforces our focus and commitment to customer service as lead times will be dramatically decreased for retail customers.”

The refinishing equipment includes Smartair and Wheelsmart systems, which enable Hodgson to perform cosmetic vehicle repairs and alloy wheel finishing.

Platten said: “The introduction of Smartair and Wheelsmart will mean that we can now carry out refinishing jobs internally, with a turnaround time of approximately one hour.”

The opening of Hodgson’s PDI centre will see the creation of new jobs, where all staff will participate in full training on the new equipment, and an overall increase in staffing levels across the whole group.