The largest solus Volkswagen van centre in the world has opened in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire.

The Volkswagen Van Centre (West Yorkshire) is a £2.5m investment by Andrew Caygill, Andrew Long and Brian Wynn, directors of LCW. The 2.2-acre facility includes a three-vehicle showroom, a workshop with 12 service bays utilising eight two- and four-post lifts, Class 4 and 7 MoT testing (Class 5 application pending) and a van hire bureau.

Caygill says annual turnover will be about £14m, with sales of about 1,000 new and 200-300 used vans. He says this will rise to 1,500 new in the second year, due to a strong market (the dealership covers Bradford, Leeds, Huddersfield, Halifax and Wakefield). Parts sales are expected to exceed £1m, and the workshop is expected to sell 10,000 hours.

LCW’s investment is timely. Last year, VW’s LCV sales in the UK exceeded 20,000 units for the first time, taking a 6.2% share of the market. The directors have a 25-year history with VW Commercial Vehicles, previously operating a dual VWCV/MAN Trucks outlet at Hipperholme near Halifax. This will retain the MAN franchise.

“Twenty-five years ago three lads from Hipperholme had a view to be serious about vans.

We became one of the biggest dealers in the network. Twenty-five years on we’re still fuelled by that same dedication to vans,” says Caygill.