Jobs fears as Dencourt Motors runs into trouble

Dencourt Motors, one of the province’s top ten car dealerships, have gone into receivership amidst fears that the 120 jobs there could be lost.

The company operates a Vauxhall dealership on the Ravenhill road in Belfast and is headquartered in Mallusk, Newtownabbey.

It is thought the company has been experiencing trading difficulties for a number of years and this week customers with bona fide vehicle requests were being told by a switchboard operator “We’ve just gone into receivership.”

Since its establishment in 1975 Dencourt Motors has grown alongside parent company Vauxhall and was ranked as the ninth biggest dealership in Northern Ireland.

A deal which secured the acquisition of the Pentlands dealership meant that the combined workforce doubled from 60 to 119. However, end-of-year figures for the company in 1999, which show a £0.1million pre-tax profit from a turnover of £29.5 million, were a clear indication of the company’s struggle for profitability.

Sources say that the Mallusk showroom is a topic of interest to Lookers, one of the UK’s leading motor retail groups who acquired Charles Hurst Group in 1996. They have already invested £17.5 million and may be looking to expand the Hurst group in Dencourt’s two key locations and confirm their market position in Northern Ireland.

(AMcE)