ATL AUTO IN OVERDRIVE

Breaks ground for Kingston buildings

BRIAN BONITTO Associate Editor — Entertainment and Auto

Friday, December 23, 2011

THIRTEEN months after officially opening its US$4.25-million state-of-the-art Autohaus in Montego Bay, St James, ATL Automotives Limited has broken ground for its latest project in the financial district of Jamaica's capital.

"We broke ground two weeks ago for the new Volkswagen and Audi terminals on Oxford Road in New Kingston — formerly the Mas Camp site," said Adam Stewart, deputy chairman of the ATL group of companies and CEO of Sandals Resort. "This centralised location will be more convenient for our customers."

Stewart, son of hotel mogul Gordon 'Butch' Stewart, said the property — which was acquired five years ago — will house two, two-storey, 8,000 sq ft, state-of-the-art, eight-car showrooms.

"It will be the first of its kind in the Caribbean and Latin America and those countries have bigger markets than we do," Stewart told Auto. "It will be a total investment of US$10 million — US$5 million per brand — and should be completed in 18 months."

The ATL deputy chairman said that his company's heavy thrust in the automotive industry shows that they are in "it for the very long haul."

"Our entry into the automotive business, with an investment as heavy as this, clearly signals our confidence, not only in Jamaica's future, but shows that we are ready to take the purchasing and ownership experience of automobiles to a new standard," he said. "We will be unbeatable and we thank our customers for their support and belief in our organisation."

The ATL Automotives Limited currently holds the dealership for the Audi, Range Rover, Land Rover, Jaguar, Volkswagen and Honda brands.

"When we took over VW, the brand had fewer than 40 vehicles in the market, but next year we're projecting the sell more than 650 vehicles, while for Audi we're projecting over 160 units in 2012 and that's coming from a low of 14 units annually," he continued.

According to Stewart, the construction of the Audi and Volkswagen terminals is first phase of his company's proposed development plan for the area.

"There'll also be the construction of Jaguar/Land Rover dealership around this time next year and after that a hotel," he said.

The New Kingston site, formerly known as Mas Camp, was one of the biggest outdoor venues in the Corporate Area and home of numerous parties. It was also the home of Bacchanal parties.

The deputy chairman sees the construction of the terminals as part of his company's strategic plan to redefine the island's automotive industry while creating employment.

"For me, this is a big investment. We're going to elevate the whole service delivery experience when buying an automobile in Jamaica," he said. "And, we'll be the unbeatable team. I promise you that."