Hodgson is a driving force in showroom expansion

Oct 22 2009 By Christopher Knox, The Journal

Although Mr Hodgson said that it would be unlikely that firms would be given the go ahead to build a structure higher than their adjoining showroom, he said that Gateshead Council had said they would give the current tower the green light.

Mr Hodgson said: "The new tower will be seen from miles around and will really set us apart from other dealerships in the area. Much has been made of the scrappage scheme of late, but I do think that providing a good service and not being scared to invest has been far more important to this business. I am now excited to be working with Tony on such an exciting venture and we have already attracted a lot of interested parties who are looking to add extra capacity, but aren’t able to achieve it through traditional expansion."

Hodgson, which was founded in 1959, has already added 12 jobs to its 150-strong workforce this year, as well as introducing a Mitsubishi franchise to its existing Mazda, Toyota and Suzuki operations at the Silverlink.

The firm began when Les Hodgson took over a bankrupt filling station in Seghill, Northumberland. He built it up and he attracted the SAAB franchise in the early 1960s, which he ran until 1975 when Mitsubishi Colt was taken on, before switching to Hyundai and Isuzu, an then Mazda cars.

After adding Suzuki and Toyota, it acquired the vacant Minories Honda site in Swalwell, near the Metrocentre, and earmarked it for a massive £4m re-development project, which opened for business in late 2005.

"The plan is to roll out the units across the country and use the Gateshead site as the flagship tower," Mr Hodgson said. "As for the Hodgson business, we are excited to be bucking the trend at the moment."