Dealership group UpAuto has purchased Easthill Volkswagen in Walkerton, Ont. as it continues to expand in non-metro markets across the province.
The Stratford, Ont.-based company said Jan. 9 that the dealership, which has operated in the town about 150 kilometres northwest of Toronto for more than 60 years, will become its fifth new-car location.
CEO Michael Carmichael said UpAuto’s purchase of its first Volkswagen store comes at an “important inflection point for the industry,” as vehicles go electric and the German automaker rolls out its electrified ID family.
“With Volkswagen’s bold introduction of electric vehicles, we’ll be providing the necessary investments required to expand our facilities and infrastructure and seize the opportunity to address the increasing demand for electric vehicles,” he said in a release.
Easthill Volkswagen was previously owned by the Plaza Auto Group, based in Toronto.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The Volkswagen store will join UpAuto’s existing portfolio of four new-car dealerships, which include Stratford Nissan, Stratford Subaru, St. Marys Buick GMC, and Hanover Honda, a location it acquired in September. The company also operates a used-car store in Stratford.