“The automotive sector is currently undergoing major changes across Europe, with a growing trend towards consolidation and increasing the scale of operations.” This is how Autopolis contextualises the takeover of Garage Pirsch’s Ford activities in a press release published on 30 October. The acquisition was finalised three days earlier, for an undisclosed--still, at the time of writing--amount.
The brand’s activities will be transferred to the Autopolis site in Bertrange.
Following the takeover of part of Autodis’s activities in December 2022, the recent addition of the Kia brand in January 2023 and the takeover of the Collé FordStore in July, Autopolis is continuing its expansion strategy. CEO says he is “delighted that the Ford Belux importer has given us responsibility for part of the network and has placed its trust in us to distribute the brand at our Bertrange site, in addition to the one at Niederkorn.”
“All employees will be retained”
Garage Pirsch recorded net sales of €20.3m in 2021, according to the latest report available from the Trade and Companies Register (RCS), but a loss of €111,622. It has 35 employees. Delano sister publication Publication asked Ernest Pirsch, managing director of the 50-year-old family firm, what Ford represented in terms of revenue and employees--and therefore what the future of its remaining business looks like--but, at the time of writing, has received no response.
In its press release, Autopolis states that “all employees will be retained.” This brings its total workforce to 457. The subsidiary of Van Mossel Automotive Group is also keen to reassure Garage Pirsch’s Ford customers that they can “continue to count on the same high-quality service as before, with a warm and personalised welcome from the team already in place.” The company’s services include vehicle sales and maintenance, bodywork, windscreen repairs, tyre changing and storage, cleaning, roadworthiness testing, mobility and pick-up services, as well as leasing for businesses and private customers via Van Mossel Autolease Luxembourg.
Autopolis S.A. ended 2021 with a turnover of €147.2m and a profit of €6.086m, according to the latest figures available from the RCS.
This article in Paperjam. It has been translated and edited for Delano.