COLE BAY–Motorworld can now boast of having a state-of-the-art showroom built with the customer in mind, who can pick a vehicle inside the two-storey showroom. More than 1,000 persons attended the official grand opening of the company’s showroom on Friday evening.
A number of speakers took to the stage and spoke about the company’s history and the strides it has made in the automotive industry on the island.
VIP guests included Prime Minister William Marlin, President of the Collectivité of St. Martin Daniel Gibbs, Governor Eugene Holiday and spouse, Minister of Finance Richard Gibson Sr., Minister of Health Emil Lee, Minister of Education Silveria Jacobs, President of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams and Members of Parliament Frans Richardson, Franklin Meyers, George Pantophlet, Silvio Matser and Rodolphe Samuel. 
Hyundai Deputy General Manager for Central and South America Taewon Choi; Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram ITC Regional Manager Jeremy Hart and American Motor Company Export Division Product Planning and Marketing Manager Lee DaSilva were also present.
Prime Minister Marlin said the facility would allow for improved customer service, offering clients comfort in a superb modern setting.
“Government is naturally very pleased that the private sector is doing its own share to further strengthen the economy and will match such initiatives with policies that will facilitate business by cutting down on red tape and boosting the investment climate.
“As I said at the beginning of this governing period, this Government will pay maximum attention to getting our economy moving forward on four wheels, if I may use a motoring metaphor. Those four wheels are the private sector, labour, Government and a partnership between the three that focusses on sustainability and a fair deal for all,” said Marlin.
Motorworld Managing Director Tariq Amjad gave insight about the project during his presentation.
“Tonight is yet another precious and significant moment of my life. This is the moment our family has waited for. We have been envisioning a new showroom for Motorworld for a long time. In life, nothing begins without a vision and no vision should end without execution and accomplishment. The road to this accomplishment was very bumpy. There were many mistakes, failures and disappointments along the way,” Amjad said.
“In 2009, we completed our new Dollar/Thrifty Car Rental premises which today remains the most modern and green car rental on the island and one of the nicest buildings on the airport stretch. We invite you anytime to walk in and see our facilities or rent a car.
“At the end of 2011, we completed our Caribbean Auto showroom, a complete renovation of the existing facilities that helped to beautify Union Road in Cole Bay.
“Discussions for a big headquarters showroom have always been had in our family. Myself and Michael Bacon, our architect and engineer for all our family projects, really put the pedal to the metal on this in 2013. Our permit was filed in July 2013 and approved in April 2014. The project was put to several bids.
“At the same time this was happening, we were also working incredibly hard on our Audi project. In April 2015, we completed our Audi showroom.”
Showroom building
He continued, “The entire building is more than 15,200 square feet. It is designed to withstand earthquakes and Category 5 hurricanes. The glass was sourced from Shuco in Germany, one of the biggest and best glass companies in the world.
“The builders used the strongest available double-glazed impact glass that is insulated and has a heat-reflective coating. There was one more level up, which is called missile-proof glass, which was three times the price. Luckily we are not located near and have no quarrels with North Korea. The company also used super-high-quality tiles which were sourced from Matheiu Alexander and Sophie Loutrat from HD Factory, and Johann Sourice from Forum Décor.
“The entire building is extremely energy efficient. LED lighting is used everywhere. Underneath every single car in the showroom there is a 12-volt connection that connects straight onto the battery terminals of a car. The purpose of this, like the Audi showroom, is to leave the pretty LED lights on a car if it is equipped with it.
“Overall I must thank WEC [Windward Electrical Company – Ed.], for their outstanding electrical and plumbing works done throughout the building. Their work was immaculate. A special shout-out goes to the owner Rosiendo Rombley and his team of Henry, Richard and Navin on the electrical side, and Klaas on the plumbing side. …
“We have a Smart-TV system that allows us to place any ads we want on the TVs. We can place banners on the screen even whilst watching CNN, etc. Thank you to Samuel Dorisme from Virtual Technology.
“We finally have a handover room, so we no longer have to deliver cars in the sun or rain.
“We have state-of-the-art surround-sound throughout the entire building, including every bathroom. Everything is controlled with an app on your phone. If a staff [member – Ed.] feels like listening to a particular song and wants to share it with their colleagues, they can connect via Bluetooth, and play on all the speakers on either floor! Thank you to Sound and Vision with Steve, Audrey and Greg Bergee.
“We have a high-capacity generator that is more than capable of backing up our entire property. Thank you to Dynaf and Werner in particular for the successful installation and troubleshooting.
“We have ultra-high resolution CCTV [closed circuit television – Ed.] camera security, alarm and fire systems throughout the building. Thank you Checkmate for the great work.
“Another achievement for the company is that the entire building is connected with a high-tech solar-panel system located on the roof of our Parts Department. There are 210 panels which were made in the USA and five inverters. The monthly production is about 13,500KW [kilowatts – Ed.], which should cover about 90 per cent of the new building in the really sunny hours.
“Thank you once again to Taoufik Azbouni, his company Renewal Energy and Betonbouw for the successful supply and installation of the solar panels. It has been designed to add more panels in the future for more savings, but first we must replenish our cash flow!
“As you can see, our family believes in going green as much as possible to help maintain a healthy planet.”
The brands carried in the showroom are Hyundai, Honda and Jeep.
As part of its brand new showroom, Motorworld is offering discounts on all Hyundai, Honda, Ford, Jeep, Ram, Mazda, Volkswagen and Audi models during its Customer Appreciation Week today, Monday, through Saturday.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/66333-motorworld-showroom-raises-automotive-bar
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