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Cairns dealership $3 million makeover

"We don't want our customers to feel closed in. We have created an open and friendly environment".

The home of Holden in Cairns has been transformed into a state-of-the-art dealership, which not only looks good but meets high environmental and cyclone rating requirements.

The Ireland family is investing $3 million in the Mulgrave Rd property, which exceeds exacting GM Holden standards. Ireland Holden and HSV now boasts a new showroom, upgraded workshops, a new service reception area, increased sales staff space and reception, new administration and corporate offices, new IT and customer contact centres and will soon have a newly renovated parts department and used vehicle sales offices.

Holden dealer-principal Richard Ireland said the showroom was double the size of the previous building, able to fit nine Holden Caprices comfortably. He said the showroom, fronting Mulgrave Rd, featured high-quality fixtures and fittings, including custom tiled floors, stainless steel features, exterior cyclone-rated aluminium cladding, energy efficient lighting and larger window space.

"One of the surprises will be a 4m by 2m high-definition LED television screen which will show the latest product images and previews, advertising and special events such as Bathurst. The audio will include internal and external speakers,'' Mr Ireland said.

The showroom and other parts of the building include heat shields to reduce the need for costly airconditioning. The aluminium panelling outside is designed to eliminate mould and reduce dust surfaces. A new sales reception area is included in the showroom as well as room for eight sales staff, an increase on the previous five.

Customer sales desks and chairs are scattered throughout the showroom and there is a dedicated HSV area. "We don't want our customers to feel closed in. We have created an open and friendly environment,'' Mr Ireland said.

Holden's high-tech Volt electric car will feature pride of place in the showroom and there is a designated rapid power-charging station outside, available to Volt buyers. Wheelchair access and automatic doors, the latest Holden and HSV corporate branding signs and paint finishes are included.

The service reception area features a large TV, lounges and tea and coffee making facilities. Four customer service work stations with free wi-fi have been installed and customers are able to watch their cars being serviced. The heat shields and large overhead fans cool the workshops down to make conditions more comfortable for staff, while improving environmental impacts from cooling systems.

The building features compartmentation which is automatically triggered in the event of fire, to isolate half the dealership and assist in mitigating damage. A $100,000 elevator gives easy access to the second floor which houses the dealer-principal's office, the boardroom, administration and corporate offices, the IT and customer contact centres.

The administration area has doubled in size with a further eight people working in the department, now totalling 14. Ten extra staff have been hired at Ireland Holden with 130 in all. The customer contact centre makes 400 services and sales calls a week. A new IT server room has a double roof and ceiling as well as extra cyclone bracing.

The new boardroom easily seats 22 people, more than double previous capacity, plus there is a full kitchen for catering. Ongoing work includes the new used car centre and the parts department. Joint managing director David Ireland was the project manager, liaising between the family and the three building and design firms involved in the redevelopment.

The Hartley Group designed and built the new showroom and service area, RC Harder undertook the corporate offices and board room designed by Peter Dall'Alba Design of Gordonvale, while the Chappell Group is working on the used car and spare parts refits. Design work started in December 2010 with builders on site since October 2011.