Canterbury-based dealer Choose Leisure is set to grow after buying the former Brownhills Motorhomes site, which is literally next door to the current Choose site.
Paul Santos (pictured) set up Choose Leisure three years ago, pioneering the concept of ‘motorhome brokerage’: that is, selling customers’ old motorhomes for them, for an agreed fee, rather than for commission. This, along with conventional sales and servicing of motorhomes, has helped the business to grow steadily and independently, and not tie it to a particular manufacturer.
Paul says: “The new site gives us more space, an indoor showroom and more workshop capacity. We have taken out the inter-connecting fence and have already got some motorhomes in the showroom. We will move in fully over the winter, after clearing the site, which lay empty for over two years. We’re all really excited about the future opportunities this purpose-built facility will bring – both for the business and for our customers.”
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Paul has 12 years’ experience in the industry. He worked for Lowdhams before joining Brownhills, and as general manager set up the Brownhills dealer site in Canterbury. He left before Brownhills was restructured at the time of its management buyout, to set up Choose Leisure.
Paul says, “Nine of us work here; seven came from Brownhills and Discover Leisure when the local branches closed, bringing their expertise with them. We pride ourselves in doing our own warranties, which we think are better than customers would get elsewhere.”
Paul has 27 motorhomes currently in stock, mostly in the £20-30,000 range, and the summer sale is still on. By next spring he hopes to have 50 motorhomes in stock, thanks to the new site.
“With over a quarter of the UK’s population living in London and the South East and many more people passing through on their way to and from Europe, Kent has a lot to offer our industry and we’re making the most of that,” says Paul.
