Cathedral Motor Company, the parent company of Arbury Group, turned in a strong performance in 2024 with pre-tax profits up 75% to £2.3m on turnover up 18% to £222.3m.
The boost in profits was achieved despite “a difficult and competitive trading environment” with gross margins coming under pressure and higher overheads.
“Managing this and the continuing increase in labour costs became the biggest cost challenges the business faced during the year,” it said in results filed at Companies House.
During the year it parted company with Citroen on the sales front but retained its authorised repairer status.
It also agreed with Citroen parent Stellantis to add the EV Leapmotor brand to its line-up.
Arbury delivered new vehicle unit sales of 5,341 and used at 5,553 both consistent with previous year gross margins on a unit-by-unit basis which, coupled with a tight control in expenses saw an increase in the profitability of the vehicle sales departments of 21.5%.
Labour sales year on year increased by 9.9%. An element of this increase was however offset by increases in the department’s expenses.
The net result of its service and parts operations was an increase in profitability of 4.5%.
Arbury was created in 2000 and now represents Peugeot, SEAT, Nissan, Škoda, Fiat, Abarth, Cupra and Leapmotor across the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire.
