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COLE BAY--Audi Latin America and Caribbean Auto broke ground for the construction of a US $500,000 new Audi dealership in St. Maarten on Thursday.
The dealership will be located at 153 Union Road Cole Bay, near Caribbean Auto. The centre will be Audi's St. Maarten/St. Martin dealership in the Caribbean region and will help strengthen its relationship with current and future four-ring customers.
"It's wonderful having a global company like Audi bring its quality-engineered vehicles to the island. The kick-off of this Audi site is a momentous occasion for St. Maarten," Prime Minister Sarah-Wescot-Williams said.
Construction for the centre began in early September and is expected to be completed by December 15.
Vice President of Audi Latin America and the Caribbean Diego Ramos underscored the importance of the new partnership with Caribbean Auto at the launch, as well as the fact that the initiative will create "highly qualified jobs" in sales and marketing in the country. He said the partnership means that St. Maarten will have a premium product with excellent service in the country, adding that Audi will help raise the level of the automobile business to one never before experienced on the island.
The new showroom will be able to accommodate between four and five vehicles. Audi's A1, A3, Q3, Q5 and Q7 brands will be available at the dealership, Ramos and local Audi Brand Manager Tariq Amjad said.
Ramos stressed the importance of training for the brand and said this will be top priority. Persons working with the Audi brand will be exposed to regional and international training. Ramon, who was in St. Maarten for the first time, said he had been "very enthusiastic" about the partnership and about being here.
Amjad said the 2,400 square-foot showroom is being constructed by Taliesin Construction and is on target for the December 15 completion. The top of the line amenities will include a direct service drop-off in the Audi showroom.
He said the response to the impending opening has been overwhelmingly positive.
Technicians have already received training in the brand.
"Audi AG's commitment to its customers around the world and now in St. Maarten is to provide the most progressive premium automobiles. The new Audi centre in Cole Bay will provide customers in St. Maarten the latest Audi models with the most advanced technology from the German manufacturer, and deliver the excellent service that all Audi customers expect," Audi said in an earlier press release on the initiative.
Wescot-Williams and Caribbean Auto officials Tariq Amjad, Reza Amjad and Imran McSood Amjad were amongst those present at the opening. Rena Amjad could not be present due to an illness in the family.
The Audi Group delivered approximately 1,575,500 cars of the Audi brand to customers in 2013. The Audi A3 has been awarded the title of "World Car of the Year 2014."
The company currently employs more than 73,500 people worldwide, of which more than 52,500 are in Germany. A total investment of around 22 billion euros is planned from 2014 to 2018 – primarily in new products and sustainable technologies.
