The origins of the company began some 60 years ago with Loders Garage (Dorchester) Ltd operating from what is now a busy petrol forecourt, just across the road from our company headquarters at The Grove, Dorchester.

The Company first represented Volkswagen in Dorchester in 1967 with Volkswagen Yeovil being added in 1975. Loder’s affiliation with Volkswagen is one of the longest in the UK and is something that is held very highly by the company. Although the Dorchester business has remained at The Grove throughout, the Yeovil operation moved from Pen Mill to a purpose built facility in 1990 on the Houndstone Business Park.

A further Dealership was built at this site in 1994 to accommodate Loders Audi, which has in turn recently moved to a brand new flagship site also on Houndstone Business Park. Located just round the corner from the previous dealership, Yeovil Audi provides a much larger service and parts department, an eight car showroom and an area displaying over sixty used vehicles and demonstrators. It is widely regarded as the most modern and up-to-date Audi showroom in the country.

In 2000, the Company was pleased to be selected as the operating dealer for Toyota Yeovil and the surrounding area. A brand new showroom and workshops were opened for Toyota customers in July of the same year. The Group then completed a major redevelopment of its Dorchester site, which now boasts a purpose-built, ‘stand-alone’ Accident Repair Centre for the surrounding area and a major refurbishment of our long standing Volkswagen dealership.

In July 2003 a new franchise was added to the group. Loders Skoda opened at West Hendford, Yeovil but this was always seen as a temporary measure and with Audi’s move to their new premises, Loders Skoda has neatly relocated to Audi’s previous site. The new association with Skoda is particularly exciting with a brand that is making huge strides globally, and has added further strength to the Group as a whole.

In June 2005 directors of the Motor Group purchased all of the shares held by the Loder family as part of a Management Buyout.

In 2009 Loders gained additions to the Group in the form of Peugeot dealerships in both Yeovil and Dorchester and also opened a new Hyundai dealership in Yeovil. Loders Approved Used Vehicle centres opened in Yeovil and Dorchester adding to the diversity of the business.

Loders Motor Group now operates two Volkswagen dealerships, two Peugeot dealerships, a Toyota dealership, an Audi dealership, a Skoda dealership, a Hyundai dealership, two Approved Used Centres and two Accident Repair Centres. Employing over 350 staff, this small family business has grown considerably in terms of size but most importantly in its professionalism and genuine customer satisfaction.

To help achieve all this, Managing Director Brian Keene has encouraged the introduction of modern systems and controls without losing too much of the ‘Family Values’ atmosphere. In today’s world of saturated communications, with emails, faxes and telephone calls, the philosophy of Loders has always been to maintain a strong ‘personal’ element and to deliver its products and services with ‘real customer experience’.

Loders Motor Group was recently named in Motor Traders Top 200 Business review as the fifth fastest growing motor group in the country. Last year the company was also awarded the accolade of ‘Best Customer Care’ in the Western Gazette ‘Choice Business Awards’.