IN a couple of weeks ATL Automotive will add another jewel to its crown: Porsche.

Adam Stewart, CEO of the Sandals and the ATL Group, said the acquisition of the high-performance brand is in keeping with his company’s strategic vision of offering the best brands and the best service.

“Porsche is unquestionably one of the most exclusive brands in the world, and as a result, this introduction raises up the centre of gravity for the automotive industry in this country and gives us all something to aspire to. Our government has given us the best highways and byways that Jamaica has ever seen; now we’re providing the best cars to use on them!

“Many still associate Porsche with exclusive sports cars like the 911 or the Panamera alone, but they’ve diversified brilliantly to boast a model lineup today that includes high-performance SUVs such as the Cayenne and their lightest SUV ever, the Macan, to make driving a Porsche not just more within reach but practical for our market also. In an SUV-driven market such as Jamaica, that’s hugely relevant, and the fact that more than 50 per cent of Porsche’s global sales are now attributed to SUVs suggests how well it’ll do here,” Stewart told the

Auto.

“Porsche is revered throughout the world by the most exclusive motorists and rightly so. Jamaica will be no different and, at ATL Automotive, we’ll be boasting a full model line-up including the Cayenne, the Macan and the 911 amongst others. The sheer exclusivity of the brand, the way it’s designed, the supreme luxury and the technology that goes into creating each one means that it will be driven by those that are not looking to settle for anything less than the absolute finest,” he continued.

Porsche won the JD Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS) in 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2014, while in 2015, US News ranked the Macan as the best luxury compact SUV in its class.

ATL Automotive currently offers Audi, Volkswagen, Honda brands, BMW, and MINI. The latter two opened for business under the ATL banner on March 7.

Stewart, son of hotel tycoon Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, said each brand acquisition was a carefully thought-out process.

“The expansion of this division via the addition of our new brands has been a part of our growth strategy for a while and has been a long time in coming. The team and I work tirelessly to go the extra mile and hit the ground running without missing a step, whatever the brand. Take BMW and MINI; this was a highly complex transition between two local dealers which meant the transition of everything from warranty info and the acquisition of parts right down to the physical showroom facility and the systems within it. The changeover was seamless and I thank the BMW customers for their patience while the transition took place. It’ll be worth the wait.

“It’s fair to say that because of our relationship with the VW Group, our discussions with Porsche weren’t a huge secret and so, like BMW and MINI, it was at the forefront of our future planning. The management teams and structures, the training programmes, the supply chain, marketing and everything in between have been planned and in place for longer than most people would believe — we took no chances. You hear stories of companies who have failed trying to grow too fast, too quick, but we’re not one of them. That’s down to us refusing to compromise our strategic vision and having the right people in the right places. The ultimate aim was to ensure that the brands are represented at the highest level and that both our existing and new customers receive the first-class choice of product and service they expect from day one,” said Stewart.

The CEO said the new business will have a team to cover all aspects of Porsche’s operations.

“We do not cut corners when it comes down to how we treat our customers or the brands we represent,” he said.

In the interim, the Porsche luxury line of vehicles will be displayed in the Audi showrooms in Kingston and Montego Bay.

“We’re currently finalising plans for state-of-the-art showrooms close to Porsche’s sister brands of Audi and Volkswagen at the existing facility on Oxford Road and in Bogue City Centre in Montego Bay. We’re excited to share further details as we have them,” said Stewart.

Started in 1997, ATL Automotive operates from state-of-the-art showrooms in Kingston and Montego Bay.

“What we’re creating at ATL is an automotive company with a range of choice so diverse that every single consumer in Jamaica is included. Adding this brand to the portfolio is a game-changer in the sense that we’ll be unlocking doors to brands people might not have thought possible. Our range is now so diverse it goes from a super premium sports car like a Porsche 911 right through to a Certified Pre-Owned hatchback, so regardless of a consumer’s desires and means, we have it.”