Furrow Automotive invests $17 million into a new West Knoxville campus
Furrow Automotive announced Tuesday it will invest $17 million in building a new campus in West Knoxville, creating 40 new jobs.
The 43,000-square-foot project will consist of a new Knoxville Motor Company BodyWerks collision center and a new Land Rover Knoxville dealership.
The expansion will allow the Land Rover dealership to provide new electric cars and charging equipment. Furrow Automotive President Lee Ann Furrow Tolsma told Knox News the expansion is about “moving into the future.”
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The company needs more space because of customer base growth, she said.
“The trust our customers have placed in our family of companies and the resulting growth has allowed us to add these significant expansions to our service,” she said in a press release. “We hope our customers will enjoy the thoughtful details and upgrades that we have designed with them in mind.”
Set to open this fall at 10580 Parkside Drive, the new 20,000-square-foot collision center will have more space than the current center at Mercedes-Benz Knoxville on Parkside Drive. The current collision center will be used for Mercedes Sprinter Van services.
The new 23,000-square-foot Land Rover dealership will be twice as big as the current location, Furrow Tolsma said, which will be vacated once the new facility is finished.
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The current Land Rover dealership at 10215 Parkside Dr. will be converted into a Furrow pre-owned dealership.
Customers of the dealership will notice a new look when they enter the new building. The interior will feature a black and metal color scheme that Furrow Tolsma said will be, “welcoming, very professional and very modern (and) sleek.”
Furrow Automotive employs 240 employees and has been in Knoxville for over 107 years. It’s the parent company to Knoxville Motor Company, BodyWerks, Sprinter Knoxville and Chattanooga Auto Square.
“We’re a family business,” Furrow Tolsma said. “We’re getting ready to be in our third generation. We are excited for this new upcoming step for for our family and for our customers.”
Furrow Tolsma said the company is hiring. Applicants can visit furrow-automotive-group/careers for more info.
Silas Sloan: Covering growth and development in East Tennessee
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Furrow Automotive to launch new West Knoxville Land Rover dealership