“The reality is we’ve got quite a fragmented business in Tauranga.
“So Tauriko gives us the opportunity of having a large parcel of land where we can bring all of those sites together and create an auto hub.”
The site of Ebbett Automotive’s planned 20,000sq m automotive hub in Tauriko.
Van den Engel said the new location offered connections across Tauranga, with State Highway 29 and State Highway 36 running through the area.
The new site would have more parking, a larger selection of used vehicles and expanded servicing facilities.
It would also have on-site tyre and windscreen services, a car wash and technology to measure tyre tread and suspension alignment.
Van den Engel said there would be no job losses as a result of the move, and he expected more roles as the business grew.
The move would mean a longer trip for some customers in Mount Maunganui, but the company expected the site’s access and parking to offset the extra distance.
Van den Engel expected the development to cost tens of millions of dollars, although he would not disclose the figure.
Ebbett’s existing dealerships would operate as normal until the move.
Progress at the site of Ebbett Automotive’s future 20,000sq m Tauriko hub.
Van den Engel said the new development followed Ebbett’s similar approach in Hamilton, where its central-city dealerships were consolidated into an automotive hub.
He said the Tauriko move would build on that model. Ebbett wanted to operate more efficiently as more automotive brands entered the New Zealand market.
The hub will carry Hyundai, Isuzu, BYD, Forthing, Foton, Range Rover, Defender, Discovery, Volvo and Polestar vehicles.
“A hub like this enables the customer to get a broad range of choice and, at the same time, for us to run a business that achieves some economies of scale.”
Element IMF is the developer for Tauriko Business Estate.
The company said it was delighted Ebbett had chosen Tauriko as its future base.
It was a strong endorsement of Tauriko’s location, and the new showroom and vehicle service facility would provide a “significant lift” to the area.
“We expect that other local businesses and relocations from other regions of New Zealand will be encouraged to follow Ebbett’s in choosing Tauriko as their future base to grow their future.”
Priority One chief executive Dave Courtney said any expansion investment in the region was “worth celebrating”.
The move would also free up a strategic city-centre site for a new use, and he would be interested to see what emerged there.
“This is an established business making a significant commitment to its future in Tauranga.”
Courtney said Tauriko continued to develop as an important business and employment hub for the western Bay, and investment like this added to that momentum.
Priority One chief executive Dave Courtney.
Tauriko ward councillor Marten Rozeboom said the business estate was an important area for industrial and commercial growth in Tauranga.
The businesses based there supported job creation and economic development, while helping to provide wages that allowed workers to meet rising living costs.
“I will always support and promote businesses that choose to make Tauranga their home.”
The Ebbett development is the latest in a series of major investments in the Tauriko Business Estate.
Winstone Wallboards’ Gib manufacturing plant opened in 2023, while global electronics company Brother moved its headquarters to Tauriko in 2014.
More recently, a $6.8m Mitre 10 trade and distribution centre was approved for Ihakara Place.
The Bay of Plenty Times reported in April that Tauranga City Council had approved 19 building consents worth a combined $13.4m in the estate in the previous four months.
The estate’s growth has been supported by its access to major transport routes and proximity to the Port of Tauranga, with further road upgrades planned to support development.
The wider Tauriko area is also set to grow, with up to 4000 homes planned for Tauriko West near the business estate and Tauranga Crossing, with the first homes expected from 2027.
Zoe Blake is a multimedia journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post.