The McKillen family’s Atlas Autoservice has completed the acquisition of four depot properties in Bray, Coolock, Dun Laoghaire and Donnybrook as part of a strategy to retake ownership of the sites from which it operates.
The company said the latest deals mark another step in a property investment programme that has seen the family-run business gain full ownership of most of its depot property portfolio over the past year.
Atlas Autoservice has tyre and car servicing outlets in Dublin and currently employs more than 230 people across 18 locations, it said.
The late Belfast-born Paddy McKillen – father of the hotelier and developer of the same name – founded what was then Ireland’s first chain of tyre and exhaust service outlets, DC Exhausts. It was sold in the 1990s for a reputed £25m. Atlas Autoservice is controlled by John McKillen, a son of businessman and hotelier Paddy McKillen.
The latest move follows the company’s acquisition of Bridgestone’s 18 Irish retail depots in December 2023.
Those depots, which operated under the First Stop and Fast Fit brands, were integrated with Atlas Autoservice’s existing nine outlets, doubling the size of the business at the time, it said.
Atlas was founded by John McKillen, brother of property developer and hotelier Paddy McKillen snr.
The deal for the Bridgestone portfolio brought back into family ownership several sites – including the property in Donnybrook, Dublin 4 that were previously operated by their father, also Paddy McKillen under the DC Exhaust brand that he established in Belfast.
The company said it has been investing in its workforce and service offering. It said it has recruited additional front-of-house staff and provided training in technology.
“I am very proud that as we build our Atlas Autoservice business, we are also re-building the footprint of the business that was previously owned by my father,” said John McKillen.
“The flagship property acquisitions which include high profile sites in Dun Laoghaire and Donnybrook, gives us the independence and freedom that comes with owning the property from which you are trading.
“This strategy to fully own our property portfolio gives us certainty for the future and a really strong foundation upon which we can continue to build and expand our services.”
The plan two years ago was to become the largest servicing group in Dublin, Mr McKillen said.
“Our plan two years ago was to become the largest tyre and car servicing group in Dublin, and we have certainly achieved that goal. By investing in our depot portfolio, we can invest further in the services that we offer and the people that provide the kind of service that brings our customers back.”