AS well as starting a new job as sales administration assistant at St Albans dealership Brayley Honda, 18-year-old Zoe Joyce had the honour of officially opening the newly refurbished site on Hatfield Road, which is one of the first Honda dealers in Europ

AS well as starting a new job as sales administration assistant at St Albans dealership Brayley Honda, 18-year-old Zoe Joyce had the honour of officially opening the newly refurbished site on Hatfield Road, which is one of the first Honda dealers in Europe to showcase the manufacturer's new global brand identity.

An investment of some �250,000 in its St Albans premises underpins Brayley Honda's commitment to providing excellent customer service to the local motoring community. The refurbishment, which took three months to complete, features a lounge area for customers and a more spacious work environment for staff.

With a number of car dealerships in Hertfordshire having closed due to the recession, Brayley Honda is bucking the trend. Established only six years ago, the group has already sold over 800 new cars this year, an increase compared with 2008. In addition to its other sites in Hemel Hempstead and Grays, Essex, the company has recently expanded its business to four dealerships with the acquisition of a previous Honda site in Enfield.

Welcoming the new-look, 47 year-old Paul Brayley, founder and managing director of Brayley Honda, said: "We're delighted to be one of the first in the UK and Europe to show off the new Honda identity and it's great that Danny and Zoe have joined the team at this exciting time in our development. Despite the tough trading conditions, we've had a very resilient year to date. Our customers want to deal with a friendly and expert local franchise which is able to withstand the difficult times so I'm proud that we've made this investment in the long term future of our presence in St Albans."

Almost a third of Brayley Honda's new car sales (28%) in the second quarter of 2009 have resulted from the Government's scrappage scheme. Motorists owning a car that's at least ten years old can take advantage of a �1000 cash incentive, which is matched by participating manufacturers and dealers, including Brayley Honda. The vehicle being traded-in must be scrapped.

Mark Corr, Brayley Honda's St Albans sales manager, said: "The scrappage scheme has generated a great deal of interest in the Honda range and we've had very positive feedback from customers. The new September plate change has seen a bumper number of new deliveries and the whole team here is really pleased with the fresh and dynamic working environment.