Sanford, NC – Wilkinson Cadillac Chevrolet Buick GMC awarded local commercial builder Carolina Commercial Contractors, LLC the contract to build its new expanded and modernized dealership on Highway 87 in southern Lee County. The over 55,000 square foot facility includes a new maintenance shop, expanded showroom and customer spaces. It will be the largest automobile complex in Lee County.  The project has broken ground and its completion is scheduled for spring 2020.

The new space will increase Wilkinson’s total available space by almost 3 times. Wilkinson has been in its current location for over 45 years.  It moved to Douglas Drive in 1974 after beginning on Wicker Street in 1953.  The decision to move was not made lightly. “This location and all of Lee County has been good to us,” says dealer Wil Wilkinson. “We are just running out of room and need more space. We have run out of room for inventory, for parts and equipment, and for employee workspaces.”

The new showroom and maintenance shop will service more customers more efficiently. It offers some cool new advances, such as drive-over plates that check alignment and tire tread depth instantly for every service customer. The service department’s shop will be climate controlled. Wilkinson will continue to be the only new car dealership in the area with a body shop.  The new body shop will include two waterborne paint booths, the same technology that car manufacturers have converted to using. These booths are much more efficient and environmentally friendly.

Dave Richardson, Project Manager for Carolina Commercial Contractors, says, “We are proud to build a new home for such a respected local business. Everything in the new service shop will be state-of-the-art and the exterior is modern and updated.”

“It will be a big change to move to the new location,” says Wilkinson, “but with our pick- up and delivery service, we will still be able to serve all of our customers in the area just as we always have. We will have expanded customer leisure areas with digital connectivity and the increased efficiency in the shop will expedite service times.”

Carolina Commercial is a family-owned and managed commercial construction business in Sanford that is over 20 years old. They specialize in senior living and multi-family communities and have completed projects all over the Southeast. Member/Manager Carter Keller says, “We love to build in our hometown and are very pleased to be working on this project for Wilkinson.” In Sanford, Carolina Commercial has built The Oaks Apartments, the Capital Bank building on S. Horner Blvd. and more recently South Park Village Apartments off of Highway 87.