FB Transmission is pleased to have assisted Mr Xavier Giudice, shareholder in Garage Bruno Mercier – Hyundai dealer in Tournai, in the sale of his shares to the Vandecasteele Group.

Located in Tournai, this Hyundai dealership was founded by Bruno Mercier in 1992. In 2015, Xavier Giudice, an employee of the company, took over its management. Already enjoying a solid reputation, he was able to retain existing customers and expand by opening a used vehicle garage nearby. After nine years at the head of the company, and faced with changes in the automotive sector, Xavier decided to stop to focus on future projects.

The Vandecasteele Group, a major player in automotive distribution, has thus added a new brand to its portfolio, broadening its range of services and strengthening its market presence.

The story of the Vandecasteele family began 57 years ago in Mouscron, with the grandparents of the current directors, Nathalie and her cousin Christophe. At the time, Roger Vandecasteele and his wife ran a garage for commercial vehicles until they heard that Peugeot was looking for a new representative in town. Roger passed on his passion for cars to his sons, Noël and Bernard. In 1970, Bernard opened a branch in Tournai, while Noël continued to run the garage in Mouscron. In the following years, the two brothers opened further branches in Courtrai and Ath. The family legacy continued in the 1990s, when Christophe and Nathalie Vandecasteele, Noël’s son and Bernard’s daughter respectively, joined the business. New garages were opened in Péruwelz and Wevelgem, and K Motors (representing Citroën and DS) was established in Kuurne.

The Vandecasteele family also has its own leasing company, Vancia Car Lease, which was launched in 1980. A forerunner in their sector, Bernard specialised in used cars, creating his own label in 1994: VDC CAR.

Since the 3rd generation took over, the group has opened up to the 8 other PSA and FCA brands (now grouped under Stellantis), with Citroën and DS Automobiles starting up in 2012.   From 2019, they acquired Vanneste’s Opel activities in Mouscron and Tournai. In 2021, they added Fiat and Abarth, then Jeep and Alfa Romeo in 2022 following the acquisition of Kortrijk Motors. The BYD brand was integrated into Kortrijk in 2023.”

The Vandecasteele Group also offers a bodywork service for all brands in five of their garages.

“Whatever the size of our group, it is essential that we remain a family business,” insist the directors. “Our family character, proximity and personalised service is a guarantee that we want to offer our customers and our employees too. With the acquisition of Garage Bruno Mercier – a Hyundai dealer – and the start of MG (distributed by the same importer), we are further expanding our range to meet our customers’ needs as effectively as possible.”