Atamian Continues Work on $10 Million Expansion

Atamian President Terry Atamian says plans are moving forward steadily on a $10 million expansion of the Atamian Honda and Atamian Volkswagen dealerships in Tewksbury.

To that end, the automotive dealer has purchased two plots of land just north of its current location. It has also begun the design process for renovating the existing businesses, leaders among Boston Honda and Boston Volkswagen dealers.

The original building will be revamped and turned into a dedicated Volkswagen dealership, while the space in the second building will double and become home to the Honda dealership.

According to Atamian, the work being done will bring to fruition the seeds of a project that were planted years ago.

"We actually started planning this project over 20 years ago," said Atamian, whose family has been selling motor vehicles since 1919. "We've got quite a bit of work still to do before we go back to the town (to talk about the next phase of the expansion)."

The expansion will provide much-needed space, but will also have an impact in the community, adding 35 new jobs to the local economy.  These additions will increase the Atamian staff by 50 percent even while the economy remains on the mend.

Atamian cites the expansion as a sign of its success despite the economic situation, as well as its commitment to the community.

"It really comes down to having a great staff," said Atamian. "We have many people that have been with us for a long time. We have an outstanding staff."

The Atamian family has been a part of Tewksbury since 1969 when it opened its Volkswagen dealership. The Honda dealership opened seven years later in 1976.