A LONGSTANDING business in Wangaratta, One Mile Motors Wangaratta Mazda, has changed hands with Kyal Tripodi acquiring the dealership from Michael Henderson.

Mr Tripodi has worked in the car sales industry having originally hailed from Swan Hill and following some time living in Kyneton, he and his wife Kate and two children have made the move to Wangaratta.

It's exciting times ahead, with plans to move the business from Templeton Street to Parfitt Road locked in, and Mr Tripodi is eager to activate the change which will spruce up the northern entrance to Wangaratta.

The Parfitt Road relocation has been a project of Mr Henderson's for several years and it will offer a larger building for staff and clients, with a six-car showroom, a drive-in service drop-off, an eight-bay workshop, lounge area and kids' zone.

"When people drop their car off for a service they'll enter via Ashmore Street and they'll be able to drive through the middle of the building where we'll valet park people's cars," Mr Tripodi said.

Plans are to start demolition of existing infrastructure before the end of 2023 and construction in the new year, with the move to the Parfitt Road site by the end of 2024.

"The building will be custom designed for us and Wangaratta's needs, but also Mazda's requirements as well and the building has a huge footprint," he said.

"We are one of the strongest Mazda dealerships in Australia when it comes to customer satisfaction and we plan to continue that."

Mr Tripodi made a point to note that One Mile Motors has been a family business for so long and it's going to continue to be a family business.

"For my family it's not a career move but rather a lifestyle move to buy and run the business, to be successful and be a part of the community and continue the great work that Michael has done over the last 20 years and what the Davenports have done over many, many years," Mr Tripodi said.

"It's a credit to them and I'm confident my family will do the history of the business justice."

One Mile Motors was established in Wangaratta in 1949 and it's been a Mazda dealership since 1967.

It was first located near the One Mile Creek and moved to the current Templeton Street location in 1961, taking over an old woolshed for the markets that used to be across the road in King George V Gardens.

Mr Henderson has spent 20 years at the business, first as a sales manager and then as dealer principal for the last seven years.

"The selling of the business was a hard decision and selling to the right people to take the business forward was really important to us, and we have full confidence in Kyal to make that happen," Mr Henderson said.

"The people you meet that stay lifelong friends, the involvement in the community and the engagement you have from a country dealer that you can't get from outside of country zones is so important.

"At the end of the day we're country people supporting country people so that local content all round is so important for everybody because it feeds back into the community.

"One of the things I loved about sales is going through the journey with clients who would come in with dreams and aspirations and you were helping them get to where they wanted to go."

Michael is going to ease into retirement and he's planning a caravanning road trip around Australia with the family.