SALEM — Rockingham Motors is making a major move into a new facility.

Rockingham Toyota/Scion and Rockingham Honda are merging into a single location at 408 South Broadway, just a few miles from their current dealerships at 354 Main St. The former Ultimate Electronics building will be gutted and redeveloped into a 34,000-square-foot showroom that will house the Toyota/Scion lines.

“This is a great project for the town,” said Ross Moldoff, planning director for the Town of Salem.

Rockingham Honda will move from its current 360 North Broadway location to a new 25,000-square-foot dealership after the vacant Rockingham Woodcraft main building and two storage buildings are torn down. The plan includes room to display about 285 vehicles, according to the company website.

The dealership purchased the land in September 2011 for about $8 million, according to Vision Appraisal's online database of lots in Salem. The project received conditional Planning Board approval at the end of April. Construction has yet to start and the business hasn't applied for any building permits. No opening date has been announced.

Rockingham Motors is a family-owned business that has been selling and servicing new and used vehicles in Salem since 1985. The company has grown from 30 employees to more than 100 at three locations.

Owner Emmett Horgan is an active member of the community. He was awarded the William A. Brown Distinguished Businessperson award by the Salem Chamber of Commerce in 1994 for his contributions to the local business environment.

The dealership has also worked on various auctions and fund-raisers for the Salem Boys & Girls Club. Horgan was awarded the club's prestigious Chief John P. Ganley Community Service Award in 1992 for taking a leadership role in the community.

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