Although not the outright winner in each of the different categories, a percentage of between 106% and 109% of targets reached allowed Hino Isando to bag the prestigious title at this year’s Toyota, Lexus & Hino Dealer of the Year awards ceremony.

“I am very proud of our team of 31 full-time staff members and third-party employees who each played a decisive role in the dealership’s success,” says Bobby Pringle, Dealer Principal at Hino Isando. It is the first time the dealership has won the overall title. It was runner-up in this category in 2019.

The dealership is part of the Super Group Dealerships’ Division and is located in Super Park, the group’s logistical business hub. Hino Isando is a stand-alone dealership and is the only dealership in Super Park.

Bobby says what makes them even more proud of the award is the fact that business conditions were difficult owing to the closure of the Hino plant in Durban after the flooding in April last year. Toyota’s Prospecton plant was closed for 41 days, 78 trucks were lost, and 550 trucks were lost in sales because of the closure, Toyota said at the time.

“As a large dealership, probably one the three largest dealerships in the Hino dealer network, we were prepared to a certain extent with having enough stock to service clients. There were only a few instances where certain models were not immediately available,” Bobby tells Dealerfloor.

He says the dealership occupies a huge space and that they are in the process of finalising plans to increase the size of the workshop premises. “We handle up to 14 trucks a day, from Monday to Saturday. Our fleet sales contribute roughly 30% to our business with the rest coming from smaller businesses. We are also an exception to the rule with our bigger Hino 500 Series being our top seller as opposed to other dealerships where the Hino 200 and 300 Series are at the core of business.

“Repeat business plays a major role in our success, and we have dedicated sales teams going out to potential customers as well as a good number of walk-in clients. We have a very strong marketing team, and each and every lead is properly followed up,” he tells us.

Bobby has been with the Hino brand for 25 years in different capacities at various dealerships. “I have worked my way up through different positions in different departments over the years. In early 2016, I joined the Super Group as the Sales Manager at Hino Isando and before the end of that year, I was appointed as the Dealer Principal,” Bobby concludes.