Receiving this accolade is an acknowledgement of the hard work over the last five years in establishing this dealership.
It is a dealership that rules the roost in this prime farming and strategic region of the Free State, close to Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
So says a proud Willem Roberts, Dealer Principal at Mortimer Toyota Frankfort and part of MMG, after receiving the important Most Improved Performance Group Member Award at the 2021 MSX/NADA Business of the Year (BOTY) ceremony.
“To be considered for this award, the dealership is evaluated and results that cover a variety of aspects are compared to those of the previous financial year. Our success leading up to this award did not happen overnight.
“It took time to establish a substantial car parc and that led to our After Sales Department running full steam, close to a 100% capacity. Even with low stock levels, we move heaven and earth to assist clients and can draw on the assistance of all the dealerships in MMG group. The group also bought Bidvest Car Rental, which is now called Bluu Car Rental, and it is an important provider of quality used stock.
“Before 2017, Toyota did not have a presence in Frankfort, and the ‘bakkie-business’ here was dominated by another brand which chose to leave during that year.
“That business was run by me and my partner, Emile Cronjé. We struck a deal with Ryan and Rudi Seele, the owners of the Mortimer Motor Group. They also owned the Toyota dealership in Reitz.
“We became part of MMG, and the Reitz dealership was moved to Frankfort into the same premises that housed our previous business. Emile is now the Manager at our After Sales Department at Mortimer Toyota,” Willem tells us.
He says before they became part of MMG and Toyota, they won two Rural Dealer of the Year Awards and the aim is to achieve this again. “Winning this award from Nada and MSX is an important pathway to achieve more success. Winning overall Dealership of the Year awards from both Toyota and Nada/MSX is most certainly in our sights.
“And the most significant reason for our success is our team at Mortimer Frankfort and colleagues at MMG. I want to thank Rudi and Ryan Seele for the trust they had in us back in 2017 as well as a big thank you to Wynand Wessels, our boss overseeing the Toyota side of the business.
Lastly, my staff deserve huge congratulations and a thank you for everybody’s effort that you have put in to get us into this position,” Willem concludes.
The highly anticipated F&I Industry Awards 2024, which were held recently, showcased the pinnacle of excellence and innovation in the automotive financial and insurance sector.
In a groundbreaking move towards offering a comprehensive, one-stop integrated service to its customers, Absa has introduced an integrated Finance & Insurance solution for dealer partners across South Africa. This innovative initiative marks a significant step towards enhancing customer experience and streamlining financial services.
The three-point seatbelt stands out as one of the most important innovations in automotive safety. Invented by Volvo in 1959, the Swedish automaker chose to share this life-saving device with the world instead of patenting it. As a result, the three-point seatbelt is estimated to have saved over one million lives since its introduction.
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You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do.
Henry Ford
The Nissan Magnite seems to have captured the imagination of traditional as well as new buyers of the brand. With an updated Magnite recently launched and arriving at dealerships currently, there is good interest from prospective buyers of small Crossovers with a strong SUV character.
As 2024 draws to a close, I think it is pertinent to look back at some of the articles that I have written this year. I always try to concentrate on the basics and very often they are the areas of a dealership that need continuous and regular focus.
"Let the product speak for itself," says William Roberts (main photo), Dealer Principal at Supergroup Dealerships’ Foton branch in Springs, discussing the arrival of the new Chinese brand expanding across South Africa.
