It is the second consecutive year that the Thorp Motor Group’s Plumstead dealership in the Western Cape brought back the silverware for this prestigious award. The multi-franchise dealership currently provides vehicle sales and aftersales to the brands of GWM (Haval), Subaru and from 1 July 1, Chery.

The fleet award is an international recognition by GWM (Haval) for individual dealers’ performance in the respective countries with specific focus on fleet sales. This award is presented annually at the Motor Shows in China.

Dealerfloor chatted to Jacques Fryer, the Dealer Principal, about what drives this success at the Plumstead dealership.

“Our fleet success is based on our offering to our clients and understanding their unique needs. Be it the ‘butcher/baker/candle stick maker’ to the large corporate fleet requirements, our team is able to provide a customised service. We provide vehicles that are leaders in their respective fields of operation, through our outlets at Plumstead, N1 City, Table View and Table Bay,” he said.

Asked how the fleet side of the business fitted into the normal retail side in terms of different sales teams and servicing and aftersales, he told us that fleet sales played an important role in the component of the overall sales offering.

He added: “We have a dedicated team for fleet and retail sales and continue to strive to ensure that when we provide a vehicle, it is the start of a successful new partnership, ensuring minimum downtime for our clients.

“We cater for all fleet sizes, be it two or two hundred vehicles, though not only ensuring that we have the most knowledgeable, but also the most passionate of staff available to our clients. Add to this our free 10-year/1-million kilometre-warranty ensuring that when a vehicle is purchased from us, customers will always have the support they need.”

Jacques told Dealerfloor their fleet business operated across the country. “As the largest Independent Motor Group in the Western Cape, we have strategic partnerships with various dealers in the various networks, ensuring that we are always able to assist, both our fleet and retail clients.”

Back to the award which Jacques says is always a welcome surprise for the Thorp Motor Group and even more so for the team at GWM (Haval) Plumstead. “This award recognises our dedicated team of fleet experts and the service they provide. It is even more rewarding that we received international recognition, for the second year in a row,” he said.

We asked about expansion plans regarding the fleet side of business to which he replied that the Group has extensive plans in place for the next 12-18 months, which will see them cementing relationships with all their stakeholders.

This included plans such as a Motor City in Sandown (Table View area) and soon Chery Plumstead, all complementing the current offering of Suzuki at N1 City, Table View and Table Bay as well as GWM (Haval) in Table View and Table Bay.

And what distinguishes Plumstead from other dealership regarding its fleet business? “Simply put, it is our ‘get it done’ attitude for all stakeholders, by providing customised products to support our vehicles and also ensuring that our team remains at the forefront of the market needs.”

With New Energy Vehicles (NEV) slowly but surely gaining momentum in South Africa, Jacques told Dealerfloor they were extremely excited about the products, not only by GWM (Haval), but also with their other brands. “I believe we have strategically positioned ourselves through all our branches not only as a market leader but also as an Independent Motor Group and amongst all the large Motor Groups in in the country.”

Jacques concluded by telling Dealerfloor their goal was to ensure they remained a leader in the market not only for GWM, but for all vehicle models available at their dealerships. We will continue to build on the success of the past two years and hopefully achieve recognition for a third year, while at the same time staying rooted to the success of our business – namely, all our customers, OEMs and staff.”