At Halfway Toyota in Howick, workshop foreman Devesh Saamcharan stole a march on his Japanese colleagues in the Toyota Motor Corporation when he assembled a few foot-operated, hand-sanitiser dispensers back in May 2020.
The dispenser proved to be a novelty in May, before it became commonplace in dealers across South Africa.
Toyota announced recently that its Kamigo Parts Centre in Japan will be making up to 2 500 sanitiser stands a month, which are to be sold or leased to dealers in Japan from December onwards.
Saamcharan told Dealerfloor he built his stands as strong but as cheaply as possible, using wood and old clutch housings that he salvaged at the dealership. To this he added only a few new bolts, making it a very cost-effective solution for the dealership.
The sturdy stands are in daily use at the busy Halfway dealership, but despite being stepped on many times a day, are still cleaning hands as fast as the bottles can squirt.
Renault Group says it will change the way it accounts for its stake in its alliance partner for 20 years, Nissan, after earlier reports that the French automaker’s share price could take a hit.
It is believed that Nissan Motor has asked some suppliers to allow it to delay payments to free up short-term funds as the troubled Japanese automaker scrambles to boost cash.
Absa has taken another step towards becoming the bank of the auto industry by signing a formal collaboration agreement with the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA).
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Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.
Daniel Pink
One of the topics that comes up often when I write articles is “waste” within a dealership. Quite often, expenses are cut when times are challenging but often, waste is confused with expenditure.
The story of Gabisile Fakude will surely be an inspiration for many who have an eye on the automotive industry as a career, especially for those who have not traditionally been associated with this world as a career path.
Suzuki Kenilworth in Cape Town claimed top honours for the second year running at the annual Suzuki Dealer Conference and Awards.
