Dealer of the Year shortlist profiled

AN Richards

AN Richards is the MAN service dealer covering North Wales based out of Froncysylte, near Llangollen. The family-run business first opened its doors in 1905 and today is run by Bryn and Gary Richards.

As a service agent it relies on its reputation for service and parts; technicians booked 96% of the time, a 95% MoT pass rate and parts sales exceeded £1m for the first time.

MAN internal awards include 2012 Service Provider of the Year, and has for the past six years been rated as a five-star service provider by the manufacturer.

The judges said the company knows its customer base, and had a hands-on approach with a clear customer service ethos.They added the dealer was 'honest', and the customer was in good hands as it looks to provide solutions to meet customers’ needs, using a very hands-on approach.AN Richards bought trucks to service the market, and was adaptable to business relationships. Judges also liked its good staff training and 'solid testimonials', commenting that the dealership achieved higher than average sales and excellent MOT pass rate.

Dennison Commercials

Operating from four sites Dennison Commercials is the only Volvo Truck and Bus dealer operating in Northern Ireland. A succession of Volvo awards, including Dealer of the Year and Aftermarket Excellence, is backed up with 93% CSI (customer satisfaction index) and with 35.7% market share of the Northern Irish market, a clear leader.

It has also had to recover from the decimation of the building and construction market, which represented 40% of all Northern Irish sales in 2008 but now is just 2.8%. The company diversified into other sectors of road transport and emerged stronger.

Its focus on maintaining and building relationships, as well as including maintenance contracts in 92.8% of its new truck sales in 2011 showed its response to the demands of better compliance from customers.

Also a Volvo Fuelwatch seminar showed customers how the manufacturers Dynafleet telematics could reduce the diesel bill, and the dealer went further by monitoring operators' fuel performance. Both parts sales and workshop hours have increased, first time MoT pass rate is 96%.

The judges praised its good internal communication processes and a customer focus which resulted in improved customer satisfaction, increased market share and increased parts and workshop business.They described the entry as a 'good and robust story' of a dealership recovering from difficult times.

MC Group

The second Volvo Truck and Bus entrant is MC Group, based in Kent. It has been a Volvo dealer for 36 years and today operates from eight sites across the south of England stretching from Witham in Essex to Blandford in Dorset.

Clear financial records show that company has almost recovered to its pre-recession turnover figure in 2008. By maintaining a strong operating profit the company has continued to invest to support future business growth with the Training Centre and Accident Repair Centre, to name two.

The company run a contract hire and rental division with 950 vehicles and the workshops cater for more than 2,500 vehicles.

Arguably the key area has been training and employee loyalty. More than 37% of the employees have been there longer than 10 years.

Although its first time MoT pass rate dropped by 1% in 2011 to 95% it has remained consistently high compared to Volvo’s average first pass rate, which rose 4% from 2009 to 94% in 2011.

The judges agreed MC Group had put in a good financial performance, with a strong recovery that had seen profit levels maintained. Its significant investment in training has turned into a business opportunity and contributed to staff retention. They said the company offered a very good range of services, making it a 'total solution provider'.

Sparshatts of Kent

Mercedes-Benz dealer Sparshatts of Kent has been a three-pointed star representative since the mid 1970s and is now based from four sites across the south east of England.

The company recently picked up the Mercedes-Benz awards for Dealer of the Year, 26 years after it first claimed the title. Through 2011 it has sold 449 new trucks, almost double its 2010 results, 515 used vehicles and 371 vans.

Sales progress has been made with Actros, up 172%, Atego up 100% and success with Axor and Mitsubishi Canter, and used trucks up 55%.

Aftersales has seen some notable improvements, including 76% of problems fixed at the roadside, 95% first time MoT pass rate and 80% first-time parts pick.

The company has increased its commitment to training for 2012 increasing the budget 23%, primarily though the workshop as it prepares for Euro-6 and the new generation Actros.

Also the unsolicited endorsement, delivered by twitter, shows that the company is using social media to maintain relationships in a fluid environment, which is never easy.

Judges said Sparshatts was a family business that invested in its people and had an 'excellent customer focus'. It had built a good customer base that was still growing and consistently exceeded vehicle sales targets.