FordRetail News & Events
FORD RETAIL APPOINTS NEW @FIRST PARTS SOLUTIONS MANAGING DIRECTOR
2012-01-26
FORD RETAIL APPOINTS NEW @FIRST PARTS SOLUTIONS MANAGING DIRECTOR
Ford Retail, Europe’s largest Ford dealer group, has appointed Jon Harte as managing director to lead its dedicated parts business, @first parts solutions, following the retirement of Angus Brown in December.
In his previous role as operations director, Jon was instrumental in setting up and developing @first into a £100million turnover business following its launch less than four years ago.
Outlining his strategy for @first parts solutions, Jon commented: “We are currently the largest seller of Ford parts in the UK with 25% of the market, but our vision is to be the Number 1 distributor in any way you wish to measure, whether it’s volume, profit, geography or customer service.”
“We put our people first in everything we do, who in turn put our customers first. Combining the best in customer service with innovative use of IT and efficient warehousing and distribution, means the business is in a good position to achieve our ambitious growth plans.”
@first part solutions employs 400 people working at five Parts Distribution Centres across the UK with a further six hubs and a fleet of 160 delivery vans. The business has over £10m of stock across 130,000 lines at any given time, and makes 2,500 deliveries to customers each day.
FORD RETAIL WINS TOP WEB AWARD
2011-12-07
FORD RETAIL WINS TOP WEB AWARD
Ford Retail has been commended by Auto Trader, the UK’s most popular motoring website, for making it easy for customers to search through used car stock on its dealership brand websites.
The Auto Trader Click Awards, which took place in Millbank last month, awarded the Ford Retail dealership websites as having the ‘Best Used Car Locator’. Judges were particularly impressed by the intuitive search functionality and the ‘Make an Offer’ feature which enables customers to easily start the buying process online.
The Used Car locator, which resides on www.dagenhammotors.co.uk and other Ford Retail websites, features a simple and clear interface that requires no typing input from visitors and is able to update the list of cars presented in real time as customers change their search criteria. Visitors can search Ford Retail’s used stock of over 3,000 vehicles by selecting which model they are interested in and have the opportunity to specify colour choices, fuel type, age, mileage and price ranges
Speaking of the award, Steve Hood, managing director of the Internet Division at Ford Retail, said: “As an increasing number of our customers are turning to the internet to research their used car purchases, it was a logical step for us to develop the best possible user experience. We have made it as easy as possible for customers to find their perfect car via our dealer websites and we are thrilled that Auto Trader has recognised this achievement.”
Now in its fifth year, the annual Auto Trader Click awards includes franchised and independent dealers, manufactures and car supermarkets competing for honors in a range of categories, including Best Used Car Locator, Best Homepage and website of the year.
Craig Stevens, Trader Media Group sales director and event host, said: “The 2011 Click Awards are about rewarding those who have websites that are effective for car buyers, which all of our winners have done in exemplary form. Congratulations to Ford Retail and the other winners of this year’s awards, who have created the highest quality automotive consumer websites.”
FORD RETAIL APPOINTS STUART KERR AS NEW CEO
2011-11-01
FORD RETAIL APPOINTS STUART KERR AS NEW CEO
Ford Retail, Ford of Britain's wholly owned dealer group, has announced the appointment of Stuart Kerr as CEO, following the departure of Chris Hayden.
Stuart Kerr was previously Regional President for Volvo Car Corporation in Europe. He has extensive experience in vehicle retailing, including the successful launch of Volvo distributorship and dealership operations in South Africa. He is recognised in the industry as a proven achiever, with a deep knowledge of the sales and marketing aspects of the industry.
Ford of Europe Vice President Marketing Sales and Service, Roelant de Waard, said: "Stuart is the right person to take on this important industry role and to build on the work done by Chris Hayden in profitably developing Ford Retail into a customer-focused business worthy of our best-ever range of products."
With 60 sites spanning Britain, the Channel Islands and Northern Ireland, Ford Retail is one of the largest dealer groups in the UK and the largest Ford dealer group in the world.
Retailing under strong regional brands such as Dagenham Motors, Polar Ford, Heartlands Ford, Brunel Ford and Lindsay Ford, it employs more than 3,000 people and sells around, 75,000 vehicles a year with a turnover exceeding £1 billion. It also has a dedicated parts business trading as @First Parts Solutions.
Angus Brown, who has been the Ford Retail acting CEO for the last few months, will return to his post as Ford Retail Parts Operations Director.
FORD RETAIL SCOOPS AWARD DOUBLE HAT-TRICK
2011-09-01
FORD RETAIL SCOOPS AWARD DOUBLE HAT-TRICK
Motability Operations, the company that manages the national Motability car scheme for disabled motorists, has awarded Ford Retail its highest accolade of ‘Dealer Group of the Year’ for the sixth consecutive year.
The prestigious award recognises Ford Retail as the best dealership group for its sustained commitment to assisting disabled drivers. From senior management to the shop floor, Ford Retail’s attention to customer service was described as “outstanding.”
On collecting the award, Malcolm Tutton, Ford Retail’s Motability Manager, said: “The Motability Scheme delivers a service that enhances the lives and opportunities for disabled people and their families. It is extremely important to Ford Retail and we are tremendously proud to have won ‘Dealer Group of the Year’ for the sixth year in succession. Winning such a fiercely contested accolade six years running demonstrates the spectacular commitment from everyone at Ford Retail.”
At the awards Mike Betts, chief executive of Motability, said: “Ford Retail deserves special recognition for winning this award - they have won this award not once or twice, not a handful of times, but every single year for six years running, and each time significantly raising the bar in order to hang onto this accolade.”
In addition to winning Dealer Group of the Year, two individual Ford Retail dealerships from the Dagenham Motors and Polar Ford brands were ‘Highly Commended’ for their outstanding performance and exceptional levels of customer service in the last 12 months.
In 2010, nearly 8% of all new cars registered in the UK were supplied through the Motability Scheme by 4,500 Motability accredited dealerships throughout the UK and Northern Ireland, delivering hassle-free affordable motoring to over 570,000 disabled people.
NEW WEST LONDON CV CENTRE OPENS
2011-06-15
NEW WEST LONDON CV CENTRE OPENS
Ford Retail has opened a new state-of-the-art commercial vehicle centre in Hayes to service West London and the busy Heathrow region.
Operating under Ford Retail’s Dagenham Motors brand, the new £3/4 million centre provides specialist sales and aftermarket support of all Ford commercial vehicles. The site includes a 13 bay workshop with MOT, parts provision and showroom. The business also offers a mobile and warranty repair servicing facility that helps to reduce off-road time by going to the customer rather than the customer having to travel to the centre.
Energy saving features have also been designed in from the outset as part of Ford Retail’s commitment to energy saving with the building using low energy internal lighting, LED external lighting and waste oil heating. It is also one of the first sites to install electric vehicle charging points to support Ford’s new electric vehicles such as the recently launched all-electric Trans Connect.
Shaun Allen of Dagenham Motors said: “The new site will ensure we meet the needs of our customers across West London now and into the future. The provision for electric vehicles means we will be able to sell, service and support these new vehicles in the coming years whilst continuing to offer the highest levels of service to our current customers.”
FORD RETAIL APPOINTED AZURE DYNAMICS’ UK DEALER PARTNER FOR TRANSIT CONNECT ELECTRIC
2011-05-04
TRANSIT CONNECT ELECTRIC
Azure Dynamics have confirmed Ford Retail as their UK dealer partner for the Transit Connect Electric van. Azure Dynamics are Ford’s global partner for the development of this vehicle.
This marks the start of Ford’s electric vehicle programme in the UK, reflecting the increasing demand from commercial operators for zero-emission vehicles.
Chris Hayden, chairman and CEO of Ford Retail, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen by Azure Dynamics and are fully equipped and ready to sell and support the Transit Connect Electric.”
The Transit Connect Electric will be available for immediate order from Ford Retail’s four dedicated electric vehicle centres:
- Brunel Ford, Bristol
- Dagenham Motors, Barking
- Dagenham Motors, Hayes
- Polar Ford, Warrington
The Transit Connect Electric has 28 kWh of power to call on, providing a range of up to 80 miles (130 km) on a full charge. With a load space volume 3.8 m3 and a payload of 500kg (plus driver at 75kg), Transit Connect Electric van will particularly appeal to operators who travel predictable, short-range routes with frequent stop-start driving.
Ricardo Espinosa, Managing Director of Azure Dynamics’ European Operation, said: “This is a momentous first step in delivering alternative fuel vehicles into the UK market. We have chosen Ford Retail as they offer our customers a consistently high level of support across a number of key cities in the UK.”