The Mazda brand has been struggling in the UK with a lack of product to compete with mainstream rivals in recent years, but it didn’t stop specialist Milcars Mazda from walking away with two AM Awards this year.

The single site operation in Watford is one of the largest for Mazda in Europe and beat top dealerships in the UK to win Excellence in Aftersales and Best Used Car Performance at the AM Awards 2013. The awards are the result of its tight focus on retaining long-term customers.

The family-owned business is led by Chris Ward, who trained on a BMW management programme in the business his father owned. An MBA with an automotive bias at Cardiff Business School under Professor Garel Rhys provided a further underpinning for what was to come.

Ward worked within the family business before breaking out on his own in 2005 to open his own site with Mazda.

Tony Thomas has worked for the family business for more than 30 years and until very recently was general manager at Milcars Mazda. He is now retired but comes in on an ad hoc basis to work with Ward to assist with managing the business.