AM Awards 2017: Best retail group (up to and including 10 sites) - Delgarth Motor Group

Delgarth Motor Group has managed the transition from single site to strongly rooted regional group by effective delegation, a focus on solid business principles, people management and perhaps by ‘borrowing’ an idea or two from much bigger players.

It has grown geographically and in brand representation which included taking on Hyundai in 1986. The group now has two sites for the brand, plus two for Kia and one with Mitsubishi, all in the Milton Keynes area.

Steve Turney, who took over from father and business founder, Dave, as managing director in 2010, proudly reports his group’s financial performance has shown consistent improvement.

Turnover reached £55 million in 2016, a 4.5% growth on the prior year, as group sales volumes rose by 7.5% and operating profit rocketed by 33% to £749,000. The improvements were not just in the financials, as sales CSI scores for Hyundai and Kia have both climbed to exceed 96%.

Turney, who joined the family business in 1989, has attributed his financial awareness to the chairman, his father, who prioritised reinvestment of profits over fuelling a lavish lifestyle.

Over the past two years the group has changed its structure and processes. It now has business managers to improve the emphasis on F&I, turning it into a major profit centre, and it recruited a group F&I controller to monitor regulatory compliance.

It also provides a variety of services to add value to the customer experience, such as express servicing, collection and delivery, full valeting and a customer loyalty benefits card.

Turney is supported by Alan Hunter, who heads MK Hyundai and oversees MK Kia and Mitsubishi, Marc Walker who heads its Bletchley branches, and finance director Dave Tearl.

 

Shortlisted

Hawkins Motor Group

The Hughes Group

TMS Motor Group

 

Sponsored by

Diamondbrite Automotive