BIGGER AND BETTER
AFGHAN refugee John Sultani is continuing to overcome adversity as his used car business expands.
Mr Sultani, who fled war- torn Afghanistan five years ago, has just leased a large site at 175 Charters Towers Rd to house his growing business JP Motor Dealers.
He said he started the business in a car yard in Anne St, Aikenvale, about three years ago but the premises quickly became too small to house the car dealership.
“The yard was too small for me,” he said. “When I first started it was too big but then by the end it was too small, so I thought it was time to challenge myself and move.
“It costs a fortune to move a business ... but we needed the room. This is three times bigger and I also wanted the exposure on a main road.”
JP Motor Dealer specialises in affordable used cars.
Mr Sultani does all the mechanical work on the cars himself, which allows him to keep prices low.
He also imports family mover vans from Japan that aren’t available anywhere else in Townsville and can fit up to eight people. After fleeing Afghanistan, Mr Sultani first went to Melbourne before moving to Townsville.
His brother was shot by the Taliban when he was 18 years old while his mother and two sisters are still waiting for visas in Pakistan.
Shaun McLaren from Colliers International said the move showed the uptake Towers Rd.
“There has been a lot more activity and not just along Charters Towers Rd but across the market,” he said.
“There is a little bit more confidence out there and that seems to be transferring through and while we are still in a tough market there does seem to be some blue sky.” of interest in Charters