Staff singled out for praise as car sales boom
Chris Churchward says it’s staff who make the difference in a business that has doubled its sales and number of employees in the past 12 months.
Churchward and his wife, Shannon, took over Autoworld Timaru 12 months ago, and in that time the car dealership has gone from an average 25 vehicle sales a month to 55 monthly vehicle sales, he says.
The jump in sales is attributable to numerous factors, but it’s the staff who are key to its success, he says.
The business employs 21 compared to 13 staff a year ago.
Churchward’s comments reflect recent Timaru car registration and sales figures which are up as the region’s economy accelerates.
The latest data collated by analyst firm Infometrics shows the number of vehicles registered in the Timaru District increased by 15 per cent in the year to December 2017, compared with the previous 12 months. This growth was higher than the national figure of 8 per cent.
A total of 2083 cars were registered in the Timaru district in the year to December 2017, compared with the 10-year average of 1487.
First-time registrations of used imports soared by 11 per cent, while new car sales were up 5.8 per cent.
The data also shows the district experienced 1.6 per cent gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the December 2017 year, the strongest growth since mid-2016.
In the June quarter of 2016, the district’s GDP growth was 0.01 per cent, reflecting a period in which spending and confidence struggled against the lingering effect of low dairy prices.
‘‘More people are buying locally,’’ Churchward says.
‘‘A lot of dealers here have become more competitive as our economy is getting better and people are getting a better understanding of buying local.’’
The Churchwards and their three young children moved to Timaru from Tauranga about 14 months ago and set about improving the business.
‘‘It’s a culture change, a mentality change,’’ he said of doing business in Timaru.
‘‘Structures, processes and a focus on customer service are some of the factors.
‘‘A changing attitude has also made a huge difference.’’
Churchward said the success was also supported by a thriving South Canterbury economy.
‘‘I think our economy is getting better.’’
Churchward said the improving economy was supported by good population growth and house sales.
Autoworld celebrated 12 months of success on the weekend, scooping five awards for service, sales, marketing and provincial dealer of the year at the 2017 Volkswagen Dealer of the Year awards in Auckland.
The Timaru team had experienced many changes in this past year and staff had met the challenges head on with an exceptional attitude, he said.