Smallbone showcases new dealership

Workers at a mid-Canterbury Holden franchise have now settled into a new showroom and service centre on State Highway One just outside Ashburton. Smallbone Ltd’s move comes as growth in the region surges as it continues to see dairy-boom benefits. “I’ve been here a number of years and everyone has their hard years but we stay positive,” Lyndon Moore, the dealership’s sales manager, told Autofile Online. “Our conversion rate is higher than average.” The move puts the dealership in a high-profile location with its former site on a town-centre backstreet. “Having a main-road profile will give us great exposure,” he says. “We’re well-out of heavy traffic congestion and the trip back to town only takes a few minutes.” The new location brings the sales and service teams together on the same site. Previously, they were split between two sites after the February 22 earthquake damaged its building. Extra service, sales and parts roles have boosted staffing levels by about 45 per cent with nine new people. The company has also appointed Roger Harper as its new dealer principal, who formerly operated Harpers For Cars in Auckland. “Smallbone has been a loyal supporter over many years,” says Jeff Murray, managing director of Holden and Isuzu NZ. “Its association with General Motors [GM] dates back to the 1930s, so it’s one of our longest established franchises.”

ROOTS PLANTED IN MID-CANTERBURY

Smallbone Bros Ltd opened a new garage in Cass Street, Ashburton, in 1919. The fledgling company flourished under founders Harold and Frank Smallbone. It secured Chevrolet and GM in 1930 and is now one of the oldest New Zealand agencies with GM. Management and ownership changed before current managing director Bob Grant took over in 1985. The business has expanded into seven divisions, including the two franchises, parts, service, auto electrical, and forklift sales and repairs. In 1999, it gained the local agency for Challenge fuel. More recently, the tractor and farm machinery division was added, with the company representing Renault, Landini, McCormick and Daedong tractors, Maschio and Gaspardo cultivation equipment, and Vicon grass gear. The family-owned Carr Group’s activities focus on Kiwi agriculture.