Member Article

Award-winning Lancashire motor group goes global

A fast-expanding Lancashire Nissan dealer is celebrating after winning the carmaker’s highest global retail honour.

The Chorley Group, which has branches across the county, is one of three Nissan dealers in the UK - and just 100 worldwide - to receive the Nissan Global Award 2016.

The accolade – reserved for the world’s best performing Nissan dealers – recognises the Chorley Group’s outstanding sales performance and customer care.

It’s the latest in a long line of honours for the family-run business, which was founded by Chairman Andy Turner in 1989 and now employs 230 people across eight sites.

Andy said: “We are thrilled to receive this global award as it’s recognition for the hard work and dedication of our team, who put customer service at the heart of everything they do.

“We operate in a sector where a lot of our competitors are national PLCs and our strategy and ethos does not fit the stereotype for our industry; we focus on customer care and a transparent approach to our sales process rather than just the profit, because we believe if your customer care is right then the profit will follow.

“We are currently ranked as a 5-Star Trustpilot dealer, with a customer satisfaction rate of over 95%.

“I often say to staff treat your customers like you’d want your mother to be treated. If something is wrong, put it right. It’s a simple philosophy but it has served us well over the last 27 years.”

Mike Thompson, Aftersales Director at Nissan Motor (GB), said: “Very few dealerships in the world receive a Nissan Global Award so to win one is very special.

“This award recognises the Chorley Group as a leader in Nissan’s worldwide retail network and the team’s commitment and hard work is ensuring that Nissan remains one of the fastest growing automotive brands in the UK today.”

The foundations for the Chorley Group were laid in 1989 when Andy Turner launched his first enterprise, at the age of 29, trading used cars.

In 1991 he opened his first used car forecourt, and by 1993 he had expanded the business to incorporate three sites.

The firm then took on its first Nissan franchise in 1994 and Chorley Nissan became an overnight success, quickly becoming the biggest volume Nissan dealership in Europe.

Today, the Chorley Group operates Nissan franchises in Chorley, Preston, Wigan, Burnley and Blackpool and sells more than 11,000 cars per year.

“Although we have grown over the years we are still very much a family-run business,” added Andy.

“My son, Adam, my daughter-in-law, Stacey, and my younger sister, Pauline, are all on the board, and our other director, Hilary Nicol, is practically family too because she has been with us since 1994.

“We’re keen to grow the business over the next few years and we have lots of exciting plans in the pipeline.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Andy Neild .