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SsangYong & BTAS
02/04/2008
SsangYong’s adoption of Baker Tilley Automotive Service’s composite services is just the latest signal of the marque’s revival here.
More than that, it sends a strongmessage that importer and distributor Koelliker UK, is determined to put the building blocks in place for a professionally managed and viable franchise, with efficient financial management and increasingly profitable dealers at the centre.The fact that Koelliker UK is a serious player with the ability to succeed where others have stumbled, comes as no surprise when you check its credentials. This is the first venture into the UK by Gruppo Koelliker, Italy’s biggest private automotive company with a 2006 turnover of over €1.6 billion on sales of over 92,000 vehicles. Crucially, Koelliker distributes SsangYong in Austria and Hungary as well as Italy where it is also responsible for Kia, Mitsubishi and Hyundai.
Headed by the mercurial Paul Williams who has recruited ex-Ferrari man Ian Nicholson, Nigel Unwin who was with Paul at Kia, and most recently, former Bank of Scotland executive David Foster, the team was quick to talk to BTAS. As finance and operations director, Ian Nicholson explains: “BTAS’s composite services are vital in helping us to devise our commercial strategy and tactical programmes for SsangYong. BTAS is market-leading and offers us great flexibility.”Dealer development manager David Foster adds:
“Even though SsangYong is a low volume and low entry cost franchise, that doesn’t mean that dealers shouldn’t have the best services and support – and that’s where BTAS comes in. The composites enable us to improve and develop dealer profitability, make use of best operational practices and measure what we do.”
Dealers can use the composites to benchmark against individual and franchise key performance indicators, and to supplement their own financial reporting. For some SsangYong dealers, this will be the first time they have done monthly financial reporting. Reports are available to dealers as fast as the next working day after they have submitted their results.
New range SsangYong has completely refreshed its model line-up with a new 13-car range starting from just £14,995 with specifications and prices thatare much more in tune with the British market – and the competition.Just as importantly, SsangYong has recently announced a massive new model programme that will see 20 new models on five different platforms emerging between 2009 and 2014. They won’t all come to Europe, but there will be new petrol and diesel passenger cars to expand the range – and advanced diesel hybrid technology.
SsangYong wants you!
If you’re ambitious, driven and have a positive attitude, SsangYong wants to hear from you. As newly appointed dealer development manager David Foster explains, you don’t have to be part of a big multi-franchise operation to be of interest to SsangYong. The company is keen to hear from independents perhaps looking to take on their first franchise. So long as you have the right ‘can do’ attitude, then everything is in place to help you succeed.