Re-born Ateco Automotive to Focus On the Chinese

Re-born Ateco Automotive to Focus On the Chinese

Ateco Automotive New Zealand Pty Ltd, New Zealand’s largest independent car importer, has moved into a new multi-million headquarters in Mt Wellington so that it can focus on its Chinese car brands, which it pioneered in the New Zealand market, and look forward to launching the first Chinese trucks to be available in New Zealand.

Wholly owned by New Zealand businessman Neville Crichton, Ateco Automotive New Zealand was set up a decade ago to distribute European brands but the past four years has seen the emphasis of the company move to the Chinese side of the business following the launch of Great Wall and then, a year later, Chery. The company is now preparing to launch a range of light and medium trucks produced by Foton, China’s largest commercial vehicle maker

“Ateco has never been wedded to one particular business type or plan,” explains Neville Crichton. “The company has continuously evolved and changed, seeking out new business opportunities and developing brands that have previously not succeeded in this market. A decade ago, when we started our Chinese programme, it would have seemed almost laughable to some people that it would become the core of our business, but our foresight means that Ateco is not only the first company to bring Chinese brands to New Zealand, we are also still the only company to have successfully marketed them right across New Zealand and Australia and there is no doubt now that the Chinese market is the way of the future.”

The move to the new facility in Mt Wellington marks a considerable upgrade in every aspect of the business of distributing cars and a considerable gain the size of the site over its previous facility means that Ateco is now ready to take Chery and Great Wall to the next stage of their growth in New Zealand as well as being able to accommodate the launch of Foton. At the same time Ateco will share media buying clout with Neville Crichton’s joint venture company, Fiat Chrysler New Zealand, enabling it to have a much great advertising and marketing presence without a major increase in cost.

But why the focus on China, a comparatively new player in the world automotive business?

“In 2005 we became convinced that China would one day export millions of cars across the globe,” says Lawrie Malatios, General Manager of Ateco Automotive Pty Ltd. “With the Chinese domestic car market expected to top 20 million cars this year which means China now has a car industry that dwarves every other country and that day  when the wave of exports rolls out of China is approaching. Because of its eight year of involvement in China, Ateco is exceptionally well positioned to take advantage of this seismic shift and our Chinese brands can only grow in New Zealand as their vehicle ranges grow.”

There is no doubt that Great Wall’s value for money proposition has struck a chord with the New Zealand public. Despite its limited range of vehicles, Great Wall has over taken major name rivals in the sectors in which it competes and it is now on track to sales of more than 200 a month by the end of 2013, something that will provide it with a regular place in the top ten brands in New Zealand. It will achieve that target via a combination of building on its growth together with new product activity in the second half of the year including a facelift of the V Series Range, the launch of the VX10 Light Car and a new medium size SUV currently codenamed the H6.

For the last ten years Chery has been China’s number one vehicle exporter.  It is the biggest and most successful and has the highest profile of the independent Chinese brands.  Today Chery provides New Zealand buyers with a unique price, equipment and value combination in the three classes it competes and at the recent Shanghai Motor Show Chery displayed a range of new vehicles that are set to make their mark on the New Zealand market in coming years.

Foton is the number one manufacturer of commercial vehicles in China and the largest producer of light commercial vehicles in the world. With industry leading joint venture partnerships in place with some of the world’s most respected companies, there is no doubt that Foton is poised to make a big impression in New Zealand when it arrives later this year.

“The car industry has probably never been in such a significant period of change as it is now,” comments Neville Crichton. “With annual sales now in excess of 20 million cars, the Chinese market simply dominates world car industry planning. From this point forward, every new car will be designed with China in mind and cars built in China will become an unstoppable wave that will reach every corner of the world. With foresight, planning, flexibility and adaptability, Ateco Automotive New Zealand is not only prepared for these changes, it will be a major participant.”

ENDS

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