“Outstanding” Mitsubishi dealers collect Diamond accolades

“Outstanding” Mitsubishi dealers collect Diamond accolades

Seven Mitsubishi Motors dealers, from Auckland to Invercargill, were awarded the company’s prestigious Diamond Dealer accolade at a black-tie celebration at Sky City on 15 May.

The winning dealers all "excelled in customer service, sales and dealership operations" said Mitsubishi executive director Warren Brown, speaking at the Porirua-based auto company’s tenth annual dealer awards evening. “These dealers delivered across-the-board results that were simply outstanding and earned themselves the Diamond Dealer trophy, our pinnacle award that brings peer and market recognition for overall excellence."

The 2015 Diamond Dealers are: Mark Barton of Auckland Motors Mitsubishi, Manukau; Darrell Russell of Piako Mitsubishi, Morrinsville; Simon Lucas of Simon Lucas Mitsubishi, North Shore; Aaron Chatfield of Bay City Mitsubishi, Tauranga; Michael Mason of Southern Mitsubishi, Invercargill; Kelston Swete of Houston Mitsubishi Blenheim; and parts and service dealer Kelvin Armstrong of Henderson’s KAAR Mitsubishi.

“While these dealers proved themselves exceptional”, said Warren Brown, “the whole Mitsubishi dealer network is to be congratulated for bringing about an unprecedented
64 months of continuous year-on-year growth that has resulted in more and more New Zealanders enjoying ownership of a new Mitsubishi vehicle.

“In 2014 alone, while our competitors together grew ten percent, double that number of new vehicle buyers chose Mitsubishi, confirming its position as New Zealand’s fastest-growing mainstream brand”.

At the awards evening, while Mark Barton was collecting for his Manukau dealership team a record 11th Diamond Dealer award, Invercargill’s Michael Mason and Blenheim’s Kelston Swete were celebrating not only each collecting the premier prize for the first time, but also pulling off the first Mainland ‘double’ in five years.

Winners of key awards for the excellence of their “support teams” - in both cases for the second year in a row - were Palmerston North’s McVerry Crawford Mitsubishi for their Paul Brown-led service operation, and Simon Lucas Mitsubishi for their parts team under Graeme Smith.
Other awards went to Andrew Simms Mitsubishi Newmarket for achieving the country’s highest new vehicle sales; King Country’s Otorohanga Mitsubishi, finance dealer of the year and highest year-on-year sales growth; and to three dealerships that each collected a “double”, for best local market share and for excellence in customer service - Bay City Mitsubishi, Tawa’s Mexted Mitsubishi and Kaitaia’s Archibald Mitsubishi.

“Aside from our car and light commercial dealers”, said Warren Brown, “Mitsubishi’s 22-strong nationwide parts and service network is a vital part of our business and a touch point for customers living outside the main centres”. After only two years with Mitsubishi, West Auckland’s Kelvin Armstrong Auto Repairs (KAAR) starred as 2015 parts and service Diamond Dealer, adding the accolade to a raft of industry awards won in 19 years’ operation.

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