autoevolution
 

Mazda UK Manager Becomes Dealer Himself

Floyd Timms, national sales manager of Mazda’s British division decided to invest more than just time and knowledge in the company and the brand, and bought Lodge Garage in Kingswood, therefore becoming himself a Mazda dealer.

The 55-year-old therefore also became the first Mazda employee to set up his own Mazda dealership as a private individual.

“I had the option to look at other brands, but knowing what I know about Mazda as an insider it was the franchise of choice for me. They probably made me jump through a few more hoops than an outsider to secure the franchise, but I always felt that if the right opportunity came along I would go back into retail,” Timms said.

Already working for Mazda for 13 years now, Timms said that the Mazda6 was the model that brought the brand back to life in 2002. Moreover, Mazda2 brought younger buyers, just like the Yaris did for Toyota or the Jazz did for Honda.

Timms’ faith in the brand seem to be paying off for the moment. “September has been a record month for Lodge with 62 new cars sold and 12 used,” he said. Lodge’s previous best-selling record was 40 new car sales in a month. These early results encourage Timms future plans, which include the strengthening of the used car business, switching to an all-makes policy.

“Half of our business in the first month has been with customers new to Mazda and we also have very loyal customers who are coming to us,” he concluded. “There are strong shoots of recovery.”
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories