cambria newsletter march 2010

Welcome to our third

edition of Cambria News.

We are now on the brink of

the exciting plate change

month of March 2010. For

the first time the 10 plate will now be seen on British roads

and there is a compelling reason for our guests to purchase in

this busy time. Not only is it the introduction of the 10 plate

but this is also the last month that the Government backed

Scrappage Scheme will be in operation. There are a limited

number of Scrappage allocations remaining and, as most of

you will be aware, it is on a first come first served basis.

On top of this, from 1 April 2010 the Government are

implementing a new car showroom tax. This can add up to

£1,000 to the purchase price of a new car depending on the

emissions of the said vehicle.

So the month of March leaves three reasons for our guests

to purchase 1 The new 10 plate, 2 The conclusion of

the Government Scrappage Scheme 3 From 1 April the

implementation of the new Government tax adding up to

£1,000 to the purchase price of a new car.

The second quarter has been very difficult for the Group

with the snow in January hitting turnover and profitability

considerably. However, on a positive note, we have

made our second acquisition of the financial year with the

purchase of the former Lythgoe Mazda and Fiat businesses in

Manchester Road, Bolton. The business has been renamed

Bolton Motor Park and gives us our second Mazda business

and our fifth Fiat business.

I would like to formally welcome all the new associates that

have joined us with the acquisition of Bolton Motor Park and

wish them success in their new careers with Cambria.

I would also like to mention the magnificent achievement

of Doves Volvo in Horsham which has won the prestigious

national award for most improved Volvo business in the UK.

Congratulations to Conrad Staines and the team at Horsham.

Issue 3March 2010

Inside this issue:

NEW PLATE CHANGE Mark Lavery CEO Cambria

Preston Motorpark Refurbishment 2

Motorparks Revamp! 2

Scrappage Scheme Update 2

Northampton Motors - Manjit Kang 3

Most Improved Volvo Dealer 3

SpotLight On - Richard Jackson 3

Showroom Tax (VED) 4

Number One for Aston Martin Customer Care 4

The Grange group of dealerships kicked off the New Year with the launch of the Grange Car Club a new and interesting concept for customers focusing on the three main luxury brands, Aston Martin, Jaguar and Lotus.

Visitors to the site will be greeted with

regular news up-dates and information

relating to our social event programme.

Although still in it’s early stages the

objectives of the Grange Car Club will be

to encourage new visitors and enthusiasts

to the brand thus creating an interest in

the marque, it is also a valuable tool in

retaining existing guest loyalty by keeping

them up to date with the latest press

releases first hand.

The web-site is available for anyone to

browse although to book an event you

will have to own one of the luxury brands.

Visit the website:

www.grangecarclub.com

Email:

[email protected] you have any content that may be

of interest.

GranGe dealerships launch the

GRANGE CAR CLUB

News

quarterly so that it’s consid-ered a consistent source of information. Your custom-

ers or employees will look forward to its arrival.

This story can fit 175-225 words. The purpose of a newsletter is to provide specialized information to a targeted audience. Newsletters can be a great way to market your product or service, and also create credibility and build your organization’s identity among peers, members, employees, or ven-dors. First, determine the audience of the newsletter. This could be anyone who might benefit from the information it contains, for example, employees or people interested in purchasing a prod-uct or requesting your service. You can compile a mailing list from business reply cards, customer informa-tion sheets, business cards collected at trade shows, or membership lists. You might consider purchasing a mailing list from a company.

If you explore the Publisher catalog, you will find many publications that match

the style of your newsletter. Next, establish how much

time and money you can spend on your newsletter. These factors will help de-termine how frequently you publish the newsletter and its length. It’s recom-mended that you publish your newsletter at least

c a m B R i a I n F o c u s

Our J o urney—Our Fut ure Mark Lav er y CEO

This story can fit 75-125 words. Your headline is an important part of the newsletter and should be considered carefully. In a few words, it should accurately rep-resent the contents of the story and draw

readers into the story. De-velop the headline before you write the story. This way, the headline will help you keep the story focused. Examples of possible head-lines include Product Wins Industry Award, New Prod-uct Can Save You Time!, Membership Drive Exceeds Goals, and New Office Opens Near You.

c a m B R i a A u t o m o b i l e s I n c o r p o r a t i n g D e e s , D o v e s , I n v i c t a , G r a n g e & M o t o r p a r k s

I ns i de t h i s i s s ue :

The Credit Crunch and Us

2

Health and Saftey - Why?

2

Charity begins at work!

3

Two Outstanding Associates

3

Associate offers 4

Refurbishment Of Warrington and

5

One database total transparency

6

S e pt e mbe r 2 0 0 9

Vo l u me 1 , I s s ue 1

Refurbishment of Warrington and Blackburn By Shaz Anjam Direc tor

See Inside for associate Of-fers














2


2


3


3

Associate offers 4


5


6


















2


2


3


3

Associate offers 4


5


6


















2


2


3


3

Associate offers 4


5


6


















2


2


3


3

Associate offers 4


5


6


















2


2


3


3

Associate offers 4


5


6


















2


2


3


3

Associate offers 4


5


6


















2


2


3


3

Associate offers 4


5


6


















2


2


3


3

Associate offers 4


5


6


















2


2


3


3

Associate offers 4


5


6





News

Preston MotorPark REfURBIsHMENT

by Shaz Anjam Executive Director

P2

When Cambria first acquired the Preston dealership in

January 2008 nothing had changed since I was first

here as General Manager in 1993. Now we have a class

leading dealership and a team of associates who are

well trained, motivated, keen and reliable. Interestingly

20% of our associates I engaged whilst here in the

nineties. Recent associates to Preston benefit from

having a team with stability and experience.

The refurbishment including the signage, meant an

investment of just under one million pounds. This shows

Cambria’s commitment. Our three new car franchises

Volvo, Lotus and Fiat each have their own dedicated

showroom area and sales team, and the used car

display area now accommodates 120 quality used cars.

The enlarged parts department turns over £1.5 million,

supplying parts to our own 10 bay service department,

our guests and many of our competitors, who benefit

from a regular delivery service.

The modern ‘tools of the trade’ the internet, our web

site, instant chat, email, service booking online all help

enhance the guests experience and enable them to

interact with us gaining more information more quickly,

and enable us to respond to their needs.

What do you do when your website is already at the top of its game? Well if you’re Cambria you make it even better.

since the launch of Motorparks the Cambria group website in June 2008 has grown to 400k

visitors per month and regularly appears in the top 10 dealers in the automotive sector, such

growth has come in a rush, the genesis behind the site being strong marketing campaigns.

The website is undergoing a site refresh as the old look and feel could be described as

aesthetically weary. The visuals while still acceptable were not polished as many consumers

now demand from a website. The new refresh will focus on homepage re-design allowing one

click access area for intuitive content with a motorparks content channel featuring news and

events across all our brands and dealers.We will continue our exploration of social media through

facebook and a twitter news story . Furthermore there has been the launch of a whole host of

extra technology giving guests and dealers lots of new features to help them along the process

including a refresh to the vehicle search page, incorporating running costs and environmental

information providing the guest with quality content, superb vehicle imagery through slideshows,

videos and vehicle information helping them make an informed decision on their next vehicle

purchase.Other enhancements will include dealer video tours, lifestyle search facilities and the

integration of our motorcycle stock

Crucially, however the main principle of the website remains unchanged - providing our

dealerships with a highly visible platform to advertise new and used vehicles, with easy to use

search facilities and clear call to actions to an eager, large and importantly high quality audience.

sCRAPPAGE sCHEMEs sENT CAR sALEs sOARING TOWARds THE ENd Of 2009In the UK, a late rush sparked a 38.9% rise in sales in December when compared with the

same month in 2008, further building on months of strong sales since May when the scrappage

scheme came into effect. Since its introduction, the scrappage scheme has accounted for over

a fifth of all new car registrations, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders

(SMMT). 2010 figures will be affected by the impending end of scrappage, the increase in value

added tax and the rising input costs resulting from the fall in sterling.

Company CarsFleet buyers are ready to fill the void, according to John Lewis, chief executive of the British

Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association. “Companies have been putting off their buying decisions

and running their existing fleets for longer before replacing them, so 2009 saw a real slump in

the business car market, which saw its share of new car registrations fall below 50% for the

first time in 16 years,” Mr Lewis says. “These vehicles will need to be replaced soon and with

an economic recovery underway, we expect fleet car sales to pass the million mark in 2010,

providing a vital shot in the arm for manufacturers.”

HIT REfREsHMotorparks website getting revamp

by Ian Godbold Group Marketing and GRM Director

by Mike Barrett

MANJIT KANGnorthaMpton Motors – Mazda

P3

by Mike Barrett

Manjit graduated in 1990,but his passion was always to be in the automotive sector, that opportunity came in

1993 when he joined Lex. Having experienced many departments Manjit achieved General Manager level at

the age of 30. He has been involved for 17 years with a number of large Plc’s. His time with Mercedes-Benz

has given Manjit a passion for guest delight. Manjit joined Cambria in November 2009 to run Northampton

Motors our first Mazda dealership.

I asked Manjit why Cambria and why now?

“We are in unprecedented times and Cambria’s four pillars, guest delight, stakeholder delight, associate

delight, brand and partner delight and the empowerment of autonomy to run our business with

entrepreneurial skill is in my belief why the group has achieved so much so far and why it will be successful

in the future. Cambria offer help and assistance but not interference”.

sPOTLIGHT ON:RICHARd JACKsON GroUP It ManaGer

dOVEs VOLVO HORsHAMMost Improved Volvo dealer in the UK Winner 2009

Richard joined the group in february

2008, having previously been employed

by the summit Motor Group supporting

IT infrastructure throughout the south

East. Richard has a strong technical

understanding of the groups IT

infrastructure. since taking on his new role he has helped the group

substantially reduce its IT costs by reviewing each of the supplier

contracts and reshaping and focusing the services provided.

During 2009 Richard has primarily focused on the North West

assisting with the deployment of the DMS and managing the IT

infrastructure through the refurbishments at Blackburn, Warrington

and more recently at Preston.

“I am keen to progress with the consolidation of the IT systems

within the group; each acquisition has introduced a number

of inconsistencies from the email systems to network usage.

Standardisation will provide an improved service to users by

allowing more consistency, resilience and it will further reduce the

support required, while enabling the group to continue to expand

without substantially increasing IT costs”

“I am really looking forward to the challenges of 2010 and the

continued development of Cambria Automobiles”

during 2008 the doves Horsham team struggled without their own

dedicated head of business and were doing the best they could

without a main link into the Cambria culture.

Change began during late 2008 and the winds of the Cambria Four

pillars blew through Doves Horsham.

During the early part of 2009 we concentrated on the basics in all areas

of the business, including a robust sales process, working as one team,

treating guests as welcome visitors, and making sure our stock mix and

marketing was right for the area, competitive and looking sharp.

The team here embraced the culture change and after a great start to

2009 momentum grew in all departments and we all began to enjoy

being part of a successful and profitable team.

Many varied successes followed during 2009 in all areas of our business

and now our associates are completely guest delight focused and always

strive to provide world class service.

I would personally like to thank and congratulate all the associates

involved in the Horsham team for their enthusiasm, hard work and

dedication over the past year and remind them that complacency is now

our biggest enemy to future success.

Congratulations and well done.by Conrad StainesBrand Manager

sHOWROOM TAX (VEd)

P4

We need articles for the next issue of cambria news, Articles can be based on an individual either their achievements at work or better still outside working hours. Are you a champion in your chosen specialist field, Archery, Horse riding, Chess, Jet Skiing, etc. Are you involved with Charity work? Has your dealership achieved something special that you want to share with the rest of the group? Who would like to see under the spotlight? If you would like to discuss any ideas with me before you write your article call me on 0784 326 5829 or email me on [email protected] If you prefer I can meet you at your dealership and discuss all ideas. Deadline for next issue 7th April 2010

ARTICLEs fOR THE NEXT IssUE - It’s yoUr MaGazIne!

from April 2010 the new ‘showroom tax’ will be introduced for all new vehicles being registered. The idea of the tax is to encourage drivers to

choose less polluting vehicles that attract the lower rate of tax. Now you can see why commentators are calling this a ‘stealth showroom tax’! With

this and the increase in VAT to 17.5% from January and the ever increases in petrol tax it doesn’t look like this Government plan to help Motor

Vehicle Retailers in their election year.

A sample of popular models is below

Examples of cars in tax bands provided by Act on CO2 www.direct.gov.uk/ActOnCO2

Is it only the most polluting cars which face the showroom tax?

No. All cars classed in the current bands E and F - which produce between 166g and 226g of CO2/km will also have to pay a higher rate in the first

year. This will range from £250 to £550 in the first year and from £180 to £310 thereafter, depending on the extent of CO2 emissions.

Tax Band

CO2 emissions

(g/km)

2009-10 from 2010-11Typical

Car

% drivers paying moreAnnual Tax Annual Tax

'showroom' Tax

A Up to 100 - - - Fiat Grande Punto 1.3 MultiJet 90 Dualogic Diesel -

B 101-110 £20 £20 - Fiat 500 multijet 1.3 16 valve -

C 111-120 £30 £35 - Mazda 2 1.4 (diesel)/ New Ford Ka 1.3 -

d 121-130 £90 £95 - Fiesta 1.6 Duratorq TDCi 90ps -

E 131-140 £110 £115 £115 Renault Clio 1.2 Quickshift (petrol) -

f 141-150 £120 £125 £125 Citroen C3 1.4i 16v 90hp -

G 151-160 £150 £155 £155 Ford Focus 1.6 Duratec Ti-VCT (115PS) 3/5 Door -

H 161-170 £175 £180 £250 Ford Focus 1.8 Duratec (125PS) 3/5 Door Saloon 60%

I 171-180 £205 £210 £300 Jaguar XF TDV6 cDPF 100%

J 181-200 £260 £270 £425 Nissan Qashqai +2 , 2.0, 4x4 100%

K 201-225 £300 £310 £550 Lotus Exige 2 seater sports Coupe 100%

L 226-255 £415 £430 £750 Honda S2000, 2.0VTec GT 100%

M Over 255 £440 £455 £950 Aston Martin DB9 Coupe 100%

by Mike Barrett

As you can see from the photograph, Grange of

Exeter is a truly stunning location to spend your

working day, add to this the privilege of working

with two of the most iconic brands in our industry

and you can start to appreciate just how tough life

is in the West Country!

As with everything in our business, the picture and

the brands have the “iceberg effect”, you only see

the small attractive part on the surface and don’t

always get an understanding of the enormity of

the hard work below the surface. Whilst Exeter is

now starting to realise the potential that Mark and

the rest of the senior Cambria management team

saw when they purchased the business, it has in

so many ways been a difficult journey. For me the

one key pillar of the Cambria 4 pillars philosophy,

our Associates, has been the most enjoyable part

of transforming Exeter’s fortunes. As with many

of our acquisitions, if Cambria had not become

involved, Grange of Exeter could not have sustained

the losses for much longer and many people would

have lost their jobs. However, in Dawn Bear, Mark

Shipp, Alastair Mills and Kirk Broome we now

have a management team that are working with a

professional and dedicated team of Associates who

are individually and as a team making massive

differences on a daily basis. A great tribute to the

hard work that has been done by everyone in

the business, not just those dedicated to Aston

Martin, was being named as Aston Martin’s

joint top performer in 2009 for Customer Care -

United Kingdom!

Our manufacturer partners are launching some

outstanding products this year, the all new XJ from

Jaguar and the first 4 Door Aston Martin, the Rapide,

2010 really is looking like a very exciting year for us.

GRANGE Of EXETER NUMBER ONE fOR AsTON MARTIN CUsTOMER CARE - UniteD kingDom!

by scott Pomery dealer Principal

cambria newsletter march 2010

Documents

new visitors

new year

new careers

new associates

new government tax

new car showroom tax

grange car clubnewsquarterly

grange dealerships