Two companies with a 100-year history meet on the stage of a brand-new, Pretoria-based Isuzu Trucks franchise. Bidvest McCarthy has now invested in an Isuzu Trucks dealership strategically sited just off the N4 at Gateway Industrial Park in Pretoria East. 2016 is Isuzu Trucks celebration of 10 years independence as Isuzu Truck South Africa coupled with a proven track record of being the leading local brand for three successive years.
The Bidvest industrial conglomerate is extensively involved in freight management, logistics services, terminal operations, and marine and aviation services. The profile of the Isuzu truck range ideally suits the fleet requirements of Bidvest’s freight operations. With both impressive profiles, Bidvest McCarthy and Isuzu Trucks is an excellent match.
Isuzu Trucks’ Chief Operating Officer, Craig Uren, emphasises the importance of truck service and parts supply. “Isuzu Truck dealers are a service organisation that also sell trucks and this new dealer is a further development that flows out of a truck marketing study conducted in 2002. There are Isuzu truck dealers in Pretoria North, Pretoria West and Midrand. The Bidvest McCarthy Pretoria East investment now closes the service loop for this region in addition to a route presence on the N4,” He added
At the helm of the new operation is Bidvest McCarthy Dealer Principal Liza-Marie Gibson, who has seven years of truck retail experience. Gibson comments, “We are a lean, mean team with a strong focus on the distribution sector where Bidvest industrial has a strong presence.”
Steve Keys, Group Chief Executive Officer of Bidvest Automotive, concludes, “It’s a service business and with Liza-Marie Gibson who is a high-energy person, which fits perfectly the Bidvest profile and benefits customers. While South Africa is experiencing economic hard times, we do not see the market segments that this new dealership will serve contracting as much as the economy. Business success comes from co-operation and collaboration, and this is what we have established with Isuzu Truck South Africa today.”
Bidvest McCarthy Isuzu Trucks is offering on-site, after hours and Saturday servicing. In addition, there is a drivers’ lounge where drivers can relax comfortably while their trucks are being serviced. It matches Uren’s vision of “being a service organisation that also sells trucks”.
