Paccar announces who the recipients of both the Kenworth and DAF Dealer of the Year awards are.
At its annual dealer event in Victoria, Paccar presented the Dealer of the Year Award to Graham Thomson Motors and CJD Equipment Tasmania for Kenworth and DAF, respectively.
The Dealer of the Year awards are judged on a points system, whereby dealers are judged across five main areas, including general dealership performance, truck sales, customer service, finance, and parts support.
Kenworth Dealer of the Year
Graham Thomson Motors, the largest dealer in regional Victoria, has won its fifth Kenworth dealer of the year award, the first time it has done so in 16 years.
“The fact that Graham Thomson Motors has won Kenworth’s highest award five times over the course of three decades shows its ongoing commitment to customers and its success with the Kenworth brand in regional Australia,” Paccar Australia Managing Director Mike Dozier says.
“It is an extraordinary dealership and a worthy member of Australia’s top dealer network. It has been a strong performer over the years because it continually invests in modern facilities, staff training, and specialist equipment,” Dozier adds.
The Shepparton-based dealer employs 53 staff members and services north-east Victoria.
“It’s a great honour to be recognised as the leading dealer by Australia’s leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer. This is especially sweet for us – it is our first major award since our new owners took over in 2011. It’s testament that our dealership continues to deliver a high level of professionalism in not only truck and parts sales, but particularly customer service across all areas of the business,” Graham Thomson Motors’ General Manager Gerard Michel says.
The last time that Graham Thomson Motors won the award was back in 1997.
DAF Dealer of the year
CJD Equipment Tasmania has been a Kenworth and DAF dealer since 2008, and this is the first time that it is has won a Paccar Australia dealer award. With dealerships in both Launceston and Hobart, CJD Equipment Tasmania is part of the CJD group, who are headquartered in Perth.
“This dealer operates from first-class facilities akin to those in major capital cities on the mainland. Most importantly, it has maintained high industry standards for a number of years by providing exceptional customer service in every facet of the business,” Dozier says.
“The DAF Dealer of the Year Award belongs to everyone who works in our two Tasmanian dealerships – especially our DAF salesman, service manager and parts Manager and their respective teams, who are all genuinely passionate about this premium brand,” CJD Tasmania State Manager Daniel Rice says.
Other awards given out include the DAF Service Dealer of the Year Award, which went to Brown & Hurley in Brisbane, and the DAF Parts Dealer of the Year Award, which went to Kenworth and DAF of Melbourne.