ONE of the north's most successful motor dealerships, the John Mulholland Group in Randalstown, has chalked up a unique industry treble by being named as the UK's Skoda Retailer of the Year for an unprecedented third time in five years.
And in doing so the comparatively modest-sized business, located in a village with a population of just 4,500 residents, has beaten off behemoth rivals in cities with potential customer catchment areas in the many millions.
The family-run firm, wholly owned by John and Alicia Mulholland, claimed the Skoda accolade at a ceremony in London's Royal Albert Hall, and they'll now jet off to Madagascar as VIP guests of Skoda's global directors.
"To put our latest achievement into context, there are 127 Skoda retailers in the UK selling more than 80,000 new cars a year, and some of those are massive organisations and plcs with a turnover in one case in excess of £4 billion," says John Mulholland, whose own company turned over £35.6 million in 2016.
"Skoda retailers in cites like London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh have populations in the millions from which to draw their customer base, so by comparison we're minuscule."
Mulholland Motors is scrutinised monthly in a Skoda scorecard which measures every aspect of the business - from sales of new or used cars, sales satisfaction surveys, after-sales customer satisfaction, workshop performance, parts sales, profitability and staff development, and it must perform at almost 100 per cent consistently for a full year in every discipline.
“To achieve such a demanding award once in a company’s history is amazing. To do it twice in three years is totally remarkable and then to follow that up again for a third year is nothing short of phenomenal,” John added.
He attributes the firm's success to what he calls "the three Ps of persistence, passion and people".
He adds: "Everyone at John Mulholland Motors is passionate and proud of what we achieve - the valeters, technicians, administration staff, service advisers, sales executives and management all have a part to play.
"Without the right people it would be impossible. We nurture, train and encourage everyone in our business to be the very best they can be. But of course none of this would be possible without our customers.”
Mulholland Motors, which has been in business since 1988, transacts more than 3,500 vehicle sales annually from its dealerships at Randalstown and Campsie. The company has a staff of 70.
