Vertu Motors, sixth in the AM100, has rewarded its most successful managers from across the group's brands, Bristol Street Motors, Macklin Motors, Farnell Land Rover, Vertu Volkswagen and Vertu Honda, at its CEO Awards.
The winners were:
Neal Tuffs – business manager of the year, Darlington Nissan
Paul Holland – bodyshop manager of the year, Chesterfield Vauxhall
Andy Johnson – company person of the year, property director at head office, Gateshead
Tina Willis – accountant of the year based in the Nottingham and Leicester areas
Paul Walton – sales manager of the year, Peterlee Hyundai
Kieran McGarry – service manager of the year, Northampton Vauxhall
Steve O’ Donnell – parts manager of the year, Granby Ford Parts
Gavin Coles – head offfice person of the year, group aftersales at head office, Gateshead.
Robert Forrester, Vertu Motors' chief executive, said: “One of the group’s core Values is recognition of excellent performance and our annual management awards are a key part of this. Everybody nominated is at the top of their game and selecting a winner each year is becoming increasingly difficult. The award ceremony is a real celebration of great success, passion and commitment and it is a real pleasure to be part of it.”
Back (L-R) Paul Walton, Andy Johnson, Neal Tuffs, Paul Holland and Steve O' Donnell (front L-R) Gavin Coles, Tina Willis, Robert Forrester and Kieran McGarry
Jeremy has been a journalist for 30 years, 20 of which have been in business-to-business automotive. He was a writer and news editor on AM-sister brand Fleet News for three years before setting up the AM website. For the last five years he has been Bauer B2B’s head of digital helping to manage the digital assets of AM, together with Fleet News, Commercial Fleet, Rail and Smart Transport.
Concerned shareholder - 06/02/2015 13:58
When oh when are we going to see profitability of this company really start to take off as expected. Growing sales, giving management bonuses and the rest, are all good and fine, but as a long term shareholder, I want to see the company that I am a part owner of, start to meaningfully grow its profitability. The external environment of low interest rates and rising incomes are a perfect storm for car sales. I am also left wondering why Vertu and, say, Lookers are not considering a merger. The savings would be huge, and this may be a much better way of growing the business profitably than one off acquisitions of dealerships. What is that accounting mantra, and Mr Forrestor is a qualified accountant - sales is vanity, profit is sanity. Time for a bit more sanity think. Come on Mr Forrestor - please start getting the bottom line performing so we long term shareholders start to see the share price growing in the way it should for the risks we have taken and the support we have shown.