The 250 staff employed by a West Midlands motor group, celebrating its 10th anniversary this month, are the ‘back bone of its success’.
Trust Group UK was founded in March 2006 by current managing director Andrew Hockedy and finance director Nigel White when they bought three Volkswagen dealerships from Reg Vardy PLC.
The sites at Wolverhampton, Redditch and Stourbridge have since gone from strength to strength, with Trust adding the Skoda brand to its offering in all three towns.
Andrew Hockedy said: “The last 10 years have been truly exciting.
“Building a company from a start-up position into one that today employs 250 colleagues and is recognised as a strong partner within the Volkswagen Group is something of which both Nigel and I are really proud.
“The colleagues within the company have been the back bone of our success, delivering fantastic levels of service in both Sales and Aftersales and our Group’s continued expansion and prosperity is a real reflection of their collective abilities.”
It was in early 2011 that Trust completed its first move into an alternative franchise with the opening of a seven car Skoda showroom alongside the existing Volkswagen facility in Redditch. This was quickly followed by the opening of Skoda Stourbridge in June that same year while Wolverhampton Skoda was added in the autumn of 2013.
The Group opened its first Trade Parts Specialist location in Wolverhampton in June 2007 and expanded this side of the business in March 2012 when they were awarded the operation in Birmingham.
Andrew continued: “Adding the three Skoda businesses to our existing Volkswagen portfolio seemed a logical fit geographically and allowed us to centralise many of the back room functions connected with running a regional retail group.”
While Nigel White added: “Having started the business 10 years ago the Group has moved on in size and representation at a steady pace.
“Our Trade Parts Specialist operations covering both Wolverhampton and Birmingham territories were cash generating from day one and gave the group a strong cash flow position from which further investment in facilities could be drawn.”
Trust Group UK service, repair and MOT cars and provide genuine manufacturers parts. The shared philosophy is one of delivering excellent customer care through close management of the daily activity at all individual locations.
PICTURED are Trust Group UK managing director Andrew Hockedy (left) and finance director Nigel White