Major Truck Dealership Purchase for Stevenson

Stevenson recently purchased TCL Isuzu, the largest new truck retail operation in New Zealand. Isuzu is New Zealand’s most popular truck brand and the TCL Isuzu franchise is the most successful Isuzu franchise in New Zealand. The acquisition represents a milestone in building Stevenson Engineering’s truck sales and service division.

The company comes with a proven track record in the importation, assembly, sales, servicing, financing, rental and leasing of heavy vehicles. As the master Isuzu franchise holder in the Auckland, Northland and Bay of Plenty regions, TCL Isuzu sells close to 500 trucks per year and accounts for around 12 per cent of the truck sales in the New Zealand market.

TCL Isuzu operate from two locations – Great South Road, Penrose, Auckland, and Totara Street, Mt Maunganui. TCL Isuzu Auckland is situated on a large transport site that also offers truck washing, grooming, parking, rental and lease trucks/trailers, as well as new and used truck sales parts. Mt Maunganui provides new truck sales, and a full service workshop and parts, including truck refurbishment for the Bay of Plenty.

'It’s business as usual for TCL Isuzu, but now with its own Auckland workshop,’ says Stevenson Engineering joint CEO Peter Dudson. ‘All 40 of TCL Isuzu’s staff have been transferred to Stevenson and we welcome them to our team.’

The purchase of TCL Isuzu means that TCL Isuzu will now have full access to Stevenson Engineering’s East Tamaki workshop in Auckland to service Isuzu alongside Iveco, MAN, and Western Star. In turn, Stevenson gains a workshop and service base in Tauranga. ‘Despite having a top-selling truck product, TCL Isuzu didn’t have its own Auckland workshop. They had lots of very good third party providers, but there’s nothing like having your own workshop. Becoming the Isuzu dealer workshop for Auckland is great for Stevenson Engineering’s workshop and for Isuzu. Their Auckland clients can now get their service done by the same company that sold them the truck,’ says Peter.

TCL Isuzu sells new and used trucks and trailers, undertakes vehicle evaluations, supplies a comprehensive range of genuine Isuzu parts for all Isuzu trucks and cars and services and maintains Isuzu trucks. To ensure strong repeat business, TCL Isuzu has focused on the after sales aspect of the business. Provision of after sales services is critical to keep customers on the road and coming back. All TCL Isuzu after sales staff and sales teams are involved in the Isuzu Technicians’ Guild. The company stocks New Zealand’s largest range and amount of genuine Isuzu parts. The recent addition of fridge bodies and alloy decks, includes a range of accessories such as tool boxes, cargo bars and load trolleys, that complement these products.

‘Purchasing TCL Isuzu is a key part of the Stevenson transport strategy to put several good franchises together in one house. We were looking to pick up a top Japanese brand,’ says Peter. This latest purchase follows our strategic acquisition of Southern International and Feilding-based Fruehauf Trailers in 2007 and its takeover of the Iveco dealership earlier this year.

‘Now that we have both Isuzu and Iveco within our group we expect to sell around 650 trucks per year, in a market of 3500 in total. We’ve timed this carefully. Isuzu have just launched a new product range, the first new model range in 12 years. This new product is a whole new step up. It’s good to be taking over at this time, when there will be fresh interest and excitement surrounding the brand,’ says Peter.

‘It’s great for us to be bought by a New Zealand-owned company,’ says Mike Searle, General Manager of TCL Isuzu. ‘All our dealings with Stevenson have been outstanding. Their people have been clear and open with us. ‘Our goals are similar to those of the Engineering group. The purchase has given TCL Isuzu the chance to accelerate these goals, one of which was to have our own service facility in Auckland to strengthen our after sales focus. Another was to expand our parts business through the after sales business offered by NZ Trucks,  a Stevenson-owned company, which is the New Zealand distributor for Iveco trucks and parts. It also provides work to Stevenson Engineering’s weld and truck shops. Stevenson’s ownership of Fruehauf Trailers gives us the opportunity to provide a total vehicle package. We can now supply trucks, trailers and the service package.’