Hartshorne Volkswagen Van centres claim national award

At this year’s Motor Trader Industry Awards, the inaugural LCV Dealer of the Year Award has been won by Midlands-based Hartshorne Van Services Ltd for its Volkswagen light commercial vehicle business. The prestigious Dealer of the Year award represents the culmination of several years’ hard work and commitment by everyone at Hartshorne Van Services.

The annual Motor Trader Industry Awards took place at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. Hartshorne was commended for its all-round quality service, with the judges saying: ‘Hartshorne focuses firmly on the needs of all of the light commercial market – from big fleet buyers to small traders and lifestyle retail customers – and is developing used van sales, too. Its road-based sales team prospects actively for new customers, it has an additional workshop dedicated solely to the needs of the biggest fleet buyers and is using its own comprehensive accessories catalogue to generate incremental business.’

It was only in 2002 that family-owned Hartshorne Van Services was appointed as a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles franchised dealer; the company had originally operated from two Portakabins with six employees. Year on year success has seen the company expand dramatically and today it operates from three dedicated sites at Birmingham, Bilston and Shrewsbury, covering 25,000 square feet.

In this time Volkswagen van sales have increased from 175 in the first year to over 1,200 in 2005; and this is reflected in the growth of the company’s turnover during the same period from £3.5 million to over £32 million.

On receiving the award Hartshorne Motor Services Managing Director, Brian Bachelor, said: ‘I am so proud of what my teams at Birmingham, Bilston and Shrewsbury have achieved and delighted that our hard work has been recognised by winning such a prestigious award.

‘Our staggering success can be attributed to our total focus on providing, servicing and repairing Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles – with the expertise and resource to meet the needs of the small independent right through to the large fleet buyers and everything in between. Throughout our history we have remained committed to offering the same level of customer service to all our customers, big or small.’

Each Hartshorne Van Services site has state-of-the-art workshops, offices and showrooms, staffed by highly experienced and skilled professionals; and offers extended opening hours as well as seven day opening.

In addition to selling Volkswagen’s highly acclaimed range of vans, a host of other services combine to provide the customer with a total solution to their light commercial vehicle requirements: Assured Used, service and maintenance, parts, accessories, van rental and finance.

Hartshorne’s has also marked the occasion by launching vw4vans.co.uk their groundbreaking website where visitors can see details of all the services they offer.

Brian Bachelor explained: ‘More and more van buyers start their search on the internet and our site will give them all the vital information they need at the touch of a button, at a time convenient to them. In time the website will become increasingly interactive giving the user a wide range of on-line services such as service bookings.’

Hartshorne Volkswagen Van Centres at Birmingham, Bilston and Shrewsbury are part of a national network of 70 Volkswagen Van Centres.