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30 YEARS IN BUSINESS.
Warren Plowright Toyota Celebrates 30 years. Andrew Plowright chatted with Chrissy Jones about the locally owned family business - how they began, how they have grown and what he credits to the success. Tell us about your business; how long have you been operating, and what is your main philosophy? We’re lucky to have 44 dedicated people on the team. There’s new and used sales; we generally have over 150 cars in stock. There’s terrific support from our parts clients and repair centres around the area. Service is constantly growing in line with each year’s sales growth - we need more staff! We offer vehicle financing, with Guaranteed Future Value options on new vehicles. Add our myToyota vehicle management app, low capped price servicing on new Toyota models, Toyota reliability and resale, Toyota Certified Used Cars and we aim to be a one-stop-shop. Rewinding a little, Mum and Dad - Warren and Maryann - had a Toyota dealership prior to moving to Port Macquarie with us kids Graham (Gig), Jac and I in 1987. Dad started
106 Greater Port Macquarie focus
in the industry in Sydney in the early ‘70s, after working in advertising. Some might remember the whacky TV ads, featuring several of the team making their small screen debuts. Today the business is owned by Dad, my wife Hiroko and myself. What do you credit for your business’ longevity? The team make a tremendous effort every day. We’ve been fortunate to be trusted by so many people and to have had the support of so many great local businesses, organisations and friends. When it comes to new cars and our service expertise, our team are focused on Toyota and Lexus - two amazing Japanese brands. We have a great family connection with the brands, but also to the people of Japan and the philosophy of KAIZEN - constant improvement. How has your business grown over the
years? The team has tripled in size over the years. Every department has someone with over 25 years’ experience. There’s Dave, Terry and Kevin, who were there with Mum and Dad at the start. I’ve learned so much from people like Dan, Matt, Tony, Amanda, Danny, Kathy and Shane, who all joined over 20 years ago. In fact, some of that group started closer to 30 years ago! Phil and Craig are coming up to 20 years, with many more approaching 10 years, like Libby, Jesse, Woody, Zenon and Maxine. Everyone and their families play a vital role. Family involvement has been constant. Gig and Jacqui worked in the dealership. I’ve worked in the automotive industry since the early ‘90s, when I joined Toyota Motor Corporation, working in Australia and living in Tokyo, where I met Hiroko - who worked for Toyota Head Office.
As a leading local company, what changes/innovations have you seen in your industry during your time? The products constantly change with safety, styling, reliability and drivetrain innovations. Take our range of 11 different self-charging hybrid electric models. Even though the technology seems new, I first drove the Toyota Prius hybrid 20 years ago in Japan, so we’ve been around electric cars for a long time. Just like any business, the tools of the trade are constantly changing. The way we communicate, the way our technicians service vehicles, the way we administer the business. At the core, however, people want to be respected, and for us to take the time to help with their motoring needs. That hasn’t changed. We have an exciting time ahead of us here in our beautiful part of the world!