Vertu Motors plc - Torque - Issue 16 - May 2019

MAY 2019 • ISSUE 16 To deliver an outstanding customer motoring experience through honesty and trust.

Passion • Respect • Professionalism • Integrity • Recognition • Opportunity • Commitment

WELCOME ROBERT FORRESTER

Robert Forrester chief executive officer

I am writing this before we announce our results to the City on Wednesday 8th May. The results are featured on the next page in detail in this Torque edition. I have mixed views on the results overall. The cash generation performance of the business was excellent and this is always a good sign that we have a healthy business. Having said that, our year-on-year profits went backwards when we actually have more dealerships and this is a less good sign! The share price has reflected both this and some of the uncertainties which the sector faces. I will focus on the things we can control rather than dwell on the uncontrollable, like the direction of Brexit or consumer finance regulation changes.

One thing that has held the Group back in the last couple of years is the inconsistent performance across the business, where dealerships of the same franchise can be very profitable in one place and lose money in another. The key difference is clearly management capability and culture, and I know this has a major impact not only on profitability but on the experience

of our customers and of course of you, our colleagues. Great managers set the vision, create a positive culture, live the Values and lead the team to success. We have many such leaders throughout the Group. However, poor managers can have a devastating effect on every aspect of the business and certainly result in higher levels of colleague turnover and poor levels of colleague stability. Why on earth would you work for a poor manager? This ultimately kills our business.

As the CEO, it is my responsibility to ensure we have a high-quality management team. Nothing great was ever built on the backs of the mediocre, as one look at our government would testify!

In the last six months I’m delighted to say that we have seen much improved consistency in performance, with a number of the businesses which have underperformed historically showing great signs of progress. There are more examples

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Aside from day-to-day business performance, there are two other key issues which we are heavily focusing on at present:

VALUES One surrounds our culture and ensuring that the Values of the Group are consistently in place across the business. When we have our Values in place such as Passion, Integrity, Commitment and Professionalism, we inevitably have a very strong business that performs in all areas. Colleagues feel valued and go the extra mile for our customers, delivering for the benefit of everyone. Our colleague satisfaction survey scores remain strong and we will be highlighting this to our shareholders in the coming weeks both in the UK and US. Over 80% of colleagues would recommend the Group as a great place to work which is a strong number.

“Over 80% of colleagues would recommend the Group as a great place to work.”

“Great managers set the vision, create a positive culture, live the Values and lead the team to success.” than I can give here but certainly we are seeing much better performance out of our MA 32 Mercedes business (Slough, Ascot and Reading), Carlisle and Northampton Vauxhall, and Derby Nissan to name but a few. Indeed, many underperforming businesses from previous years are now delivering strong results including Derby Volvo and Northampton Peugeot. This is certainly helping the Group performance and I’m pleased to report that in March, for example, we saw a strong performance from the Group helped in no small measure by a higher level of consistency. The danger of course is that complacency sets in and successful dealerships start to go backwards!

It is the role of the senior management team to ensure that this does not happen or is

Things go wrong when we have management with the wrong culture and business ethics.

This jars with colleagues who know what the Values of the Group are and yet see something completely different at a local level. I am delighted to say that we have colleagues who feel able to contact me directly to let me know what is going on and this is very valuable indeed! With over 5,500 colleagues we are always going to get some “wrong-uns” but we can limit the damage if the vast majority of colleagues in the Group understand the Values and, together with management, reinforce them.

This is like painting the Forth Bridge but is a vital occupation for all management.

Whether we are winning or losing in this area comes through in three key areas: financial performance, customer experience and colleague stability levels. Our balance scorecard, which is produced monthly, ranks all dealerships on these key areas.

DIGITALISATION The second area of focus is the ongoing digitalisation of our business. This affects every aspect of our activity, particularly in marketing and customer experience, and also in ensuring that our processes are efficient. Cost rises have dented the sector’s profits in recent years, though I am pleased to say that we are seeing greater cost stability across the Group, and having efficient processes is a key part of this.

We will be talking to our shareholders about our success in the area of digitalisation of the Customer Journey, and I have bullet pointed below some of our notable successes. This should give comfort that the Group is very well positioned, not only to survive in the coming years as digitalisation increases, but to absolutely thrive and become a preeminent player in the sector:

• We are the first Group, and remain one of a very small number, who can offer full end-to-end retailing of used cars online • We took 27,000 online service bookings in the last 12 months, taking pressure off the contact centre in Gateshead and increasing ease for the customer • We purchased the Vansdirect online van business in January, giving the Group a further 3,500 van sales which are now being supplied by the core Group in increasing numbers • Aceparts, our online parts retailer, is now increasingly profitable and is growing quickly , delivering over 1,500 purchases to customers every day • Our marketing campaigns which are becoming increasingly sophisticated, including great dealership social media engagement, delivered 125,000 internet sales enquiries to the Group last year This is just the start. We are developing a team of very bright and first-rate software developers in Gateshead in order to keep pushing the boundaries on online retailing.

Dealerships can always play their part in ensuring that our cars are brilliantly presented on the internet and there is massive engagement in social media by colleagues and customers at a local level.

There is no question that customers will visit us both online and offline in the buying process for sales and aftersales, and as a consequence we will need to be very joined up and slick, both in the dealerships and on the internet. I have every confidence that we have the right strategies in this area and are increasing our resources to make sure we are ahead of the competition.

I would like to thank every one of our colleagues for their hard work and dedication in the last 12 months.

It has not always been easy, and there are plenty of uncertainties and challenges ahead, but this is what makes success worthwhile and how we grow as individuals. We have a great team of awesome colleagues across the Group and I’m very proud indeed to be able to work with such people.

Passion • Respect • Professionalism • Integrity • Recognition • Opportunity • Commitment

Thanks,

Robert

GROUP FINANCiAL RESULTS KAREN ANDERSON

Karen ANDERSON chief financial officer

On 8th May the Group’s financial results for the year ended 28 February 2019 were announced, Robert and I presented these to our analysts and institutional investors.

The main analysts’ presentation is one of the first presentations that we did and it was broadcast live on the internet (webcast).

Following this we held individual meetings to explain our results with shareholders, both existing and potential.

This year we had 30 meetings scheduled prominently in London and a further 14 meetings in the USA and Canada. Over 30% of our shareholders are now based over the Atlantic. By the time we have finished, Robert and I will have given the same results presentation over 40 times, over the course of three weeks!

Whilst we were disappointed that the Group’s underlying profits declined compared to last year, principally due to growth in costs, the messages we gave were of confidence in our underlying business and in the sector.

“The messages we gave were of confidence in our underlying business and in the sector.”

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A couple of the key messages we focused on in the results are: The strongest balance sheet in the sector To put this into context, imagine you have a house worth £250,000 with no mortgage, the car on your drive is yours with no loan or lease outstanding on it, and you have enough cash in the bank to keep you going for a while should you lose your job. That is what we mean by having a ‘strong balance sheet’ and having one puts us in a great place to take advantage of opportunities such as being able to afford to buy more dealerships in future, or to invest in the expansion of our online offering to customers.

Phenomenal cash performance, with free cash flow of £21.2m and almost no net debt at 28 February 2019 Generating cash is a key measure of how well a company has performed and can be used to work out what a company is worth. ‘Worth’ can by calculated by working out how much ‘free cash’, (namely cash generated from selling cars and services profitably, less the cash we have invested either in our property refurbishments or in the level of cars or parts stock we hold) the Group will generate over a set period of time. Put simply the more cash we can generate, the more the Group should be worth.

Staying on this point, we have also told our shareholders that the significant amount cash we have been spending on our dealership portfolio, in other words our

capital expenditure, over the last three years is now at an end and therefore we should be able to show improved free cash flow in future.

Excellent aftersales performance with likefor-like revenue growth of 7.0%, delivering a 6.4% growth in gross profit We are proud of our aftersales performance which generated an additional £7.8m of gross profit in our core dealerships compared to last year. This was achieved through excellent execution of the fundamentals in aftersales, good CSI, retention initiatives such as service plan sales and improvements in average invoice value driven by our VHC process – keep up the good work here!

Growth in full year dividend by 6.7% and the recommencing of the Share Buyback Programme Unlike a bank which earns interest on the money it lends to the Group, shareholders do not earn interest on the money they have invested in companies.

Instead, shareholders get a return on their investment one of three ways: 1. An increase in the share price; 2. By the Company buying back shares (a bit like paying off a loan); and finally, 3. Through a dividend (which is to be honest a bit like getting an interest payment!).

Unlike interest which you are required to pay on debt however, the Group can choose whether or not to pay a dividend, and how much to pay. We also have a choice whether to buy back our own shares. Given the strong cash performance in the year, the Board are recommending an increase in the dividend we will pay to shareholders this year. We also announced that we intend to start buying back our own shares, and given that our share price is low, this is a good use of our capital.

Good trading performance in March and April 2019 confirming that this year has got off to a good start Whilst our results announcement is always looking back at the year just ended, we always include an update on current trading and this is often the first section our shareholders will turn to. Starting the year well is always a positive message to end our announcement with!

Robert and I wish to thank all of the incredible colleagues in the Group for their hard work and commitment to the Values in delivering this performance.

Passion • Respect • Professionalism • Integrity • Recognition • Opportunity • Commitment

Thanks,

Karen

Anthony Joshua gloves and Premier League football shirts raise £1,500 for charity

Lidget Green Elders Group (LGEG), a weekly activity group which brings together older people in the West Bradford community, was chosen to receive the grant after the neighbourhood project applied to the Social Responsibility Awards, a community initiative backed by the Group.

A charity auction of sporting memorabilia has raised more than £1,500 for BEN, a not-for-profit organisation supporting colleagues and families working in the automotive sector. Tom Iveson, business manager at Gordon Lamb Land Rover Chesterfield, was the highest bidder for an Anthony Joshua signed boxing glove.

CHARITABLE SUPPORT AND LOCAL SPONSORSHIP

Bristol Street Motors Bradford brings community funding boost for elderly activity group

VERTU HONDA DEALERSHIPS TO PARTNER WITH FORCES CARS DIRECT Vertu Honda has partnered with Forces Cars Direct to offer preferential offers on cars for members of the armed forces and emergency services.

Vertu Honda is proud of the accreditation from the organisation, which supports and rewards the military, from the Army, Marines, Navy and RAF in the UK or overseas, and emergency services community from the Police, Prison, NHS and Fire and Rescue services.

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ORPINGTON FORD SUPPORTS SCHOOL’S FUNDRAISING PARENTS

HARTLEPOOL FORD steps in to save Hartlepool’s Shopmobility scheme

Orpington Ford is supporting the Parents and Friends Association (PFA) of Holy Innocents’ Catholic Primary School with its fundraising to help provide extra resources for the local school. The dealership has donated £2,000 to the PFA to kickstart fundraising for 2019 and support a number of events throughout the year that boost the money raised, including movie nights, discos and Summer and Christmas fairs.

Hartlepool Ford is helping local shoppers with mobility issues to stay on the go after stepping in to plug Shopmobility’s funding gap.

The dealership is supporting the scheme to enable it to continue its work empowering people with mobility problems to have the same opportunity to enjoy shopping in Hartlepool.

Birmingham SEAT brings community funding boost for soup kitchen mental health project Birmingham SEAT has given a welcome boost to a mental health project launched by a community soup kitchen in the city. Villa Cross Soup Kitchen in Lozells, North-west Birmingham, was chosen to receive the grant after the neighbourhood organisation applied to the Social Responsibility Awards, a community initiative backed by the Group.

St Oswald’s Hospice raises £35,000 in annual raffle Bristol Street Motors helped St Oswald’s Hospice to raise more than £35,000 in its annual Christmas raffle. The dealerships in Hexham, Sunderland and Newcastle jointly donated a 68-plate Vauxhall Adam, which was the star prize in the charity’s Annual Raffle.

Passion • Respect • Professionalism • Integrity • Recognition • Opportunity • Commitment

GOOGLE UPDATE with lauren paul

LESLEY THORNBURN PPC Manager & LAUREN PAUL MARKETING GRADUATE pictured with nigel fung from google waze

Vertu’s marketing team were lucky enough to be invited to a twoday conference at Google’s EMEA HQ in Dublin, Ireland for the first inaugural EMEA Automotive summit.

Day One After a 6:30am flight, we landed in Dublin ready and raring to go on what would be a very exciting and eye-opening two days.

Walking through the front doors, you couldn’t easily forget where you were heading. Google’s European HQ is an urban jungle; you could get lost exploring its vast depths, all adorned in a rainbow of colours, and it has the exotic and flamboyant tech accessories to match. The welcome we received was unparalleled - even down to our names appearing on the LED lit stairs, greeting us as we made our entrance!

Today was dedicated to hearing presentations from some of Google’s leading automotive experts. One of the most interesting was Jason Klein, the Head of Human Truths at Google New York, who spoke to us about how we can work to make real connections with today and tomorrow’s vehicle buyers. His presentation was one of the most interesting; it centred around how YouTube and online video content can influence the path to purchase. His insights are undoubtedly useful for us in the marketing team, but could easily be applied at dealership level too; for instance, with social media videos. The thing that I couldn’t shake from my mind was that in 2018, 44% of people said the in-person test drive wasn’t enough time to test the tech and safety features of a vehicle. We could easily offer a customer longer time behind the wheel, but why don’t we consider branching further into the online sphere? With 81% of European buyers using Google to inform their most recent vehicle purchase and 41% of them using YouTube, we should be

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implementing video more at every possible level. Especially when we consider that 87% of people then go on to perform at least one follow-up action that has been triggered by a video they have just seen - what if that action is a sale?

Surprisingly, 7x more test-drives take place on YouTube than in physical forecourts. So even if you take just one thing from this article, why not film a virtual test-drive of one of your new-in-stock vehicles and put that insight to the test?

Our final presentation of the day was from a guest speaker...Ben Collins, a.k.a the former Stig of Top Gear fame! It was incredible listening to somebody so passionate about the motor world - he was a true autoenthusiast and it was refreshing to hear his thoughts on the future of the industry and the shift towards electric vehicles.

We then headed out to the evening networking event at House Dublin. All the food, drink and music fuelled our competitive sides, and so we spent most of the night challenging fellow industry colleagues to Speed Cups (would highly recommend for hours of fun!).

Day Two The second day of the conference was split into several breakout sessions, each revolving around a certain topic. The best one I went along to was the ‘creating ads that drive action for auto’, and it was enlightening to say the least. Despite so many people watching YouTube and online video content today, only 3% of businesses actually

optimise their ads for YouTube specifically - the majority simply use their TV advert, yet 60% of conversions for video are due to their creative content. This is something we have begun to do for our Group events as we are seeing more and more customers consuming media differently - take the rise in streaming platforms for instance, which is a testament to the fact that less people are watching live TV. We need to continue to be ahead of this curve and therefore adapt our media efforts to follow our audience, and Google and YouTube are consistently making it easier for us to do this. For example, they have introduced their Trueview for Action platform which allows us to add a call-toaction button on the video, and they are also testing YouTube for Action Form ads, which would allow us to attach an enquiry form to the video so the viewer wouldn’t even have to go to our website to express interest.

If those two days with Google taught me anything, it would be that data doesn’t lie, and people don’t lie to Google - there’s no need to. One of the first things we were told is that there is a staggering 7x more data created on a daily basis now, than there was in the entirety of 2010. There has never been a more opportune moment for us as marketers, but also as people in business, to use this information to adapt our methods and further our strategy - we know more about customers now than we ever have, it simply comes down to how we apply it in reality. So let’s take the opportunity to act now and make a real mark on our online audience in every way possible.

Top tips for success from Google: 1. Less jargon, more humanisation.

• Rather than telling people the measurements of the boot space, climb in and show them! People want to know why it’s right for them in particular, so don’t bore them with generic information unless it’s relevant.

2. Create content that is relevant; both contextually and personally.

• Videos with higher completion rates were more likely to include night-time scenes, snow, ice, and mud; these are things a customer can’t experience on a physical test-drive but will obviously want to know. Research has shown that if a snow storm hits, it will increase the fraction of vehicles sold that have 4-wheel drive by about 6% over the next 2-3 weeks. So, if you spot an opportunity, feel free to hop on that bandwagon!

3. Draw them in; hook, line and sinker!

• Hook - the first 5 seconds are the most important. Make eye contact, show the brand, and give them a reason to watch • Line - for maximum impact, use onscreen captions and a voice-over, and think about pacing. You need to keep their attention in a very short window.

• Sinker - tell your audience what you want them to do. The less they have to think, the better

Passion • Respect • Professionalism • Integrity • Recognition • Opportunity • Commitment

GMDP and MDP Graduation

APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR BEN SMITHIES

Personalised Video Competition Winner

Congratulations to our graduates who have completed the General Managers and Managers Development Program. Well done to everyone who took part in the training and personal development programs!

Huge well done to Ben Smithies who recently won Land Rover Apprentice of the Year. Ben, who works as a vehicle technician, has been praised for his hard work at Bradford Farnell Land Rover. Well done Ben!

Well done to Rachel Cartledge who won a remote control Lamborghini and track day for winning the AOS Personalised Video Competition.

Her video showed personality and was very precise around the customers specific requirements.

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Leading Lights Matt Irzyk Reading Mercedes-Benz Star Expert Matt Irzyk was recently named a ‘Leading Light’ in the prestigious car manufacturers retailer recognition programme. Matt, who is the first point of contact for customers visiting the dealership, received the acknowledgement for his enthusiasm, pride and knowledge in carrying out his role.

Morpeth Ford Winning the Chairman’s Award We are delighted to announce that Morpeth Ford has been given a prestigious Ford Chairman’s Award

by Ford Motor Company, a coveted accolade for customer satisfaction that’s only given to the top 40 Ford Dealers in the country.

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As an employee of the automotive industry - past or present - Ben’s free and confidential support services can enable you and your family to face any of the challenges life brings - for life.

Follow our channels on yours: Follow us on Twitter @BenSupport4Auto

Look us up on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/466462/

Find us on Facebook BenSupport4Auto

Our YouTube channels www.youtube.com/user/BENautomotivecharity

Follow us on Instagram @bensupport4auto

Passion • Respect • Professionalism • Integrity • Recognition • Opportunity • Commitment

The team AT VANSDIRECT

Vansdirect joined Vertu Motors in January this year. The Group has expanded into Wales with the acquisition of Vansdirect for £7.5m.

VANSDIRECT ACQUISTION

It’s a business based in Newport that serves customers right across the UK. Before joining the Group it was one of the top independent commercial van retailers in the country, turning over £34m and selling more than 3,000 vans last year.

Founded in the Welsh valleys in 1999 by two local businessmen, Langley Davies and Sir Stan Thomas, the business grew quickly. Jane Pocock joined as managing director and the business emerged as a leading online retailer of commercial vehicles.

The team received a clutch of awards along the way including Best Van Leasing Broker in the Leasing Broker Federation Awards, for three consecutive years.

The growing team of 50 is now led

by Richard Simmonds as operations director, whose background includes roles with the Automobile Association and as a motor industry consultant; Jane Pocock and Langley Davies remain as non-executive directors. The team have had some interesting customers over the years, including dog grooming businesses, florists and a company that lays tennis courts.

The close-knit team enjoy socialising together, with nights out in Cardiff and regular ten-pin bowling events a favourite. They host a big fundraising event once a year, Wig Wednesday, which raises money for local charity The Little Princess Trust (www.littleprincess. org.uk) where the team dress in wigs and share a buffet lunch.

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The team at hughes group

HUGHES GROUP acquistion

The Group has also expanded its Mercedes dealership network with the acquisition of the Hughes Group.

Established by Michael Hughes in 1955, the former family business started out as one site in Beaconsfield with just three staff.

From 1955 the Hughes Group held more than twenty franchises including Jensen, Toyota, Jaguar and Ford before becoming a MercedesBenz dealership in 1977.

alongside the business and fleet sales team. In recent months, the Hughes Group dealerships have been awarded two accolades from the manufacturer; Mercedes-Benz Approved Used Team of the Year in 2017 and Digital Marketing Award in 2018.

Hughes Group added MercedesBenz of Aylesbury to its portfolio of dealerships in 2001 and later added Skoda and their quality used car outlet, Hughes Select, to the Aylesbury site.

The Hughes Group complements the Group’s existing Mercedes-Benz operations in Reading, Ascot and Slough.

In 2003 Hughes became a retailer of Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge at the Beaconsfield location. The Jeep franchise remains there today in the recently re-developed showroom,

Passion • Respect • Professionalism • Integrity • Recognition • Opportunity • Commitment

A CATCH UP WITH STEVE HARVEY

pictured here with robert forrester

Meet the Group’s longest serving colleague, sales progressor at JLR Bolton, Steven Harvey.

1. What was your first role?

I first started in the industry as an apprentice mechanic in 1963.

2. What does your average day look like?

We’re always very busy! When I come in, I sort through invoices and paperwork then check the cars that are coming in and out that day, both new and used. I also get data sheets prepared for the service department to deal with and the next day I will doublecheck the vehicle against the sheet to ensure everything has been done, and of course to a good standard.

3. How many different job roles have you had since you started?

I’ve moved all over the place, I’ve been in pretty much all departments apart from parts! I think I’ve had about 8 or 9 different roles.

4. What has kept you at with the Group?

The progressive opportunities are fantastic, but most importantly it’s the people.

Everyone I work with/for are really nice and it makes the atmosphere at work really enjoyable.

5. What’s your dream car?

I don’t necessarily have a ‘dream car’ but I love the car I have now, a 1990 Land Rover Discovery. The product launch in 1989 was amazing and I just knew it was going to be a great car, and to this day it still is!

8. When you’re not at work, what do you like to do?

I enjoy working on the garden or the house, and of course spending time with my wife. I also have a real passion for steam engineering, and also WW2.

6. What advice would you give someone starting their career in the motor trade?

The best advice I can give, is to give it all you’ve got. Throw yourself into the job, don’t mess about, get as much training as you possibly can and most importantly, enjoy it whilst you’re doing it.

9. If you could go on a road trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I would love to road trip across Europe, and I’d do it in my Disco!

“I would love to road trip across Europe, and I’d do it in my Disco!”

7. What did you want to be when you were younger?

I didn’t expect to be doing what I’m doing now, in fact the last thing on my mind was the motor industry! I actually wanted to go into heavy engineering but I’m glad someone was looking out for me because there isn’t much of that now.

10. How has the industry changed over the years?

The changes have been unbelievable; the industry has massively changed. Car dealers are so different now, we’re no longer viewed as backstreet cowboys, dealerships are much more technical and the health and safety, well as you can imagine, there was virtually none back in the day!

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SEAT CHARITY support WITH MARK GIBSON

MARK GIBSON at VILLA CROSS SOUP KITCHEN

SEAT Birmingham support local soup kitchen The Group is supporting a social affinity programme run by the New Testament Church of God in Handsworth, Birmingham.

11 projects are being supported across the country, each aligned to a nearby dealership.

In recent weeks colleagues have been visiting some of the projects and here Mark Gibson from Birmingham SEAT reports on his visit to the Villa Cross Soup Kitchen in Lozells, North West Birmingham on how our funding is helping the project.

“The team at Villa Cross Soup Kitchen are looking to offer more than just a hot meal, they are hoping to address signs of mental health issues that affect some of those attending the soup kitchen on a weekly basis. Our funding pays for drumming and saxophone sessions as part of music and therapy, plus the delivery of exercise and wellbeing sessions.”

“I was extremely touched by the great work these guys do. I arrived around lunchtime on a Tuesday which I was told was the one day in the week that the soup kitchen operates.

I was met by Cynthia and her colleague who volunteer to run the kitchen, they were awesome and really looked after me whilst I was there. They spent time talking through the different types of people using the

“I spent about an hour or so there and left feeling proud we are doing something to help with this.” facility from the homeless to the extremely vulnerable - people really from all walks of life and then we went for the tour.”

“I watched a music therapy session whereby a group of people were playing the bongos and singing along which was greatly entertaining and then I went to the canteen area itself. I met lots of people and in some cases heard stories of how some do not eat from week to week with this being the only meal on a Tuesday. To be honest I felt privileged to be able to sit down with them and have a general chat. They did not judge me even though I felt a little out of place in my suit and was made to feel at ease. I had some photos taken then met with the kitchen team. I spent about an hour or so there and left feeling proud we are doing something to help with this.”

Passion • Respect • Professionalism • Integrity • Recognition • Opportunity • Commitment

THE TRADE PARTS TEAM

From burgundy dust coats to e-commerce Words by

gregor mackie

THE PARTS ARENA AN EVOLUTION

group parts director

Quick history I started my career in a parts department 30 years ago in an Austin Rover/Unipart major parts distributor in Glasgow, back in the days of microfiches, a fax machine being cutting edge, plus your very own oversized burgundy dust coat... they were always burgundy.

Weirdly, I caught the bug instantly, the business was fast paced, 50 odd colleagues, 10 or so raw apprentices a year were being trained up for the wider Group’s needs and requirements. If you were good enough, you got to stay in the wholesaler permanently, thankfully, I was one of the lucky ones who did.

My career has moved on from that of a traditional parts advisor, to being out on the road as a sales representative, moving in-house as a manager, then over a number of years, moving into a global consultancy business working directly with various vehicle manufacturers.

It was at this point I realised how important the parts department and industry actually are for the vehicle manufacturers.

Not only does it feed the dealership workshops and independents to keep their efficiencies high and the manufacturers product on the road, but it also goes an enormous way to funding the next generation of vehicles being produced through the profits parts actually makes. In short, without parts profit, new cars to an extent wouldn’t exist.

The parts business Today in Vertu, we have some really exciting projects ongoing in the parts arena, and fantastic talent within each department.

Volkswagen for a number of years have successfully run their own parts distribution model called TPS. In Vertu, we currently operate within 3 locations; Gloucester run

by Chris Codd, Steve Williams at Hereford and Paul Durant at Nottingham. Essentially, the manufacturer owns the stock, the debt and all costs associated, whilst the dealer acts as an agent to manage and service a defined territory.

The stark reality is that if the vehicle manufacturer cuts out the dealers and associated margin, they have more ability to reduce pricing to be more aggressive in the market whilst still retaining a higher profit in-house, essentially, one less mouth to feed in the profit chain.

Volkswagen of course were heralded as “what good looked like” by the other vehicle manufacturers and it was only a matter of time before other major manufacturers followed suit.

“Today in Vertu, we have some really exciting projects ongoing in the parts arena, and fantastic talent within each department.”

Ford have just embarked on the same model, the Group has just rolled out five territories so far, Louise Wallis at Gloucester, Darren O’Shea at Bromley, Steve O’Donnell looking after three territories in Birmingham, West Bromwich and Redditch with Stoke going live in June under Paul Jones to complete our portfolio for the time being and taking our territory count to six.

These models actually work really well for the Group, we turn stock back into cash, relinquish our debt risk and gain a moderate agency fee for our team’s hard work, so minimal risk, healthy return.

PSA are working on a slightly different route

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17 to market badged as Distrigo, PSA as you will all know now own Vauxhall, so they are now capable of offering Peugeot, Citroen, DS and Vauxhall which makes for a fairly powerful strategy. The interesting point in their offering is that they offer the partner the opportunity to bring in as many different manufacturers under one roof as they wish including a factor range if you already have one, think “one stop shop”

“One thing I am personally delighted about is the growing sense of community the parts sector within Vertu is now forming” JLR has just launched its new trade strategy, like Mercedes Benz, both brands are solidly in the volume market nowadays and want to retain as much trade business as possible.

Remember the model above, more parts profit, more new models on the forecourts.

Our JLR trade business headed up by Andy Toynton is going from strength to strength and there is much more to come over the following years.

In Chesterfield we provide a multi-franchise offering driven by Matt Lomas and his team to a very wide market area, Nissan, Renault, Vauxhall, Toyota, JLR, Volvo and Hyundai all being delivered out of one centralised delivery point.

And finally we have our Mercedes Benz stand-alone parts hub in Reading, Mark Arnold and his team are now growing from strength to strength. Mercedes as a franchise is keen to move forward in trade, they don’t have the necessary market share to emulate the Volkswagen or Ford model but they do have a terrific product which they can wrap strategic offers around to further enhance trade sales within each network.

One thing I am personally delighted about is the growing sense of community the parts sector within Vertu is now forming.

We have two major national accounts we service throughout the Group, this created a need for the parts managers to get together and talk about efficient ways of working together on vans route deliveries, discount structures and maximising the opportunity on supply in wider areas.

Colleagues The teams within these businesses are in many ways more like our colleagues and the culture in the sales and service arenas, team huddles in the morning, reviewing objectives, celebrating successes, strategising to ensure plan is achieved for month-end, outbound tele-sales and upselling wherever possible.

The managers who I work with are now on a journey to look at their businesses much more as a general manager would, they are becoming heads of business, in a stand-alone parts hub, you are responsible for everything

you survey, from health and safety to being called out in the middle of the night when the alarm goes off, your customers are your bread and butter. If your strategy is fit for purpose, implemented exactly and executed to the T, colleague satisfaction and customer satisfaction remains high, you are on a journey to success.

interesting facts

Parts is the lessor known element of the dealership business, but it is the consistent profit producer, has some of the longest serving and loyal colleagues in the company and remains the vital cog in the wheel to keep the workshop moving. Car sales delivering new vehicles on time and ensuring the customer experience remains high in Vertu.

Interesting Fact 2: 33% of all car parts sold in the UK are now sold on eBay of which, 33% of the parts sold on eBay are purchased from an independent garage.

The future “in part” no pun intended It is no secret that most vehicle manufacturers are looking to see where the distribution world is going, how logistics costs can be diluted, partnerships considerations to enhance their penetration and effectively, how best can they retain and grow market share versus the ever-growing threat of Euro Car Parts type businesses in the market today.

I see this as future proofing, if I go back to my early years, motor factors sold no more than furry dice and leopard print seat covers, a front-end smash on a Rover 800 could effectively write it off and all parts sold had to come from the dealership.

“We handle anywhere between 1,500 parcels a day to over 2,000.”

Nowadays, the market is hugely competitive, after-market product is of matching quality to the vehicle manufacturers product in the main, options to the repairer are plentiful in terms of supply chain, vehicles are structured in a manner where a front-end smash now requires minimal part replacement, and we all know where the future potentially lies in electrification for engine components at some point further down the line.

In terms of “evolution”, clearly, we are moving quickly in the traditional parts selling models and adapting to the market trends very well. Four years ago, we purchased a family run business based in Kent called Aceparts, headed up by a real talent called Ben Friedman.

Aceparts is a pure online vehicle parts seller, primarily on eBay and Amazon. The business handles anywhere between 1,500 parcels a day to over 2,000.

The business is totally data driven, all data sourced via their suppliers is deemed base “raw” data, the team then enriches it and creates listings which generate a less than 1% returns rate, where the industry average is between 10-15% normally.

They ship to 51 countries across the globe, hold 265K SKU’s on-line (265K different products for sale) and create a postage bill of nearly 100K per month.

Interesting Fact 1: Aceparts cover on average 2.2 million miles a month via courier shipping across the globe (This excludes UK distribution – all mileage calculated from Kent to EU and international)

Our organisation is now benefiting from Aceparts supplier and buying relationships, Aceparts is part of one of the largest buying Groups in the globe, Group Auto International serves across four continents and 60 countries, partnering only with key parts brands to ensure consistent price and quality to its members and end users.

We have already found Group savings in tyre inflations kits, service packs, braking and consumables.

If you consider the size and scale of Vertu, if we could find 3 or 4 key and consistent products we all buy independently every month and group together for purchasing, Aceparts can source these products, hold them centrally and distribute as and when required whilst providing a meaningful saving to each division and the overall Group’s accounts, it’s worth time to consider where could you save on costs for your business or division?

The team at Aceparts are what is classified as generation Z, the generation born after millennials basically. This team act and function in a different manner, very much into the detail, investigate everything, take nothing for granted and are very, very internet savvy indeed.

Last month they achieved a new record of 900K in one month, their sights are firmly set on £1m turnover in a single month now.

This is the new world parts is moving into, vehicle manufacturers are getting slicker, after-market is moving online and the parts world is evolving into an exciting period.

What’s next?

I recently visited a part manufacturer who showcased product being 4D printed, could this be our reality? Could we end up not holding stock at all? Print parts as and when required for our workshops and customers?

I am unsure, but I know that I have seen huge changes in the parts world over the last 30 years, I no longer own a burgundy dust coat for a start, and if Aceparts is anything to go by, I think we will become a much more tech based business in the future as our customer demands change to a more convenient way to shop.

Vertu is on the journey, fully engaged with the vehicle manufacturers programmes, fully engaged with the ecommerce parts opportunity, this does make parts an exciting place to be in right now and hopefully this has provided you with an insight as to why.

Passion • Respect • Professionalism • Integrity • Recognition • Opportunity • Commitment

Gregor

pfa BRISTOL STREET MOTORS FANs’ player of the month awards

SOPHIE HARRIS

SADIO MANE

MOHAMED SALAH

virgil van dijk

JULIA SIMIC Issue 16 • May 2019

19

We are coming to the end of our second year of the PFA partnership. Since the beginning of the season we have had 472,784 votes, our record month being January 2019 with 106,287 votes.

Highlights from this season…

The award has reached some of the top and most prestigious media outlets such as Sadio Mane’s Premier League win in March reaching BBC Merseyside Sport and Michael Bostwick’s March win being featured in Lincolnshire Live.

Another highlight from the award includes England football legend, Michael Owen who promoted the award on his social handles and sat on February’s panel.

This season was the first year we sponsored the first ever PFA Bristol Street Motors Fans’ Women Player of the Month Awards. In March 2019 the Women’s Super League had a record-breaking month with a total of 8,692 votes cast – the highest number this season, beating September’s record by 2,301 votes.

Thank you to all those dealerships who have got involved in the award, from Bolton Ford promoting voting for their local teams Man City and Man United to Bromley Ford attending December’s winner of the WSL, West Ham United F.C.W.’s Midfielder Julia Simic with a 5ltr West Ham coloured Mustang!

Keep an eye out for our signed premier league football which will be auctioned off on the Bristol Street Motors site.

Voting for the PFA Bristol Street Motors Fans’ Player of the Year Award will open today (24th May). Link here.

top winners this season…

CLUBS 6

Virgil Van Dijk

Mo Salah

Championship Leeds United

3

Pablo Hernandez

Pontus Janson

Championship Norwich City

3

Teemu Pukkj

Emiliano Buendia

Prem League

Liverpool

League One

Portsmouth

3

Jamal Lowe

Gareth Evans

League Two

Lincoln City

4

Michael Bostwick

Bruno Andrade

Sadio Mane Mario Vrancic Tom Pett

Players Prem League

Liverpool

Virgil Van Dijk

2

Prem League

Liverpool

Mo Salah

2

Prem League

Liverpool

Sadio Mane

2

Championship

Leeds United.

Pablo Hernandez

2

League One

Portsmouth.

Jamal Lowe

2

League Two

Lincoln City

Michael Bostwick

2

WSL

Bristol City W.F.C.

Sophie Baggaley

2

WSL

Yeovil Town L.F.C.

Megan Walsh

2

Passion • Respect • Professionalism • Integrity • Recognition • Opportunity • Commitment

Martine Young

George Johnstone

Joe Patton

Went above and beyond to help out a distressed customer when her van broke down whilst driving on a busy road.

Martine did everything in her power to help the customer and make her feel valued.

Thanks Martine!

George is set to take on a year of fundraising events to raise money for Crohn’s & Colitis UK. Most recently, George ran the London Marathon after securing a place at short notice.

You can follow George’s story here. Well done George!

Went the extra mile when his customer was picking up her very first car. Joe made the customer feel special and certainly made it a day to remember! Thanks Joe!

Did you know we fill around 20% of all of our vacancies via Recruitment Referrals? This means that our colleagues are recommending us to their friends and family as a Great Place To Work! You can earn up to £500 for recommending people to join the Group.

Why not take a look at our careers page to see if there are any vacancies in your local area that you could recommend to your friends and family.

REFERRAL SCHEME

HErOES OF VERTU

Service Advisor, BOLTON FORD

SEAT, Service Advisor

Why not have a look to see if your next career move is being advertised. Our careers page is not just for external applicants, we want to make sure that all of our vacancies are available to internal colleagues too.

Sales Exec, newcastle Vauxhall

Click here to see what opportunities are available within the Group.

We’d love to hear your stories, questions and ideas for the next edition of Torque magazine.

Please send to torque@vertumotors.com Issue 16 • May 2019

21

20 questions WITH paul walton 1. Why did you choose to go into the motor trade?

Because it is an exciting industry with a strong focus on people, both customers and colleagues. It is professionally very satisfying to help customers find the ideal car to meet their needs and aspirations.

2. What did you want to be when you were a child?

A footballer.

3. What was your first job and what did it involve?

I played professional football for Hartlepool United, making my first team debut at 16.

However, a knee injury put paid to that career.

4. What does your job involve?

The day-to-day management of the team and the business and ensuring the provision of a great customer experience.

5. What qualities/attributes do you need to do your job?

Attention to detail, being passionate, a desire to be the best, and spending time with and motivating the team.

6. How do you inspire your employees?

By leading by example, being there for colleagues to seek advice, and taking an interest in their work and lives.

7. What trait in other people irritates you the most?

Not being prepared to listen or learn.

CEO WInner general manager of the year pictured here with robert forrester

8. How do you ensure the provision of a quality service?

By setting high standards, monitoring that these are being achieved as well as regularly interacting with the staff.

15. If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking of going into the motor trade what would it be?

Be strong and true to your own values as this helps you make the right decisions.

9. What is the best piece of business advice you have ever received?

Treat everyone as you would like to be treated yourself when it comes to both staff and customers.

16. What is your favourite holiday destination and why?

Barcelona because of its vibrance and culture.

10. And the worst?

It is good to cut corners and try to be cuter than the system.

11. What piece of business advice would you pass on?

Strive to be the best and don’t compare yourself to average.

12. What is your greatest achievement?

The birth of my daughter and winning the General Manager of the Year award with Vertu.

13. What do you like to do in your spare time and why?

I don’t get much spare time as I am a bit of workaholic. I like to spend as much time with my daughter as I can. I also like watching football and cricket and watching films.

14. What would your dream job be?

I don’t know. I love my job and can’t imagine doing anything else.

17. What luxury would you take to a desert island?

An iPhone because I would hate to be cut off from the outside world and could always ring someone to come and rescue me when the novelty of being there and alone wore off.

18. What are your favourite record and book?

The Godfather by Mario Puzo, which is better than the film.

Handbags and Gladrags by Rod Stewart 19. What significant changes have you seen in your profession?

An increase in legislation from the Financial Conduct Authority. The growth of online interaction from enquiries to being able to purchase via the web.

20. Who/what has inspired you the most?

My parents who instilled in me, what I would describe as, old-fashioned values such as working hard and making them proud.

Passion • Respect • Professionalism • Integrity • Recognition • Opportunity • Commitment

Chesterfield Land Rover

Guiseley Farnell Land Rover has unveiled the results of a significant multi-million-pound investment in the Guiseley retailer. The redevelopment has introduced a new workshop and expanded the existing showroom. It now features a dedicated vehicle handover area, barista bar, MOT testing area, four-wheel alignment facility and increased number of technician bays.

Chesterfield Gordon Lamb Land Rover welcomed local MP Toby Perkins as it celebrated a £5.4 million investment in the new ‘ARCH’ concept retailer. The showroom, which has been designed in line with the Jaguar Land Rover ARCH concept and can showcase nine vehicles encompassing every model from the Land Rover range. It features a dedicated vehicle handover area, interactive colour and trim display and brand merchandise area.

PROPERTY UPDATe

Guiseley Land Rover

Slough Mercedes-Benz Following the successful redevelopment of the Service and Aftersales facilities, Slough Mercedes-Benz have bolstered their used car customer journey. The dealership has introduced a 75 used car display, which is part of the Mercedes-Benz brand development in the area.

Issue 16 • May 2019

23

All colleagues were emailed last month about the launch of the Group’s new Drug and Alcohol Policy.

LIMITING THE IMPACT OF DRUGs and alcohol

We chose to produce and publish a clear policy to all colleagues as a result of several instances over recent months where the misuse of drugs or alcohol has had a significant impact on colleagues and on their dealership. A handful of cases involved colleagues losing their jobs as a result of serious instances at work. Striking the balance between supporting colleagues who have addictions and taking action against those who attend work under the influence of drugs and alcohol can be difficult, however, this starts with all colleagues being clear on our policy position. This should help limit the number of occasions that colleagues attend work under the influence of these type of substances.

of those concerned and in some cases on colleagues at work, as well as the obvious impact on the individual themselves.

We acknowledge that there will be colleagues who suffer from genuine addiction issues with alcohol and drugs. We want colleagues to feel they can seek help from the Group in confidence without worry that their job security would be in jeopardy. The policy therefore seeks to explain what support colleagues can expect to receive from the Company, as far as reasonably possible, to protect their employment. The policy also includes information on other support services that are available to colleagues.

Drug and alcohol issues are complex social and health problems that affect many people throughout the UK. The social costs are evident for us all to see and place a significant burden on the NHS, the families and friends

The policy is available on Vertu Central or from your manager.

There is also a short training video on Litmos Heroes we would like all colleagues to watch by the end of June. Please log-in and watch this if you have not found it already.

Click to watch training video on Litmos Heroes.

Click to view policy on Vertu Central.

Any colleague who would like to discuss the policy or would like support can contact the HR team who will be willing to help.

Passion • Respect • Professionalism • Integrity • Recognition • Opportunity • Commitment

20 questions WITH mark gibbings 1. Why did you choose to go into the motor trade?

After my first love for football wasn’t going to make me a living, I decided to pursue another love – Cars!

2. What did you want to be when you were a child?

Professional footballer, there was also a brief time that a Jet Fighter pilot was a consideration.

7. How do you ensure the provision of a quality service?

By being brilliant at the basics.

8. What is the best piece of business advice you have ever received?

My most current is – Success at anything will always come down to focus and effort, and we control both.

9. And the worst?

Greed is good!

3. What was your first job and what did it involve?

A parts advisor within a Honda business, I loved it! Looking after the technicians, retail and trade customers. I can still remember the part number for an oil filter!!!

10. What piece of business advice would you pass on?

Talk is cheap and money buys houses – do what you say!

4. What does your job involve?

Ensuring my team have the tools and support to do their job to the best of their abilities.

11. What is your greatest achievement?

My continuous thirst, hunger and want to be better!!!

5. What qualities/attributes do you need to do your job?

Currently – Resilience, Passion, Focus, Energy and Discipline.

12. What do you like to do in your spare time and why?

Other than spend time with my family – it’s all about improving and training– MMA, BJJ, K1, Muay Thai, Running, Gym. Also, I always have a book on the go – there is so much you can learn through reading.

6. How do you inspire your employees?

I inspire my team by ensuring I communicate, along with a clear set of objectives and a vision for the future, that honesty and integrity is at the forefront of everything we do. By challenging everyone whilst making everyone accountable and empowered to deliver the results required – everyone must feel important and appreciated. I inspire by caring about the team, encouraging fun, happiness and an opportunity to selfdevelop; to ensure failure is not punished, but learnt from – unusual in our industry!

Finally setting the pace – be the change you want!

13. What trait in other people irritates you the most?

When people don’t do what they say they will do. Also, when people use the word disappointed!!

14. What would your dream job be?

Professional Footballer (Top flight), who is also a lead singer of a Rock and Roll band, whilst competing to be the Welterweight UFC Champion.

Market area director mercedes commercial 15. If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking of going into the motor trade what would it be?

Stay focused and work hard, the rewards will come.

16. What is your favourite holiday destination and why?

Anywhere, is not where you are, but who you are there with – and for me that’s my family. That said you can’t beat Orlando!

17. What luxury would you take to a desert island? i-Phone – signal dependent!

18. What are your favourite record and book?

The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses Classic book - Viktor E, Frankl – Man’s Search for Meaning Current favourite book – Charles Duhigg – The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do and how to change.

19. What significant changes have you seen in your profession?

I have seen focus on customer experience increase significantly – and we are still a long way from where we need to be as an industry, we need to set ourselves apart as the consumer has so much access to information. Will ROI (Return on investment) terminology be replaced by ROX (Return on experience) in the future?

20. Who/what has inspired you the most?

What inspires me is making the best and most of every day!

Issue 16 • May 2019

25

share incentive plan Buy shares in the company tax free via payroll.

Contribute as little as little as £10 per month and as much as £150 per month.

Benefit from any increase in the share price of the Company.

Benefit from any dividends paid to share holders Log on to Vertu Rewards to find out more and join

The Vertu Motors PLC Share Incentive Plan (known as the SIP) is a benefit which allows you to invest in the Company in a tax efficient manner by allowing you to purchase shares through payroll before you pay tax on your earnings, thereby reducing the amount of tax you actually pay.

The SIP is available to all permanent colleagues who have completed six months service (including any service with an acquired company). If you already have sufficient service you can join at any time by following this link to Vertu Rewards and looking under the Vertu Benefits menu option.

The SIP scheme operates over a five-year time span and aims to provide an investment opportunity that is linked to the long-term performance of the Group and any rise in its share price. You can then sell your shares tax-free if you stay in the scheme until their 5th anniversary.

COLLEAGUE CAR SCHEME We have a range of great offers available to all our colleagues at fantastic Friends and Family rates.

Simply visit Vertu Rewards or Vertu Central to download an application form, then send it to the participating dealer. The offers will be regularly updated so keep checking this section to see if there’s a car for you!

Top tip on a great app - TED TALKS There are rafts of fascinating talks on a myriad of subjects – some funny, some touching, some mind blowing and all less than 15 minutes.

Some cover directly work-related subjects, most don’t, but they stretch your mind and expose you to new ways of thinking about things.

You can build up a list of talks that sound interesting and then listen to them when you have a spare few minutes – better than the radio.

Also, for pure fun, the best podcast in the world is “No Such Thing As A Fish”. It is presented by 4 researchers for the TV programme QI, and is hilarious.

David Crane Passion • Respect • Professionalism • Integrity • Recognition • Opportunity • Commitment

It’s been a lively few months on social media!

Since the last edition, we’ve reached nearly 9 million people via our social media channels, generating £1,221,639 in conversions (not counting sales from all the walk-ins that resulted in social media posts).

customers / potential customers as possible, by building relationships with our local communities. Social media is the way to do it - and the best part?... It costs you nothing to use it.

Love it or loathe it, social media plays a huge part in the decisions people make about what to buy, and where to buy it from. We must use this to our advantage. We need to make ourselves as accessible to our

So, if you’re not already maximising this opportunity, now is the time to start. The Social Team is here to offer advice and guidance. Contact us at social@vertumotors.com.

live now!

CLICK HERE FOR FACEBOOK ACADEMY

The Vertu Facebook Academy is now live! If you manage your dealership facebook page, visit the Vertu Facebook Academy for video tutorials, tips, advice, inspiration, competitions, downloadable content and leaderboards…

TOP SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS

SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS AND HINTS

1. Publish regular posts! You’re not going to build much of a relationship with your followers if you only publish a post once per month. Two-three times every week should be the minimum.

2. Mix it up! Use video different types of content.

Visit Gloucester Ford for some examples of best practice…

3. Visit the Vertu Facebook Academy regularly!

It’s full of video tutorials, tips, advice, ideas, competitions, downloadable content that can be copy/pasted onto your page, leaderboards and more!

4. Follow your dealership’s facebook page… ‘like’ and/or share their posts.

Issue 16 • May 2019

27

Coming up

1-7 June Volunteers week

June Pride Month

5th June World Environment Day

Does anyone in your dealership volunteer anywhere in their spare time?

If you have lots of different coloured cars in your dealership and want to show support for Pride, get a picture of them all together to represent the Pride rainbow.

Does your dealership do anything with the environment in mind? i.e. no longer using balloons, etc.

Maybe you could use this day as an opportunity to promote EVs.

Use the #pridemonth hashtag to reach more people

Visit the Vertu Facebook Academy for more ideas.

This would be a great way to show followers the people behind the brand.

SOCIAL HEROES These five dealerships are absolutely bossing Facebook!

Go and check out their pages to see how they’re doing it!

Ford Gloucester

Hyundai Bristol

Vertu Specialist Cars Newcastle

Fantastic use of video, and a good mixture of content

A good mixture of content, lots of fun.

Gordon Lamb Land Rover

Vertu Honda Boston

Regular updates, on-brand and the perfect ratio of sales/non-sales posts.

They share their posts in Honda Owners Club facebook groups… great idea! Are there any facebook groups that you could join, and share your dealership posts on?

A great mixture of content… the Meet The Team videos are fantastic.

Passion • Respect • Professionalism • Integrity • Recognition • Opportunity • Commitment