In the midst of the truck company dealer awards season Paccar has announced its dealers of the year both for its Kenworth and DAF brands, but like most events in this time of pandemic, the awards happened in a virtual realm and were livestreamed as part of Paccar’s online annual dealer meeting.
Open to Paccar dealers across Australia and New Zealand, the awards recognise dealer excellence in truck sales, parts sales, finance, and aftersales support.
The awards saw Inland Kenworth DAF Wagga Wagga named as Kenworth Dealer of the Year award for 2020 while Brisbane based Brown and Hurley in Darra was named the 2020 DAF Dealer of the Year.
It was the second time Inland Kenworth has taken the Kenworth accolade while it is the fifth time Brown and Hurley in Darra have been awarded the DAF award since its introduction in 2002.
Inland Kenworth was also named the Cummins Dealer of the Year title for outstanding sales, service and support.
Paccar Australia’s director sales and marketing, Brad May, congratulated Inland Kenworth DAF Wagga Wagga’s dealer principal Cliff Swane and branch manager Brenton McKay, praising their team for their overall excellence in a challenging year for business.
“Inland Kenworth DAF Wagga Wagga are most deserving of this award and their commitment to customer excellence is exemplary.”
“In every facet of the business, the company has provided the market with the highest standards of professionalism, customer service and support, the true hallmark of a leading PACCAR dealer,” Brad said.
“On behalf of PACCAR Australia, I congratulate the dealership on its success and I know it is committed to maintaining its very high standards into the future,” added Brad.
Inland Kenworth DAF Wagga Wagga’s Dealer Principal, Cliff Swane accepted the award on behalf of all his staff.
“Winning such a prestigious award is a real testament to the committed and hardworking team at Wagga Wagga.
“They continue to go the extra mile for our customers and are passionate about the dealership, our products and ensuring customer satisfaction is their primary focus,” Cliff said.
“I would like to thank the team at PACCAR Australia, for continuously providing us with premium quality trucks, parts supply and support.”
Inland Kenworth DAF Wagga Wagga established in 2001, are part of the Inland Truck Centres group, with dealerships also located in Dubbo, Orange and Griffith. Operating since 1968, Inland Truck Centres is a family owned and operated business who have been the choice regional Kenworth dealer for inland New South Wales for over 50 years.
Meanwhile DAF Dealer of the Year award also acknowledges the same areas of excellence for DAF operations as the Kenworth prize with Brown and Hurley again claiming top spot.
The Brown and Hurley Group is still a family owned Australian company and is celebrating 75 years of operation in the Australian transport industry this year.
The group employs more than 400 people across nine branches throughout Queensland and northern New South Wales.
“In a year that was like no other, the dealership continued to exceed their targets across the entire business and offer outstanding service and support to their DAF customers,” remarked Brad May.
Matt Innes, Dealer Principal of Brown and Hurley Kenworth DAF Darra said he was extremely proud of his team for winning the award.
“It was a year that presented us with many challenges and one that won’t be forgotten. To cap off the year with this award is a great result for the whole dealership. It is an honour to have the trophy back on display at the dealership, and just reward for the team who pulled together to make it happen,” said Matt Innes.
“We had a strong focus on improving our market position with the DAF product and last year we exceeded most of our targets. A majority of our DAF business last year was new customers, which is great and something we expect to see more of as more operators get behind the wheel of the awesome new DAF product,” Matt added.
“We cannot achieve these results without the support of PACCAR and the DAF Trucks Australia team. The strong relationship we have forged with them has certainly gone a long way to our success. I would like to thank all of the PACCAR team for their support whilst working in the challenging and restrictive times through COVID.
“Lastly, I would personally like to congratulate my staff for their continued hard work and support towards our dealership across Sales, PacLease, Parts & Service and their belief and commitment to the PACCAR brands, products and services,” he said.
