Furrows Group

Maya’s in the driving seat

Picture:  Maya Kuhl, from Shrewsbury, collects the keys to the Kia Picanto from Furrows

A Shropshire student got more than she bargained for when she visited this year’s Shrewsbury Flower Show.

Maya Kuhl, who is a student at Bristol University, has won a Kia Picanto car - despite the fact that she can’t yet drive!

She scooped the lucky prize in a raffle organised by Furrows of Shrewsbury, (the local Kia dealership), the Shrewsbury Flower Show committee, and Kia Motors UK.

“I just can’t believe that I’ve won the draw, and it’s a great incentive to start taking driving lessons as soon as I possibly can,” said Maya.

“The Picanto is such a lovely car, and just the right size for anyone learning to drive - I’m overwhelmed and so excited about taking to the road and making the most of this opportunity.

“It will certainly make it much easier to come back home to Shrewsbury from university.”

Dave Farthing, Group Sales Manager at Furrows, said: “We were delighted that Maya won the top prize, and she will now get the chance to enjoy everything the very latest Picanto has to offer.

“As part of her prize, Furrows will also provide the first annual service free of charge, and we’re looking forward to supporting Maya in her quest to learn to drive.”

Dave said the Kia Picanto may be small on the outside, but extremely spacious on the inside, and was the winner of “Which?” magazine’s Most Reliable Car Award.

“It has received great reviews for its high specification, its impressive safety features, and the fact that it comes with a CD and MP3 player, which has proved particularly popular with many of our customers.”

Two new Fiestas for local driving school

Picture:  David Prince (left) and Steve Mullens from One Driving take delivery of their Ford Fiestas

A Shropshire driving school has taken delivery of two new Ford Fiestas from a motor dealer on its doorstep.

One Driving is an independent driving school set up five years ago to provide lessons to learner drivers in Shrewsbury and the surrounding areas.

Jointly owned by Steve Mullens and David Prince, the driving school has taken delivery of its latest vehicles from the Furrows dealership in Harlescott Lane, in Shrewsbury.

“Furrows supplied our previous vehicles too, and the Fiesta has been a great success for us,” said David.

“They are extremely popular with our pupils, and we have been impressed with their economy, reliability, and the back-up provided by Furrows.”

Steve said they had purchased the new vehicles as they wanted to celebrate their ongoing success.

“In a crowded market, we continue to do well, and have raised our pass rate. We get a considerable amount of business as a result of recommendations, and often teach more than one member of the same family to drive.”

Retail and Business Fleet Specialist Adrian Brand, from Furrows, said: “We are very pleased to have such a positive ongoing relationship with One Driving, and we’re delighted the Ford Fiestas have been so successful for them.

“It’s always excellent to build strong business contacts in the local community, and we look forward to working with One Driving again in the future.”

 

Kathy takes to the skies

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Picture:  Kathy Jones - a sales administrator from Furrows in Telford who took part in a charity skydive

A Telford sales administrator joined forces with friends to take to the skies and raise vital charity cash.

Kathy Jones, who works for Furrows in Telford, took part in a tandem sky dive at Hibaldstow Airfield, in Lincoln, to raise money for the Help for Heroes charity.

“There were five of us from Telford who took part, and as a group we have raised about £2,200, so we’re very grateful for all the support we received.”

Kathy said she decided to take part as she went to school with Damian Davies - the Shropshire marine who was killed serving in Afghanistan.

The 27-year-old was a member of the Commando Logistic Regiment, and was one of three marines killed in a suspected suicide bomb attack.

Another of the group’s friends also lost both his legs in an explosion last year.

“I have always wanted to do a skydive, so this was the perfect opportunity to take up the challenge and to raise some money for a good cause at the same time.”

Kathy was joined in her challenge by Joanne Swales, Rachel Swales, Nadine Weston, and Dean Westwood, who are all from Telford.

Karen wins a Kia

 Pic: Mark Cope, from Furrows of Shrewsbury, presents competition winner Karen Wilson with the keys to her Kia Venga

A Shropshire motorist is celebrating after winning a brand new car thanks to a national magazine.

Karen Wilson, of Wellington, is now the proud owner of a Kia Venga following the competition in OK! Magazine, and she visited local Kia dealer Furrows of Shrewsbury to collect it.

Adrian Brand, Kia Sales Executive at the Harlescott Lane dealership, said it had been a very exciting time for the entire Kia team.

“The magazine asked readers to visit their local Kia showroom taking along a special Kia card from the latest issue which contained a lucky number.

“Each reader then registered their details and their number on our computer system to find out if they were a winner.

“It was a great moment when Karen realised she had actually won one of the seven Vengas available, and a real highlight for our staff too.”

The magazine gave away six Kia Vengas through local motor dealers, and one in a grand finale prize draw.

“The Venga is Kia’s very latest model and is already proving extremely popular with Furrows customers as it gives the nimbleness and economical running costs of a super mini, combined with the space and practicality of a much larger car,” said Adrian.

It comes with Kia’s renowned seven-year warranty as standard and is available with 1.4 petrol or diesel engines, or as a 1.6 petrol automatic.

The standard model also has six air bags, air conditioning, electric windows, and remote control locking as standard.

 

Andy clocks up a milestone

Pic: Andy Smith is celebrating a successful first year at Furrows of Telford

A Shropshire motor dealer’s newest recruit is celebrating a successful first 12 months in the job.

Andy Smith, from Admaston, is a Kia Sales Executive at Furrows of Telford, in Haybridge Road, Wellington, and has reached his first anniversary with the company.

Dealership Sales Manager Antony Frost said: “We’ve been extremely impressed with Andy’s performance in the past 12 months, and he’s beaten all the sales targets we have set for him.

“This is a real achievement given the current economic climate, and we’re very pleased with the way he’s settled into the team.”

Andy has previously worked for another local motor dealer, and for HM Revenue and Customs.

“I wanted to find a career, rather than just a job, and I was looking for a challenge to get stuck into with real goals to work towards, which is exactly what the Furrows Group offered.

“It’s been exciting to see how Kia is increasing in popularity with local customers, and the brand really is exceeding all our expectations.”

Andy said he had particularly enjoyed working in the purpose-built Kia showroom at the Telford dealership, with plenty of space to display the entire Kia range.

“I’ve also been closely involved in promoting Kia at shows across the county, including displays in Telford Town Centre, and working with local businesses to help raise the profile of the range at every opportunity.”

 

Top performers at Furrows

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Pic: Dave Griffiths who has been appointed as the Mazda Performance Specialist at Furrows of Telford

  Shropshire sports car fans will have their very own expert on the doorstep after a Telford dealership received special accreditation.  

Furrows has been selected as the only approved Mazda sports specialist dealer in the area, and the team is delighted with the news.  

Group Sales Manager, Dave Farthing, said: “It’s a great honour to be the only approved sports dealer locally, and it’s testimony to our success with the overall Mazda brand.” The Mazda Performance Series includes the MX-5, the RX-8, the Mazda 6 MPS, and the Mazda 3 MPS.  

The range upholds Mazda’s excellent standards in style and driveability, but with the added thrill of a high performance engine that takes the cars to the next level, delivering an even more exhilarating driving experience.  

And to make sure customers receive the very highest level of service when they enquire about the Performance range, Furrows Sales Executive Dave Griffiths, who is based at the Telford dealership, has been nominated as the company’s dedicated specialist.  

He said: “Customers who are interested in buying cars like this already have a good knowledge of vehicles in general, but they want to know things in more detail such as how the car handles, and its performance capabilities.”  

“I have been with Furrows for almost three years and have already worked my way through general sales training, before receiving additional Mazda training on the Performance Series.”  

“This is to make sure I have the facts and figures at my fingertips to help our customers choose the very best car for them, and I’m thoroughly enjoying the challenge of my new role.”    

 

 

Marking a Mazda milestone

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Pic: Mazda Sales Specialists  Lindsey Rudd (left) and Andrew Morton with a new 20th anniversary Mazda MX-5 and the 10-yr-old version at Furrows of Shrewsbury

Shropshire motorists are helping an iconic sports car to mark its 20th anniversary in style.

The Mazda MX-5 is celebrating 20 years of success, and Furrows of Shrewsbury has taken delivery of a very special model.

Sales Manager, Keith Pyatt, said: “Our customers have always loved the
MX-5, and we have some incredibly loyal Mazda fans who return to us year after year to update their vehicles.

“To mark the 20th year milestone, Mazda have released a new anniversary model that’s certainly creating a great deal of interest.”

The new model features air conditioning, as well as a whole range of other features to celebrate two decades of this class-leading car.

And it’s not just the new version that’s proving popular – one Shrewsbury customer traded in their 10-year-old MX-5 for the latest model, and the older car was also sold within hours of arriving at the dealership.

“The 10-year-old car had 36,000 miles on the clock and came in part exchange against a new MX-5, and its sale within hours is testimony to the desirability of the car,” said Keith.

He also said today’s new model MX-5 was generating even more interest as it is actually on sale at a cheaper price than when the 10-yr-old model was sold new.

“This shows that Mazda is making their vehicles accessible to an ever wider range of customers, and people who may have believed such a car was out of their reach will now be very surprised.”

 

New commercial team at Furrows

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 Pic: Tony Mellish launches the new commercial sales showroom at Furrows of Shrewsbury

Companies across Shropshire can now take advantage of a new specialist commercial vehicles team at a local dealership.

The new sales department has been launched at Furrows of Shrewsbury, in Harlescott Lane, and it’s the first time a commercial vehicles show room has been unveiled on the site.

Bob Price, Ford Commercial Sales Manager at Furrows, said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer our commercial customers the chance to see the very latest vehicles, right on their doorstep.

“The new showroom is already proving extremely popular, and our team will be visiting local companies in the Shrewsbury area to promote the new department.”

Customers will be able to see the whole Ford range at the dealership, including the Fiesta van, Connect van, Ranger pick-up truck, and the Transit – which celebrates 45 years as Britain’s best selling van this summer.

To run the new showroom, Tony Mellish has joined the Furrows team, and he has wide-ranging knowledge and experience in the motor trade, including a full understanding of the regulations on tachographs and driving hours.

“I’m very pleased to be launching the new commercial sales department at Shrewsbury, and it’s a great challenge, but one I’m really looking forward to,” said Tony.

“Now we have a model of each vehicle in the Ford range on show, potential customers can see exactly what they’re getting.

“And we’ll also be visiting local companies at their premises to help them find the right vehicle to suit their needs.”

At Furrows of Shrewsbury, used commercial vehicles are available too, and the company also has a four-strong commercial sales team at its Telford dealership.

 

Dan does well at Furrows

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Pic: Dan Spawart from Furrows of Shrewsbury

A Shrewsbury man’s career in the motor industry is going from strength to strength at a local dealership.

Dan Spawart, who was born and bred in the county town, works in the Ford sales team at the Furrows dealership in Harlescott Lane.

And he has now completed his NVQ Level 3 in automotive sales after training alongside his daily duties.

Sales Manager, Keith Pyatt, said: “We’re very pleased with Dan’s progress and delighted that he’s achieved such an excellent qualification.

“He has worked extremely hard to continue his training alongside his day-to-day job, and his commitment and dedication has really paid off.

“At Furrows, we are keen to encourage all our sales staff to develop their skills on an ongoing basis, so that our customers can be reassured they are dealing with a team that knows the industry inside out.”

Dan said: “I’m very grateful for the support I’ve received from everyone at Furrows during my training, and I’m really enjoying my role in the sales team.

“It’s been extremely useful to put my training into practice in my day job while studying at the same time, and the course has been invaluable.”

As well as Ford, Furrows of Shrewsbury is home to Kia and Mazda vehicles, and the Skoda sales team operates wholly from its Oswestry dealership.

The Furrows Group also has a dealership in Telford, and as a multi-franchise dealer it displays and services Ford, Mazda, Kia and Skoda vehicles.

 

A Shropshire motor dealer has been named as one of the very best in the UK.

Furrows has been nominated in the 2009 Skoda Retailer of the Year Award, thanks to its Oswestry-based sales, service and parts team.

They are one of nine nominees for the award out of a total of 160 Skoda dealers across the UK.

General Sales Manager Derrick Williams, from the Whittington Road dealership, will now represent the company at a conference in Prague when the results will be announced.

He said: “The awards are given based on each dealership’s performance against sales objectives set by Skoda, and on all aspects of the service and parts business, so we’re very pleased to have been nominated.

Derrick said the Furrows of Oswestry team were specialists in the Skoda range, and had achieved incredible sales figures since the Skoda showroom was opened on the site.

The Furrows Skoda team operates wholly from the Oswestry dealership, offering customers a complete Skoda sales and after-sales experience.

“Our success so far in this year’s Skoda awards has inspired everyone to aim for even bigger and better things, so we’ll be striving to keep up the good work,” said Derrick.

Furrows is a multi-franchise dealer displaying and servicing Ford and Skoda at Oswestry, and Ford, Mazda and Kia in Shrewsbury and Telford.

 

In the pink at Furrows

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 Pic: Staff from Furrows of Oswestry who took part in the Wear It Pink Day event

Staff at a Shropshire motor dealership are certainly in the pink when it comes to charity fund raising.The team from Furrows of Oswestry, in Whittington Road, supported the national “Wear It Pink” Day in aid of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, and raised around £70.

General Sales Manager, Derrick Williams, said: “As part of Breast Cancer Awareness month, staff member Shirley Austin suggested we should do something that would help raise crucial funds.

“So the entire dealership came to work wearing something pink - and some of the outfits were more daring than others!”The Furrows of Oswestry team is committed to supporting local causes, and has played a key role in backing many charity efforts over the years.”As a local company, we believe it’s important to led our support to local causes where we can, and it’s a great feeling to be able to give something back to the community,” said Derrick.

 

 Yeti on the loose in Oswestry

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Pic: The mysterious “Yeti” during its visit to Furrows of Oswestry

Motorists in Oswestry had a real shock when they spotted a mysterious creature in the town.

The infamous Yeti paid a visit to the Furrows dealership in Whittington Road to help launch its namesake – the Skoda Yeti.General Sales Manager Derrick Williams said the visitor caused a real stir with customers and brought a smile to many people’s faces.

 “It was a really fun way to launch Skoda’s latest model, and we’re sure it was a real talking point in the town.”

 The Skoda Yeti has already been hailed in the motor industry trade press as “one of Skoda’s best models yet”, and Shropshire motorists have also given it a warm welcome.“It really does combine all the benefits of a 4×4 with the practicality and drive of a family hatchback, striking a perfect balance,” said Derrick.

“Our customers have been impressed with the leg room and the generous head room, and thanks to the high ride height, it really does mean passengers can travel in style.

“And if drivers are keen to try out its skills off the beaten track, it transforms at the mere touch of a button into a confident and comfortable off road vehicle using the very latest 4×4 technology.”

Available in two and four-wheel drive models, the Skoda Yeti comes with a diesel or petrol engine, Varioflex seating and a generously-sized boot.

“We’re hoping the residents of Oswestry will be on the lookout for the mysterious Yeti now it’s decided to visit our town, and the Skoda Yeti looks set to be a real attraction in its own right.”
  

 

VIP visits Furrows of Shrewsbury

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Staff at a Shropshire motor dealership welcomed one of the highest profile figures in the industry to their new-look showrooms.

Michael Cole has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Kia UK, and visited Furrows of Shrewsbury to officially unveil their newest display area.

It was his first visit to Furrows, and one of his first in the Midlands, so staff were particularly pleased to see him.

Group Sales Manager, Dave Farthing, said: “We have smashed so many sales targets with Kia that we needed to carry out a major restructure of our showrooms in Harlescott Lane.

“We’ve been inundated with customers who are keen to buy Kia models, and so we’ve taken the decision to move our Kia range into a larger area of the dealership to accommodate more vehicles.

“Mr Cole was so impressed when he heard about our sales figures, which for this quarter are double the targets we were set, that he decided to come along and visit our dealership to see it for himself.

“We’re very proud that he has chosen Furrows for one of his first dealership visits in his new role, and he was very pleased to see how the Kia range has been received in Shropshire.

“And with the extension of the scrappage scheme, we’re confident we can continue to achieve these excellent results.”

During his visit, Mr Cole also attended the national conference for Kia dealers which was held at the International Centre, in Telford.

“Over 100 Kia dealers attended the conference, and it was a great spectacle with all dealers driving away at the end of the event in the latest model 5-door Kia C’eed, all in the same bright red colour,” said Dave.

As well as Kia, Furrows of Shrewsbury is home to Ford and Mazda vehicles – its Skoda sales team now operates wholly from its Oswestry dealership as a result of the showroom restructure.

The Furrows Group also has a dealership in Telford, and as a multi-franchise dealer it displays and services Ford, Mazda, Kia and Skoda  vehicles.

 

Motor traders pound the streets for charity pounds

Pic: Antony Frost (left) and Dave Farthing, from Furrows of Telford, prepare for the Great North Run

Two intrepid Shropshire motor traders are preparing for the biggest challenge of their lives to help raise cash for a local charity.

Dave Farthing and Antony Frost, who work for Furrows, have set themselves the task of completing the Great North Run, on September 20, in aid of the Severn Hospice.

Group Sales Manager, Dave, said they were looking forward to the half marathon, but they were also feeling nervous about how the challenge would go.

“We’ve been training hard since January, but anyone who knows us will be fully aware that we’re not the most athletic of people, so it really is a huge task for both of us.

“It will be our first ever half marathon, and we’ve never done anything like this in the past, so the nerves are now starting to jangle as the date approaches.”

Antony, who is the Sales Manager at Furrows of Telford, said: “Thanks to our regular training sessions, our pace is now very similar, and we are planning to run the course side by side.

“Our aim is to finish the whole 13.1 mile course and raise as much money as possible for the hospice, which provides vital support for families across the Shropshire area.”

Dave and Antony are looking for sponsors to help raise funds and donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/dave-ants-run or contact them at Furrows of Telford, in Haybridge Road, Wellington.