Furrows Group

 

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

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

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.

 

 
Changing rooms at Furrows

A Shropshire motor dealership has smashed so many sales targets with its fastest growing brand that a major restructure of its showrooms is under way,

Furrows of Shrewsbury, in Harlescott Lane, is home to Ford, Kia, Mazda and Skoda vehicles, and despite the Recession, Kia sales are beating all expectations.

Group Sales Manager, Dave Farthing, said: “We’ve been inundated with customers who are keen to buy Kia vehicles, particularly those who are taking advantage of the Government’s scrappage scheme.

“And now, as a result of the interest, we’ve taken the decision to move our Kia range into a larger area of the dealership to accommodate more vehicles in order to meet the demands of our customers.”

Dave said the Kia move would have a knock-on effect as the Skoda range will now move to Furrows of Oswestry.

“Our Skoda sales team will now operate wholly from our Oswestry dealership, where they will be led by Derrick Williams and Dan Edwards, who have extensive knowledge of this exciting vehicle range.

“Servicing for Skoda vehicles will still continue at the workshops at our Shrewsbury dealership, but all sales enquiries will be handled at Oswestry.

“We’re very excited about the opportunities the new move will bring as we’ll be able to concentrate our efforts on building the Skoda brand still further at our purpose-built premises in Whittington Road, Oswestry.

“It will give the Skoda brand more space too, and customers can be reassured of the very highest level of customer service – no matter which Furrows dealership they choose.”

Furrows is a multi-franchise dealer displaying and servicing Ford, Mazda, Kia and Skoda vehicles. As well as Shrewsbury and Oswestry, it has a dealership in Telford.