Four-year rebuild Dave's story

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 442, 30 June 1992, Page 8

Four-year rebuild

Dave's story

"From Grass Verge Motors to a 'proper' saies showroom, office and service workshop in four years," says Wanganui Motors Ohakune branch manager Dave Scott. Four years ago Dave and Angela Scott faced selling their home and moving away from the Waimarino after Reynolds Motors closed. Dave had been saies manager for the company for several years. But Wanganui Motors offered him a job,

where he could sell from Wanganui but stay put in Ohakune. He sold 99 cars in that first year, then in October 1989 John Nation at Skiers' Inn offered him and Wanganui Motors the front lawn of their two houses, next to the dairy in Clyde Street. Plans for developing the site into what's there now started late last year. Work started on the site preparation in February, with the two old cottages pulled down and the

yard developed. John and son Alan Nation added to the development with a new laundromat and professional office. "We badly needed the extra space for car saies and certainly needed a workshop for servicing," said Dave, "so the Nation's proposal was very welcome." Servicing of Waimarino customers' cars was done in rented space at Graham Dixon's workshop in Burns Street. Initially the new

building was to house an office and the workshop, but they quickly found they * could add a three-car n showroom without much extra expense. "So now we've got the showroom, a good sized office, a fourbay workshop with a mezzanine floor for parts." They still have the full technical equipment, knowledge and parts Ji back-up from fjn Wanganui Motors' Wanganui branch. |f "Many modern f A motors need the ]L high-tech analysis »

gear for maintenance, which small country garages can't afford. But we can have any of that equipment up here in no time." Scottbase is linked to Wanganui with three j courier service fk deliveries per day. m This means Wanganui Motors' Hj investment in the expensive car n| computer technology ^ is also better utilised. "We'll be stocking many of the quickmoving parts, and can have deliveries of the lesser-used parts three times a day." Customers buying cars will be better served with the new yard too. "We can have more cars available on the yard, up to 15 now when we could only fit 7-8 before, and we can present them , better. And we'll be J able to talk out of the |j j rain!" The support from | Johnny Nation has Tj been very important. I "He's gone all-out to ^ see this happen."

Dave Scott has been around cars and machinery all his working life. J He started with MacEwens m Machinery when he was 16, 34 years ago, in New Plymouth. They supplied dairy factory plant and agricultural machinery. There he worked in the office k in accounts/cashiering. Sim He met and married the office girl there - Angela. He worked for Europa Oil for four and a half S?fL years in saies and administration. Then he was offered a job m running the service W station in Ohakune '/ for Reynolds Motors (where Ohakune Tyres & Energy Centre is now). He took on this job "just for a couple of years"! r It was there that he I moved into vehicle (L saies and market

gardening machinery saies for Reynolds until 1988. "It's taken us four years to rebuild," said Dave. "And that has been possible by

working with a strong company such as Wanganui Motors and the great support from past customers and friends."