MOTORING with Jerry Clayton BMW

New Leader At Jerry Clayton BMW

There is a new face at the helm of the Jerry Clayton BMW operation on Lake Road in the heart of Takapuna. Steve Hilson is the new Dealer Principal.
The face may be familiar to many locals however. Steve has previously worked at Jerry Clayton BMW, from 2004 through until 2008. During the four year stint he held various management roles, ending up as Jerry Clayton BMW’s General Sales Manager for the final two years of that period.
“The Shore, and specifically Takapuna, is a great place to work so I am thrilled to be provided with this opportunity to drive the growth of this iconic dealership in such a fantastic environment,” said Steve Hilson. “I do believe my timing is pretty good as well. In the short time I have spent back in the area it is obvious that there is a resurgence happening in and around Takapuna so it will be exciting to be part of this. There are some exciting new businesses in Takapuna – The Department Store being one example – and I am told that more are on their way. They can only be positive for all stakeholders in the area and will help Takapuna to be a destination shopping precinct.”
Steve Hilson left Jerry Clayton BMW in 2008 to travel overseas. He spent two and a half years working as the General Sales Manager for Vines BMW in Guildford in England. Guildford is the county town of Surrey and is situated 40 kms southwest of London.
“I really enjoyed the experience of working in the UK. Working in a market of that size taught me new methods of doing business – specifically around the advancement of CRM (customer relationship) systems and processes. I am keen to apply some of these to improve business at Jerry Clayton BMW.
“I believe it is very important for us to be involved in the community so this will be a strong focus under my leadership. I am very keen that we are involved in supporting local initiatives and events. I see the value of investing in events and functions in order for our team to build relationships with our customers outside of the sales environment.”
Steve Hilson has some firm plans for the way the premium BMW motor vehicle brand is marketed under his watch as well.
“There needs to be a shift more towards selling the virtues of the BMW product rather than selling the price proposition. The UK consumer has a greater understanding and recognition of the concepts relating to ‘efficient dynamics’ and as such see the value in BMW over it’s competitors. The premium sector is not as price driven in the UK as New Zealand.
There are some exciting things happening during 2011 in the new BMW range. The first quarter will see the arrival of the eagerly awaited new BMW X3 20d diesel, the BMW 6-Series Cabriolet, and the new BMW 1-Series is also due to hit New Zealand.
“We are still experiencing plenty of demand for the new BMW X1 in both petrol and diesel variants,” says Steve Hilson. “The new 5-Series, recently awarded New Zealand Motoring Writers’ Guild Car of the Year, is also continuing to attract interest from both existing BMW owners and those seeing the light and moving to BMW. I am absolutely confident that 2011 will see BMW regain market leadership in the premium segment.”

About Jerry Clayton BMW

Jerry Clayton BMW has two sites located on the

North Shore, employing a team of approximately 100 staff between sales, service, parts, vehicle detailing
and administration.
Takapuna Beach – the head office at 445 Lake Road, offering brand new and pre-owned BMW sales, servicing, parts & accessories sales as well as housing the adminstration team. Telephone 488 2000

Wairau Valley - BMW Parts trade centre, located at 9 Silverfield, operates to provide a central trade parts centre for all business to business customers throughout Auckland.

Visit: www.jcbmw.co.nz