West End Mazda is Australia’s oldest Mazda dealership. Established in 1963 in North Parramatta, Sydney, it’s still going strong today. The dealership has been named the number one dealer in New South Wales for new vehicle sales for the past 14 years, and was number one in Australia in 2012. The dealership has won numerous awards, including 16 Mazda Master Dealer awards, the latest in 2014, and prides itself on ensuring the best possible experience for customers who walk into the showroom, browse their website, or call the dealership. This, according to Managing Director Terry Dodd, is partly what has helped West End Mazda increase its sales by large margins over the past 20 years, and helped it expand its dealership further, acquiring another Mazda dealership in Blacktown in 1998.
Terry, who started working at West End Mazda in 1986, believed in the business so much he purchased it from the founder and original owner in 1995. Since then, Terry has continued to grow West End Mazda year on year, while staying true to the history of the company. The CEO Magazine spoke to Terry about being a great leader, the dealerships success, and what he sees for the future of the industry.
The CEO Magazine: In the 29 years you have been with the company, what are some of your proudest moments?
Terry: Probably one of the greatest highlights for me was when my wife and I bought the business in 1995 and became the owners. The business was established in 1963 by a fellow by the name of Bill Fisher. The business has had only two owners in the 52 years it has been going, which has been Bill and ourselves, our family. That was a proud moment. I came on with Bill and joined the business in 1986; I started the buy-in in 1989 and completed the buyout of West End Mazda in 1995.
What have been some of the major changes since you bought the business?
In 1995 when we took it over, we were selling about 600 new Mazda’s a year. We had about 35 staff and we were turning over about $36 million. As of last year, we had 132 staff and we turned over around $160 million. W’eve had big growth, partly because Mazda’s been a great franchise; and after a bit of a lull in their product cycle from 1995 to 2001, when Mazda launched its Zoom Zoom product cycle, business has been fantastic for us and we have reinvested and grown our business along with Mazda.
