8th February 2021
Swansway
Group
is delighted to announce that Michael Smyth, Chair and
Founder of Swansway Group, with car and van dealerships located across the
North West and Midlands, has received a coveted Lifetime Achievement Award, in
the
Car
Dealer
Used Car Awards. The award has been given in recognition
of his impressive motor industry achievements, and all the benefits he
continues to deliver to motorists for over half a century - and counting!
From
the purchase of a business comprising two wooden huts for repairing vehicles
and two petrol pumps in 1967, to currently leading a business of over 1,000
staff with a turnover of £770 million, Michael Smyth’s inspiring career in the
automotive industry is remarkable. His ever-present entrepreneurial spirit,
hard work and dedication, combined with his instinctive understanding of the
importance of the customer experience, has led to his consistently outstanding
performance in a variety of enterprises.
Michael’s
previous achievements include:
· Revolutionising the selling of fuel, both in
price and in customer service commitment for petrol stations.
· Identifying the opportunity presented by the
introduction of Toyota to the UK market and establishing RRG Group which became
Europe’s largest Toyota dealer group.
· Founding Elton Vehicle Contacts, a contact hire
and leasing business that grew at a vast rate and is now part of Lex Autolease
and EMaC; an automotive service plan business that allowed drivers to pay
monthly for their vehicle maintenance, making it easier to budget and keep
motoring affordable. EMaC was sold to venture capitalists in 2012 and
continues to be the largest service plan supplier in the UK.
· Creating Swansway Group in 2003 with his three
sons; a multi-award winning, multi-faceted business, encompassing 23
dealerships, an accident repair centre and a contract hire and leasing division,
from Birmingham in the Midlands to Carlisle in the North. Swansway Group
currently represents Volkswagen, Audi, Land Rover, Jaguar, SEAT, CUPRA,
Peugeot, Honda and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, plus 5 Motor Match
non-franchise locations.
The
Michael Smyth “golden touch”, however, is still very much in evidence, and it
always includes customer-led innovation and impressive attention to detail. And
the resulting outcomes are always added value and benefits for customers. He
continues to be hugely influential in making motoring affordable, sustainable
and enjoyable for so many drivers, with many more developments still to come.
Michael
says,
“It
is with great pleasure that I receive the 2020 Car Dealer Used Car Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award, it is a very special moment of recognition for me. Making
a difference to the lives of motorists, and being able to give back to the
communities where we do business, has always been a great privilege, and I am
looking forward to all the further advancements we are aiming to bring to
customers. Thank you to all those memorable individuals who have taken to heart
the Swansway ethos of “caring, honest and proud”, and who have contributed to
our success over the years. I look forward to all we will achieve together in
the future.”
- ENDS-
About Swansway Group
Swansway Group has 23 dealerships and one accident repair
centre, from Birmingham in the Midland to Carlisle in the North. It
represents Volkswagen, Audi, Land Rover, Jaguar, SEAT, CUPRA, Peugeot, Honda
and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, plus operates 5 Motor Match non-franchise
locations.
The family dealer group was founded in 2003 by Michael
Smyth and is now run by him and his three sons.
For
all media enquiries, please contact:
Anna Ling | a.ling@swanswaygarages.com 07557433164