MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The Mossel Bay Advertiser can confirm that the Ford dealership in town will be open for business in early July.
Both the car sales division and the service centre will be opening again at the Ford premises in Voorbaai, on the corner of Mascador and Via Appie streets. The dealership overlooks Louis Fourie Road.
Last month the Advertiser reported that the dealership had closed suddenly and that it was uncertain if it had been sold. But, in an interview with the Mossel Bay Advertiser this week, Gideon Knoetze, who owns the Volkswagen Mossel Bay dealership, confirmed he had applied successfully for the Ford dealership and is now the new owner.
Knoetze assured: "We are doing our utmost to retain as many of the staff who were employed at Ford Mossel Bay as possible."
His highly successful VW dealership has won a number of national awards and his VW new car sales manager, Jaco van der Merwe, has won national sales person of the year more than once. Knoetze has owned VW Mossel Bay for 12 years.
With regards to his application for the Ford dealership, Knoetze said: "It was not an easy process. We worked on the transaction for longer than a year. About two months before we were to take it over, Ford Mossel Bay went awry.
"The position of the dealership was so dire, that Ford SA summarily closed the franchise. Our transaction and all the costs involved were nullified overnight. Ford SA put the dealership on the open market and we were forced to reapply. After an anxious two weeks, we were informed that our application had once again been successful and that it had been among a list of extremely worthy contenders.
"The challenges are large, because we have to build up Ford Mossel Bay from scratch. It is only with the highest service standards that we will achieve this and that is where the advantage lies for our clients.
"We want to give them the best experience in all their dealings with us. We are determined that the Mossel Bay franchise will offer the best Ford client service of all the dealerships in South Africa."
Knoetze's dealer principal at Ford will be Piet Potgieter, who hails from Modimolle in Limpopo. Potgieter has extensive motor industry and franchise experience, having owned Toyota Bredasdorp and Ford Modimolle. He arrived in Great Brak from Modimolle in March this year.
Potgieter said: "I grew up in Modimolle; I come from the countryside. I am accustomed to doing business in rural areas. It is my goal to be visible and active, contributing to the community. I want to provide the highest level of service. That is my priority. The Ford brand is strong, with good products."
In conclusion, Knoetze said: "Our customers can expect world class standards together with warm, solid, countryside values."
Read a previous article: Ford closes
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