The Ateco Group, Australia and New Zealand’s largest locally based independent car importer, will build a new core business around Chinese brands while developing its link with European and, for the first time, American brands to strengthen its position and boost its profitability in the coming decade.
“Ateco has never been wedded to one particular business type or plan,” said group chairman Neville Crichton.
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The company has continuously evolved and changed, seeking out new business opportunities and developing brands that have previously not succeeded in this market.
“A decade ago, when we started our Chinese programme, it would have seemed almost laughable to some people that it would become the core of our business, but our foresight means that Ateco is not only the first company to bring Chinese brands to Australia, we are also still the only company to have successfully marketed them right across Australia and New Zealand and there is no doubt now that the Chinese market is the way of the future.”
At the same time as preparing and launching the mass market, value for money Chery and Great Wall brands, which will be joined later this year by Foton trucks, European Automotive Imports has worked at the other end of the market to dramatically boost sales and lift customer satisfaction for Ferrari and Maserati and also taken on Lotus.
From 1 May it will handle the Fiat Chrysler range of brands in New Zealand with its latest company, Fiat Chrysler New Zealand, a joint venture with Australian businessman Clyde Campbell.
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By GlobalDataAteco has previously relaunched Alfa Romeo and Fiat in Australia after the company withdrew from the local market, unable to make a success of them, and, 10 years later, relinquished them during the world wide amalgamation of the Fiat and Chrysler groups.
Ateco took over Citroen at its lowest ebb in an 85 year Australian history, produced a 10-fold increase in sales, and introduced Citroen vehicles never seen before in Australia until this year when the parent company merged the brand with Peugeot.
During its history Ateco has also carried out the same process with Volkswagen, Audi, Suzuki and Kia.
It is fair to say that every car brand that has been distributed by Ateco has seen profits and sales increase and when they have left Ateco’s care they have done so in better health,” claimed Crichton.
“Indeed, in some cases it has taken a number of years for the new custodians of the brands to match the sales and profitability achieved by Ateco.”
The company reckons its success is driven by a focus on sales and profitability, rather than on a particular brand, market sector, source country or business plan.
“The car industry has probably never been in such a significant period of change as it is now,” said Crichton. “With annual sales now in excess of 20m, the Chinese market simply dominates world car industry planning. From this point forward, every new car will be designed with China in mind and cars built in China will become an unstoppable wave that will reach every corner of the world. Ateco is not only prepared for these changes, it will be a major participant.”
