One of this year’s most hotly contested categories, the winner of Large Factor of the Year award was GMF Motor Factors.
Started 20 years ago in Neath, the chain has grown as a member of the Parts Alliance and now thrives in South Wales, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire despite strong competition.
With a total workforce of 200 people spread over 14 branches and a head office, the factor prides itself on quality service and above-average staff retention.
Sales and Marketing Director Wyn Jones (pictured with Marketing Manager Helen Joseph) said: “It’s a morale booster in the company. The team recognise that their peers in the industry have voted for them and the timing is fantastic as we are currently celebrating our 20th anniversary.
“Even though we are a part of a venture capital,
we have still kept the independent spirit as well as our identity and beliefs.”
As anybody involved in factoring will tell you, it is a fast-moving and often cut-throat business to be involved in. Despite this, Jones puts GMF’s success down to some distinctly old-fasioned values. “It’s all about staff and service. People buy from people. If you look at our own lives, I’ll go to the same pub because I like the beer and the ambiance, but I have to walk past three pubs to get there. There are two similar restaurants in my town, but I’ll always choose one over the other because when I go in there, the staff treat me like a million dollars. Because of our low turnover of staff, we have a consistency when people ring up compared with our competitors, who seem to have a much higher turnover rate.”
The chain has plans to expand further, with a branch in Haverford West scheduled to open the shutters at the start of June and other as-yet-unnamed locations slated for later in the year.
Can GMF hold on to the crown next year? We’ll have to wait and see.
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