EXPO interviews
The word at EXPO... The word at EXPO... The word at EXPO... The word at EXPO... The word at EXPO... The word at EXPO...
PAUL KNIGHT, P&K MOTORCYCLES Tel 01924 450334 Paul Knight runs his Dewsbury based business in Yorkshire unlike any other, but he’s focused on becoming more businesslike in 2013. For nine years he has run an MoT, service
and repair shop, where he also builds the occasional custom bike when he has the time. But the place is more like a social service centre for motorcyclists because Knight is more of a philanthropist than a businessman in the conventional sense. He’d rather spend time teaching groups of motorcyclists the vital importance of fastidious motorcycle maintenance than worrying about where the next pound of profit is coming from. “It’s just that I like bikes, and people need to know what’s happening when
they’re riding them,” he said. “They need to be taught about brakes and head bearings.” Knight refers to himself as a ‘knackler’ – someone who tinkers with machinery. But despite the self-deprecating description he is a dab hand with the spray gun, welder, lathe and milling machine. He can make or repair almost anything. Especially if it’s for one of his custom projects, of which there are three in the pipeline once he’s completed a Ducati 600 project with uprated brakes, wider wheels, keyless ignition and instruments in the tank. MAG will be displaying this machine at various events in 2013. Knight’s strategy for the way ahead in 2013 has been to employ business advisor Sheila Fisher to make P&K Motorcycles more efficient and businesslike. It’s going to be an interesting year.
STEVE OLIVER, MOTOGB Tel 0844 412 8450;
steveoliver@motogb.co.uk
MotoGB got through a largely sales static 2012 as importer of MV Agusta, Benelli, Daelim, Keeway and SYM. Its focus was on upgrading and fine-tuning a new and sophisticated IT system, essential to deliver the high level of back-up and support required by its 160 dealers. “We got hammered by dealers over SYM
parts supply problems at last year’s EXPO, but this year I haven’t had one complaint,” said general manager Steve Oliver. “The problem was SYM has 76,000
parts lines, and with no trading history you never know what parts you need. You could order one of everything. Some would sell in seconds while others would still be on the shelf in ten years’ time. So we teamed up with a European distributor and arranged for parts to be supplied from a warehouse in Belgium [seven to ten-day delivery] while we got some idea of demand and built up our own parts stock. “We also invested heavily in very talented parts staff and a new phone system, which logs all calls and enables us to call back anyone we may have missed. The point is, we’ve taken on board all the complaints and are ever improving our IT system because we want to offer the best possible service to dealers. We’re in this industry for the long haul,” added Oliver, who revealed at EXPO that he was only days away from concluding a deal to add yet another franchise to MotoGB’s growing stable (see separate story in this issue).
CHRIS DOCKERTY, GROUP LLOYD Tel 01768 483784;
chris@lloydlifestyle.com Group Lloyd goes into 2013 with renewed vigour now that chairman Cath Lloyd has assumed overall control following the untimely death of her industry icon husband George last September.
“Cath was always the power behind
the throne, even though she stayed out of the limelight. It’s a case of ‘The King is dead, long live the King’,” affirmed national sales manager Chris Dockerty. “Not many people realised that for the year or so before George died, he was having one day off a week, so our people got used to George not being around and driving everything that happened in the company, as he usually did. “What’s happened since is that more responsibility has been devolved to the
staff. So, for example, our designers will have greater freedom to express their own ideas.
“Cath is determined that the company should become better and stronger than before. She’s been to China twice since Christmas and at EXPO she came by train for two hours just to say thanks to all the staff and didn’t get home until 10pm after being delayed by the weather. “Iain Duffus is now working for us in Ireland and Wayne Kershaw
[previously with Rev’It!] has joined us to drive the clothing side of the business, which is where we see growth in 2013. “Dealers will also notice that we are going to protect our brands far more than in the past, and we’ll tightly control where the brands are available,” added Dockerty, who reported that Group Lloyd turnover for 2012 was up by 27 per cent, helping, to improve gross profit.
ROB HOBSON,
MYCARCHECK.COM Tel 0161 480 4420;
rob.hobson@cdl.co.uk However the prevailing trading conditions are affecting your business, CDL Vehicle Information Services is going into 2013 in a positive frame of mind, thanks to the launch of its new motorcycle data service now being offered to the motorcycle trade. Exhibiting at EXPO for the first time under the banner of
mycarcheck.com, the trade package will soon mean that dealers can source all relevant information, vehicle provenance, values and finance checks through one single click of a mouse, the first time such a wealth of information has been available from a single source. And what’s more, the system has been put together by top motorcycle industry statistician Rob Hobson, the man who founded and ran The Green Book for 14 years. The new trade system was launched at a show promo price of £99.99 plus
VAT but this is set to rise to an annual subscription of £249.99 plus VAT, and further still once the facility to check finance history is added in a few months time. Information is updated monthly using data supplied by the DVLA. The system carries information on 2500 bike and scooter makes and models and year derivatives imported since 1995. “The mycarcheck system available to the general public did 2.2 million checks
for private owners last year. There’s always a demand for this kind of service and by launching into the motorcycle trade we aim to make it the benchmark for Vehicle Registration Mark look-ups, “said Hobson.
44 MARCH 2013
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