- Acquisition means greater efficiencies and ability to service customers throughout region
- Change of ownership effective 1 July, with all of Grey Ford staff offered to stay on
Auckland, 22 June 2020 – As of July 1 Team Hutchinson Ford will acquire the business of Grey Ford which has been operating in Greymouth since 1922 and has most recently (since 2006) been owned and operated by Neil and Ann Smith.
Grey Ford will continue to serve its valued South Island West Coast customers and trade as Grey Ford – providing sales, service and parts support to local customers and leveraging the support of the hub operation in Christchurch.
Structurally Grey Ford will operate as a branch of Team Hutchinson Ford; a model that aligns with Ford’s hub and spoke market representation strategy to drive scale, efficiency and sustainability.
“We are really excited about the opportunity and pleased to confirm that the strong team at Grey Ford will all be offered employment under the new ownership,” said John Hutchinson, Dealer Principal of Team Hutchinson Ford.
Having been work-in-progress for some time, this change in ownership and operating structure is not a consequence of COVID but represents the desired outcome of all stakeholders.
Ford NZ Managing Director Simon Rutherford said he would like to acknowledge the stewardship of the brand in Greymouth under Neil and Ann’s tenure and wish them well for the future.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification; mobility solutions, including self-driving services; and connected services. Ford employs approximately 188,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
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