Sponsored: Celebrating 85 years at MS Ford Nelson
Celebrating 85 years at MS Ford Nelson. Photo: Supplied.
Committed to providing exceptional service to its clients, MS Ford Nelson’s reputation in the region has long been admired. The team are cracking the champagne bottle on 85 years and say the success of the business can be attributed to a number of factors, including the quality of their product and services, and their experienced and knowledgeable staff for over eight decades.
Established in 1938 by Dick Stevenson and Bob McKegg, the business initially traded from a Victoria Ave site, and quickly flourished from its humble beginnings growing to incorporate the addition of a site on Halifax Street and a Richmond dealership later in the piece, in 1965. Dick Stevenson bought out Bob McKegg’s shares in 1957, after which three generations of Stevenson’s led the company forward. The Stevenson family was active in the business since 1938, initially with Dick, before his son Bernie became managing director for many years, prior to grandson Rob taking over the reins. The Ford brand has always been their only franchise.
The business was sold in 1998 with Colonial Motor Company buying the trading company, plant and stock of MS Motors Ltd. Set up as MS Ford (1998) Ltd, John Flanagan was appointed Chief Executive. The company was located in Halifax St but was relocated to Haven Rd in 1998. To make the business more effective, John Flanagan set up outlying service points together with fuel. BP agreed to lease service station sites to MS Ford at Haven Rd, Richmond, Washington Road and Blenheim. A vehicle sales and a specialised service operated from the Haven Rd dealership, next to one of the BP operations.
Customer service has long been the driving force for the business, with standards and training high on the list of priorities. With this, the dealership has been awarded Ford’s highest acknowledgment, the President’s award multiple times. Dealer principal, Alan Kirby has been at the helm since 2007 and says MS Ford Nelson has seen many changes since its inception, not only growing considerably in size, but also with the leaps in technology that is used in the automotive industry. However, one thing has remained the same - their commitment to providing quality products and services to their customers.
Reflecting this commitment to their customer, MS Ford have established Ford approved servicing in Richmond (Richmond Service Lane) and Motueka (MS Service) to improve their service offering and enhance customers Ford experience. In addition to selling Ford vehicles, MS Ford Nelson also own two Bridgestone retail shops, one in Richmond and the other in Motueka.
“We have had so many special moments over the years,” says Alan. “We have a reputation for developing our staff and just the other month one of our young female apprentice technicians completed her apprenticeship training early by really applying herself. This is a great omen for the future of our business when we have such great young people coming through!”
“A business highlight was the launch of the all new PX1 Ranger series in 2011. It was such a step forward. It led to the Ranger series being NZ’s top selling ute and overall vehicle for the past few years. This was truly a game changer for our business!”
The business currently employs 39 staff, many of whom have been with the company for over five years. The team at MS Ford Nelson does not compromise on customer satisfaction with Alan saying, “They are always willing to go the extra mile to ensure that customers are happy with their purchase or service.” Keeping up with an ever-evolving industry can seem daunting for some, but this is exactly what continues to drive the team's passion for the business. “There’s so many changes in the vehicle scene, so much new technology and interesting new ways of looking at things.”
Continued supporters of the region especially Nelson Tasman Hospice, and our wider community, Alan conveys that MS Ford Nelson would like to thank all of their customers for their returned ongoing support over the past 85 years. “Nelson is such a friendly place, and we are honoured to have enjoyed good community support. This was never more obvious than when our Service Department burnt down in 2020. We had so many offers of help from the community, even our competitors. It meant a lot to me and the team.”
Looking forward to the future of the business, Alan says, Ford has always been a major player and that will continue. “Ford have some amazing new products, mostly electric, here now and coming through in the near future. As a Ford Dealer that can only be good for us!”
In celebration of their 85th Anniversary, MS Ford are offering fantastic deals on new and used vehicles throughout the month of August. In addition, every vehicle purchased qualifies an entry into a $5,000 travel voucher draw, and any retail service or retail repair gets a chance to win one of two $1,000 travel voucher draws. Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.msford.co.nz to learn more.