Ferrari-Maserati Sydney - new owner

MASERATI EXPANDS IN SYDNEY WITH THE MCCARROLL’S GROUP

The McCarroll’s Automotive Group, one of New South Wales leading automotive retailers with 12 dealerships across the state, has acquired its second Maserati dealership with the purchase of the Waterloo-based Ferrari Maserati Sydney business.

This exciting acquisition complements McCarroll’s Maserati which opened last year in Artarmon on Sydney’s North Shore.

Ferrari Maserati Sydney was opened in 2010 by Maserati’s Australian and New Zealand distributor European Automotive Imports (EAI) in an all-new $32 million facility at the junction of Bourke and Elizabeth Streets. The landmark site is at thenorthern edge of the new Green Square business development district located between Sydney’s City Centre and the airport as well as being convenient for the city’s eastern suburbs.

“This is a unique and exciting opportunity for the McCarroll’s Automotive Group,” says Simon McCarroll, Dealer Principal.“Ferrari Maserati Sydney has done a remarkable job with Maserati over the past five years. It has combined sales growth with exceptional levels of customer service in a superb facility. We plan to build on this expertise and, combined with ourNorth Shore Maserati business, bring the exclusive Maserati experience to a wider audience in Sydney and across New South Wales. For our family company it is a real honour to be the sole representative of this legendary company in Australia’s largest city.”

Following the launch of Maserati’s new model range, starting with the Quattroporte in 2013 and further boosted by the Ghibli last year, Australian sales grew by nearly 200 per cent in 2014 and there will be further significant growth with theaddition of the Levante SUV next year. To meet the challenge of this growth, Australian importer EAI has substantiallygrown its dealer group, with new dealerships in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, as well as an expansion of the existing dealerships.

“The purchase of Ferrari Maserati Sydney by the McCarroll’s Automotive Group is part of our national plan to lift investment in Maserati at the retail level so as to ensure that the quality of exclusive customer service enjoyed by Maserati owners is enhanced at the same time as sales grow,” says Glen Sealey, Chief Operating Officer of Maserati Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. “We were delighted when a company with the reputation and calibre of the McCarroll’s Automotive Group joined us last year on Sydney’s North Shore. Their purchase of Ferrari Maserati Sydney further confirms their dedication and commitment to Maserati along with their belief in Maserati’s strong future in Sydney and around the world.”


Editor’s background notes:
- The facility at the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth Streets will continue to be owned by the Ateco Group, which will lease the dealership section of the building to the McCarroll’s Automotive Group.
- The Ateco Group’s companies based at the site, Ateco Automotive Pty Ltd and European Automotive Imports, will continue to be based at the same site in the existing office facility on the top level of the building.
- As part of taking over the distribution of the Maserati brand for Australia and New Zealand in 2005, the Ateco Group also assumed control of the Sydney retail business for both brands. Initially this was done by Italia Motori in William Street until a permanent site could be acquired and a new facility built, which became Ferrari Maserat iSydney in 2010.
- Although the Ateco Group and EAI have a number a retail businesses that complement its core business of wholesale vehicle distribution and its business plan is for these retail businesses to also be brands of which it is the national distributor. EAI no longer distributes one of the two Ferrari Maserati Sydney brands.
- In addition to the new dealership in Waterloo, McCarroll’s have dealerships in:

• Chatswood
• Newcastle
• Artarmon
• Hornsby
• Waitara
• And the company started in Cooma




About the McCarroll’s Group
McCarroll's is a family owned and operated business that has been serving customers since opening its first Ford dealership in Cooma in 1978.

In the 35 years since, it has developed a reputation for building strong relationships with is customers, delivering excellent performance for its manufacturers andplaying an Active role in its local community. The McCarroll’s philosophy is to “treat every customer as you would a guest in your own home”.

This reputation has seen its business grow to a position where it now represents some of the world's leading automotive brands on Sydney's North Shore and in the Hunter Region.



About European Automotive Imports

European Automotive Imports (EAI), trading as Maserati Australia and New Zealand, was appointed as the distributor of Maserati, its products and services in Australia and New Zealand in 2005, starting operations on 1 October that year, initially from offices in the Sydney suburb of Homebush before moving, in 2010 to its present offices in Waterloo. The company also took over the New South Wales retail Maserati representation from 1 October 2005, initially as Italia Motori until the completion of the new facility in Waterloo as both home to EAI and the new dealership, Ferrari Maserati Sydney, which opened its doors in 2010. From 2013EAI has also controlled the Maserati retail outlet ‘Maserati Auckland’ in New Zealand. In addition to offices for EAI Maserati dedicated showroom and workshop facilities, the Waterloo facility also provides a state of the art training facility for both technical and sales training. EAI has a fully computerised parts facility in Sydney to ensure fast and efficient distribution of parts and accessories.

In 2015 EAI was appointed as distributor for Maserati in South Africa along with running the retail business for Maserati in Johannesburg.

EAI is a private company wholly owned by its Executive Chairman, Neville Crichton, and it is not a subsidiary of any of Mr Crichton’s other companies. Maserati Australia and New Zealand is headed by Glen Sealey, who took over as General Manager in 2010, and who has overseen a doubling of team responsible for Maserati in Australia and New Zealand. In 2015 Mr Sealey was promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer for Maserati in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The Maserati team in Australia and New Zealand includes Bilgen Tug, National Marketing and Public Relations Manager; David Weihen, National Aftersales Manager; Alex Ball, National Sales Manager and Angelo Ruberto, General Manager of Ferrari
Maserati Sydney.

Following its appointment, EAI set about a major renewal of its dealer group, with all-new dealerships opening in Brisbane (2006), Melbourne (2008), Perth (2008),Sydney (2010), Adelaide (2013) and Auckland (2013) with major refurbishments in Sydney, Adelaide and Auckland prior to new facilities opening. In addition, Christchurch opened initially as a Maserati service centre bringing the marque officially to the South Island of New Zealand in 2008 and this was expanded to a full dealership in 2013. In 2014 new additional dealerships opened in Sydney and Melbourne with another dealership set to open 2015 to serve the Queensland market

EAI has consistently grown Maserati sales in Australia and New Zealand with its annual best in 2014 when total sales for the year were greater than the three previous years combined. In Australia sales rose 199.3 per cent to 401 vehicles for the year . In New Zealand sales climbed 400 per cent over the previous year with 70 new Maseratis delivered.