Car enthusiast who turned his passion into a £200m business

CAR dealership chain Vantage Motor Group has faced its fair share of challenges over the last six years.

A nose-dive in consumer confidence following the 2008 financial crisis led to plummeting car sales; Toyota’s global recall of millions of cars after floor mats became trapped under the accelerator dented the manufacturer’s popularity; and a number of major carmakers were forced to suspend production after the Japanese tsunami in 2011.

But Mark Robinson, managing director of the Knaresborough-based firm, which has 19 car dealerships, 11 of which are Toyota, is a glass-half-full man. “Since we started in 2003, there has never been a year when we have not been cash generative or profitable,” he says.

The latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that British new car sales have reached 2.1m so far this year. Total new registrations are heading towards 2.46m sales for 2014, a return to pre-recession levels.

Cheap finance, helped by record-low interest rates, has pushed up sales since the government introduced its scrappage scheme in 2009.

But Robinson, 49, is cautious about the figures. “Some of that volume is forced activity through fleet business and pre-registration activity,” he says.

“I think the market in 2015 will flatten or see a bit of growth but I don’t think it can sustain the level of growth it has experienced in the last couple of years.”

In spite of his modest outlook, Robinson has successfully steered Vantage through a series of acquisitions and dealership openings in the last year, taking its turnover to the £200m mark, up from £65m last year.

The group, which employs 400 people, has increased its number of sites from seven in Yorkshire and Lancashire to 19 across the north of England and the West Midlands with dealerships under the Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, Honda, Citroen and Lexus marques.

“Two years ago we felt we were at the point where we could build on the foundation we had created and that we had the right people and the financial strength to see through the growth,” he says.

After such a rapid expansion, Robinson now plans to slow down the rate of growth. “It is not sustainable,” he said. “We will continue to grow the business but it will be more evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

“We never wanted to be the biggest business. We want to be a privately-owned medium-sized regional motoring group.”

Robinson intends to grow the number of manufacturers that Vantage supports, particularly some of the German and premium marques following its acquisition of a Lexus dealership in Birmingham last year. “We want to work with manufacturers who have a vision for growth in the UK,” he says.

Robinson says Vantage weathered the storm following the financial crisis by being a ‘responsible’ business. He cites the guidance of his business partner Phil White, an accountant and former chief executive of National Express, who came into the business in 2006, as ‘very important’.

“Sales dropped significantly during 2008 but we cut our cloth accordingly by managing the resources we had and managing our stock inventories and we didn’t have to make redundancies,” he says.

The introduction of the government’s scrappage scheme was a turning point for the business. “We never looked back after that,” he says.

The Toyota recall in 2010 damaged the manufacturer’s image but Robinson says Vantage, the UK’s third largest Toyota retailer, actually benefitted from the episode.

“Our existing customers remained very loyal to the brand,” he says. “People brought their cars in to us to have their recall work done and actually ended up buying new cars so it was never a negative for us.”

The Japanese tsunami in 2011 hit the global automotive component industry particularly hard. “Fortunately, not all of Toyota’s manufacturing is in Japan,” he says. “It had a short term affect in terms of vehicle availability but it was minimal for us.”

Robinson’s passion for cars began at an early age. Born and brought up in Blackpool, he started cleaning cars in a showroom at the age of 13.

At 16, he started selling cars at a dealership in Liverpool. His career has included director roles at Lookers, Pendragon and Sandicliffe. But in 2003 he decided to go it alone. “I had a decision to make,” he says. “I could either stay working for a plc and hope my career developed into a board level role or I could set up my own business.”

In 2002 he was chosen by Toyota to be part of its global pilot scheme to set up a new company. He formed Meridian Motor Group and bought his first two dealerships in Knaresborough and York.

The transition from large plc to start-up was tough at first. “It was lonely,” he says. “But my philosophy in business is about working and building relationships and that’s what I did.”

He adds: “The biggest challenge initially was creating a belief. I had the vision and belief in myself but it’s another thing to get people to believe in you.”

The father-of-three boys lives in Harrogate and is a trustee of St Michael’s Hospice in his spare time. “There is a huge sense of belonging and I enjoy being able to give something back,” he says.

Meanwhile his 14-year-old son Finlay is an aspiring racing driver and drives in the Junior Saloon Car Championship in the UK. “It requires a lot of devotion,” he adds.

Earlier this year, Robinson was voted chief executive of the year at the Motor Trader Awards. “Winning the award took me completely by surprise,” he says.

Title: Managing director

Age: 49

Education: Arnold School in Blackpool

First job: Salesman at an Austin Rover dealership in Blackpool

Favourite holiday destination: Maldives

Favourite film: Pretty Woman or Scent of a Woman

Favourite song: Run, by Snow Patrol

Last book read: The Last British Dambuster: One man’s extraordinary life and the raid that changed history, by George Johnny Johnson

Car driven: Lexus

Most proud of: My children