[dropcap]S[/dropcap]tallion NMN, Nissan exclusive manufacturer and product distributor has yet again received the 2015 Sales Achievement Award for Exceptional Sales Performance in the Sub-Sahara Africa Region category.
The award which was presented to the company at the annual Nissan Ignition Awards 2016 in Midrand South Africa September 01 was in recognition of quantitative and qualitative sales objectives signifying volume, customer satisfaction and Nissan Competitive Advantage Map (N-CAM.)
Coming on the heels of a similar accomplishment (Nissan National Sales Company Global Award) presented to Stallion NMN last December, this award clearly demonstrates the dealership commitment to the expansion and success of the Nissan brand in Nigeria.
No fewer than 120 Nissan sales companies gather annually in South Africa for the Ignition Awards to recognise outstanding dealerships and dealer groups that have excelled in the year under review.
Speaking at the awards, Nissan South Africa Group Managing Director, Mike Whitfield applauded the winning dealers for their resilience and hard work during a challenging year that witnessed several lows in the global product markets.
He said: “Very soon we will be launching the new Navara – a very fanciful and convenient pick-up truck for everyday and special purpose use.”
The Navara which is the latest pick-up from the Nissan stable is touted to increase the annual capacity of the Rosslyn plant to 80,000 vehicles from 40, 000 and meet growing demand for new vehicles in Africa.
Whitfield said: “We believe there’s still a very strong role for a good, solid, affordable and reliable pick-up in Africa so both the NP200 and NP300 are going to be strong contenders in the global truck market.”
Also adding that if South Africa could produce approximately half a million vehicles of the global 85 million between last year and this year, “we still have a lot of opportunities left, but we need to continue to focus on increasing productivity and efficiency,” the group managing director cautioned.
He however added that from a quality point of view, “vehicles built here (Rosslyn Plant) are as good as what is built anywhere in the world – but the real drive we need to do, is to ensure we maintain competitiveness to enable us to have a greater access to that global market of 85 million.”
According him, Africa has become an increasingly important market for all manufacturers and Nissan can’t wait to support an expanding GDP and a versatile middle-class that is central to a growing economy and mature political system.
“We are growing with Africa and we believe the continent is well-positioned in the Sub-Sahara region for long-term growth to consistently meet customers’ needs through an expanding model range, retail network and an evolving industrial footprint,” Whitfield reasoned.
In his post-award remark, Stallion NMN Managing Director Parvir Singh said: “It is our goal to progressively build Nissan’s market share in the coming years and transform the Nissan brand into one of Nigeria’s foremost.”
He said: “we value our partnership with Nissan and aim to deliver world-class products and expertise by developing an integrated value chain for Nissan in Nigeria, thereby acting as catalyst for Nigeria’s automotive ecosystem.
The 2016 Nissan Ignition Awards was preceded by a passionate dealer conference where Nissan and the dealership network discussed potent strategies to deliver a successful financial year.
