Bringing the Maxum to the midlands

Garryhinch Motors in Portarlington has been appointed main LDV dealer for the midlands, an exciting development that’s sure to have extremely beneficial effects on a company entering its 21st year in business. Irish Trucker caught up with director Tom Nolan to get the details on this new partnership as well as an update on all other aspects of the County Offaly-based dealership.

Company directors (from left) Alan Moore, Tom Nolan and Marion Moore-Nolan (holding George)

Garryhinch Motors has been running a successful business in this area of the midlands for almost 20 years, trading as Moore Nolan. The name refers to Tom Nolan, his wife Marian Moore and stepson Alan Moore. The trio run the business as a family unit, handling cars, 4x4s and light commercials – sales and service. Marion looks after reception and customer service, while Alan takes care of both sales and the workshop.

Tom and Alan have built up a huge customer base, both locally and nationally, with customer satisfaction and aftersales service a priority. The appointment of the LDV Maxus van dealership represents a huge acknowledgement of the hard work and commitment invested in the business over the years by the directors and their dedicated staff.
LDV vans have a number of key selling points but none is more obvious than the fact that the manufacturer specialises in designing and building commercial vans exclusively. This total dedication means they are undoubted experts in their chosen field and is one of the reasons why LDV’s flagship product –the Maxus van – is primed to conquer the Irish commercial vehicle market.
In order to furnish Irish users with the exceptional Maxus solution, LDV has drawn up a strategic plan to achieve complete market coverage here in Ireland. Partners have been chosen very carefully and the select network of LDV dealers can look forward with confidence to the prospect of introducing its customers to a truly market-leading commercial vehicle.

Garryhinch Motors in Portarlington is main LDV dealer for the midlands

Garryhinch Motors in Portarlington has accepted an invitation to act on behalf of the esteemed commercial-only manufacturer in the midlands area and it seems certain that the alliance will prove mutually beneficial to both parties. When Irish Trucker caught up with Tom Nolan, we discovered that he’s positively thrilled by the idea of bringing the Maxus in its many guises and incarnations to the people of the midlands.

The new dealership officially commenced on January 1 2007 and first orders had been taken for the Maxus light commercial within a matter of days. As awareness spreads, the Maxus is certain to generate massive interest and the new dealership will surely prove an inspired move.
What prompted Tom to take on the LDV brand? “There were two main factors that attracted me to this franchise. Firstly, the product is sound mechanically and is well-proven. Maxus vans are of an exceptionally high quality. Secondly - and this is what really made my mind up when offered the franchise – is that LDV stand over what they sell with an unbelievable five-year, 100,000-mile warranty. A warranty of this size has never been given before in the history of vans and it shows the complete confidence they have in their own product. This is a huge factor and will give the customer great peace of mind. Anybody who buys a Maxus knows they are getting a superb vehicle with unrivalled back-up.”

Marion Moore-Nolan is one of the driving forces behind Garryhinch Motors

Tom says he is honoured to have been granted the franchise for the Maxus van, which was launched onto the world market as recently as 2005, following vast investment of time and money on behalf of LDV into years of painstaking research and development. “This is a longstanding company with a deep knowledge of commercial vehicles and they are very thorough about their product. The warranty they have given is a serious commitment for any company to give a product – especially a van. But the Maxus is a real workhorse and it will stand up to the challenge easily.”
What does the new partnership mean to Garryhinch Motors? “This is a great step forward for us. Up until now, we haven’t had a franchise and we tended to concentrate on selling used vehicles mainly. To coincide with the new dealership, we’re building new stores and increasing our staff, so this is good not just for our business but for the area as a whole. We’re going to be carrying the full stock of Maxus parts and we’re training our staff fully in the workings of the vehicle so we can handle the back-up service here on site.”

Joseph Strong is a key member of the Garryhinch Motors team

Though the franchise covers the midlands area predominantly, Tom is prepared to sell vehicles to any customer anywhere in Ireland. At present, he has good coverage of seven or eight counties, employing a team of six. He projects that this figure could double soon.
Apart from the new dealership, there have been numerous other advancements at Garryhinch Motors over the past couple of years. The old workshop has been extensively converted and new offices have been built to oversee a comprehensive range of services that includes sales, servicing, maintenance, parts, 24-hour recovery, crash repairs, bodywork etc.
“We are developing the business by looking after our clientele. We have built a loyal customer base over the past 20 years and our main priority is to look after them,” the proprietor notes. Certainly, with the coming on stream of the new Maxus dealership, customers of Garryhinch Motors have good reason to celebrate!

Formerly known as Moore Nolan Sales and Service, Garryhinch Motors specialises in car and commercial sales and service. Tom looks after the commercial end of the business while his business partner and son-in-law Alan Moore handles the passenger car side of things. Both men possess a lifetime’s experience in the vehicle sales/service sector, dealing with a wide range of marques and models. The business has forged a stellar reputation as a supplier of high-quality trucks and will remain active in this area, in addition to the new LDV franchise.

Mark Buggy carries out a routine pre-delivery inspection

Open 8-6 Monday-Saturday, Garryhinch Motors have always been prepared to go that extra mile for their customers and this policy has paid dividends to date. This is why the directors vow to continue putting their customers first at all times.
As a trucker-turned-salesman, Tom Nolan certainly knows his way around trucks and his knowledge of every aspect of the industry is absolute. Tom had no hesitation in taking on the LDV dealership and believes the Maxus vans boast incredible structure, variety and economy, as well as the tremendous aftersales guarantee.
“At present, there are ten vans in the range, from a 2.8 tonne short-wheel base low roof to a 3.5 tonne low-wheel base extra high roof. They are all available in a choice of single or double doors and all vehicles can be configured to meet exact individual requirements. We can supply to order.”
The LDV Maxus van is available now from Garryhinch Motors, Portarlington, County Offaly.