Sydney, Australia: Perth Harley-Davidson and Melbourne's Harley- Heaven have taken home the silverware after being announced as joint winners of the 2015 Harley-Davidson Dealer of the Year award at the company's recent National Dealer Meeting.
The judges were unable to split the two dealerships after they achieved identical scores against a 35 point criterion that analysed business and operational standards including market share, customer satisfaction, marketing and community involvement.
Making the achievement even sweeter for both dealerships is the change in the awards for 2015 that saw Australian and New Zealand dealerships vying for the one title.
The 2015 Harley-Davidson Dealer of the Year award is Perth Harley-Davidson's first title and shows the Western Australian operation is continuing to go from strength to strength after claiming the Top Selling dealership award in 2014.
While for the Harley-Heaven group, claiming the 2015 award is a continuation of their form after taking out the Australian Dealer of the Year title in 2014.
Nigel Keough, Managing Director for Harley-Davidson Australia and New Zealand commented, "I would like to congratulate both Harley-Heaven and Perth Harley-Davidson on this significant achievement. Our dealers across Australia and New Zealand are the face of the company and in the current competitive market, it is fantastic to see them thriving and kicking goals."
Keough added, "In general I also want to acknowledge and thank the entire Harley-Davidson Authorised Dealer network for their work in delivering amazing customer experiences every day."
The evening also saw the 2015 Harley-Davidson Apprentice of the Year named with Adam Towell from Gasoline Alley bestowed the title.
The award recognises a young apprentice who is participating in the Australia-wide Harley- Davidson apprentice program. Now in its fourth year, the program provides apprentices with access to expert educators and state of the art facilities. Upon completion, participants are awarded with a TAFE Recognition of Prior Learning Strategy – a nationally accredited qualification assisting apprentices on the journey to becoming a Harley-Davidson Master Technician.
Adam, now a fourth year apprentice at the Queensland dealership, has completed the three year classwork component of the program and achieved the recognition after outstanding performances across both theoretical and practical examinations while also demonstrating strong initiative, enthusiasm and customer service.
Adam commented, "It's a great honour to be named the Harley-Davidson Apprentice of the Year. I would like to thank Harley-Davidson Australia & New Zealand, Gasoline Alley Harley- Davidson for their support and the opportunity to get involved in the apprentice program and of course, the Harley-Davidson trainers."
Keough added, "We're very proud of Adam and it's fantastic that his hard work and enthusiasm has been recognised. We want to encourage more students and apprentices to strive for outstanding results and to be in the running for this award in the coming years. It just goes to show that we have some really talented people in our dealerships and the future of the Harley-Davidson business is in good hands."
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