Dealer Spotlight: Trinity Motor Group, Wexford

Editor’s note: In January 2021 it was announced that Trinity Motor Group has acquired Sinnott Autos in Wicklow Town and would take over the running of two well established Volkswagen and Skoda franchise dealerships in the town at two sites on the Dublin Road. Read more about the expansion of Trinity Motor Group here. Trinity Volkswagen and Trinity Skoda, Wicklow, will join the Group’s already impressive portfolio of car brands. 

In the first of a new interview series on Changing Lanes, we meet Nicola Murphy of Trinity Motor Group to find out more about this automotive retail and service business that started out in 1995 on Trinity Street, Wexford, selling Land Rover and Rover cars.

In business for 25 years, the family-owned and managed Trinity Motor Group has since moved out of the town centre to nearby Ardcavan and operates from two sites, now representing five brands – Mazda, Peugeot, Land Rover, Jaguar and Mitsubishi – and also includes a service centre and extensive used car selection.

Immaculately presented cars are combined with exceptional customer service and attention to detail, with a hard-working team across retail and service. The dealer group has won many prestigious awards including Mazda Retailer of the Year in 2018 and again in 2019, Peugeot Service Manager of the Year 2017, and Land Rover Master Technician of the Year for Ireland, going on to represent Ireland in the European competition.

The Group opened a state-of-the-art Mazda showroom in 2017, designed to match the premium quality of the Mazda product, and is an eye-catching landmark in itself.

Nicola Murphy joined the Trinity team in 2016 and looks after marketing for the Group. In this interview, Nicola tells us more about Trinity Motor Group, how the business has adapted to a challenging 2020, the arrival of new hybrid and electric vehicles, and her outlook for the sector in 2021.

1. Can you introduce your dealer group and what you do?

Trinity Motors is proud to represent world-leading brands such as Mazda, Peugeot, Mitsubishi and Jaguar Land Rover. We currently operate from two locations in Ardcavan, County Wexford, just minutes from Wexford Town. Trinity Motors also stocks a broad range of approved, pre-owned vehicles from all leading manufacturers and we are specialists in premium cars and 4x4s. We also offer a car sourcing facility, which allows customers to order their next new or used car directly from Trinity, to the exact specification required. This one stop shop is hugely popular with our customers who enjoy the convenience and hassle-free experience it delivers.

Trinity Service Centre, located at the Trinity Mazda and Trinity Mitsubishi dealership, is an official Jaguar Land Rover authorised repairer, in addition to Mazda and Mitsubishi. We service all makes and models in a state-of-the-art facility, which includes all the technical equipment and expertise to handle the latest generation of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles. We offer the same great after-sales care for Peugeot in our dedicated Trinity Peugeot site.

2. What’s the history of the business?

We have been in business for 25 years here in Wexford. Our business is family-owned and operated, founded in 1995 by Eddie Murphy on Trinity Street, Wexford, hence the company name. The value placed on delivering a truly exceptional customer experience has seen the business flourish over the years. We have stayed true to our core principles of being customer driven and truly appreciative of our team that delivers customer satisfaction each and every day. Associated with the Land Rover brand since the beginning, Trinity Motors has grown to represent five brands now, with continued growth planned.

3. What kind of showroom experience do you want to create for customers and what steps have you taken to improve it over the years?

At Trinity Motors we aim to make customers feel welcome, comfortable and at ease when they visit our dealerships. This makes the experience an enjoyable one for the customer, and we believe it should be enjoyable. Choosing a vehicle should be something to take pleasure in when doing it, and something to look back fondly on when reflecting on the experience. Delivering that experience brings our customers back and we win new customers through recommendations. At the end of the day this is a family business and we want to deliver the best experience possible to all our customers across Sales, Service, Parts and Accessories.

4. You operate a number of franchise dealerships. What are your thoughts on your current model line-up and how have the latest models been received by your customers?

We are very fortunate to work with such exceptional brands and to be able to provide our customers with a range of vehicles that meet all needs – from the small and practical, to the large and luxurious. Hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles are growing in popularity, and all of our brands now have something electrified to offer our customers. We can still cater for those who wish to buy a traditional petrol or diesel model. We have invested heavily in new technology to charge plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles, and carry out maintenance and repair on all the latest models. Some of the highlights of our range are the electric Peugeot e-208, e-2008 and Mazda MX-30, as well Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid), all exciting new models which have proven very popular with our customers, and have won over many new customers to these brands.

5. 2020 was a challenging year with unprecedented disruption to traditional ways of retailing. How has your dealer group adapted to these changes?

There is no doubt that 2020 has been a challenging year but it has for the vast majority of people and businesses. In particular those directly affected by illness, and frontline workers who have really had a difficult year.

Ultimately, we have a great team of people working within the Trinity Motor Group. They really stepped up this year as we all adapted to new processes and safety measures to reopen, stay operational and keep our customers and staff safe. Even through lockdown, our service departments remained operational to assist our customers and to look after the vehicles of frontline workers to keep them mobile so they could help others. It’s thanks to our own team that this was possible. In addition, we have had to adapt and improve our online business model as customers shop and buy remotely.

6. What’s your outlook for your sector in 2021?

We are feeling positive about 2021 despite the challenges that we all have faced this year. Consumer sentiment in our experience is very positive and orders for 2021 are very strong, with an increase in the level of demand for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Competitive finance options are also proving to be hugely helpful in assisting customers in making decisions. We are also fortunate to have so many new model launches across our brands, which are winning a lot of new customers.

7. Can you share with us goals and ambitions for your dealer group in 2021?

As always, we will aim to improve on our past performance and listen carefully to our customers’ requirements. Further growth is on the horizon for the Trinity Motor Group as we begin the next quarter of a century in business. We hope that 2021 will prove a positive year of change for everyone and that our country will flourish as it emerges from such an unprecedented period. We are looking forward to the challenges ahead and the opportunities that may present themselves.

8. Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers about your business?

Firstly, we would like to give a heartfelt thanks to our staff for the exceptional effort they have delivered this year in very uncertain times. We would also like to thank our customers for their continued loyalty and support. We look forward to 2021 and to welcoming both existing and new customers to our showrooms in what we hope will be far happier times for everyone. We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our customers, teams and indeed everyone a very happy Christmas and healthy New Year.

Trinity Motor Group is also launching a new website, with more services for buyers to engage online with the sales team and product.

Visit www.trinitymotors.ie

Thank you to Nicola for taking part in this interview.

If you would like your dealership or dealer group featured on Changing Lanes, please email caroline@changinglanes.ie