Top Class throughout
April 30, 2010These days there are few businesses tougher to be in than the car sales business. 2009 was one of the most difficult years for dealerships in this country, as sales went down drastically with the effects of the economic recession. Some how, as they always do, Michael Moore Car Sales in Athlone have continued to make it work.
When Ian Moore began working for his father's company in 2002 things were a lot rosier. Sales were up and confidence in the consumer was high, just after they'd opened up their new garage to go along with their home base in Garryhinch outside just Portarlington.
"We're based here on the old Dublin road in Athlone, Westmeath," Ian explained.
"We're established since 1981 in Monksland, but moved out here in December 2001. We employ 37 full-time staff and my position here is General Manager. I've been working here for eight years now in total and have enjoyed my time here so far."
For the best part of 30 years now, Michael Moore Car Sales has continued to lead the way in sales of Mercedes, Volkswagen and Audi vehicles, as well as in repairs and parts purchase.
The past decade has saw Ian acting as one of the focal points in making sure that the company has remained at the top to help maintain its reputation as one of Ireland's leading Mercedes garages.
The history behind the business begins with Ian's father, Michael, who is still Managing Director today after taking the bold decision to go out on his own all those years ago, and the fact that the early 1980s was a time all too similar to the present further highlights his ambition at the time.
"My father started in Garryhinch near Portarlington and we moved out here to the Dublin road in 2001. We also still have the garage in Garryhinch as well, which is still going strong for us," said Ian.
From there the business grew gradually year by year to get to where it is today. At present, Michael Moore Car Sales stock in and around 130 second-hand vehicles in their Athlone Garage and service customers all across Ireland.
"Business at the moment is a lot better than last year," said Ian. "The scrapage scheme has brought about a lot more confidence from customers all across the country. There's a lot of price reductions as well, but the biggest thing has been the confidence being brought back into the customers.
"We're the leading Mercedes Garage in Ireland in regards to suppliers for the passenger," he added. "Through hard work and looking after customers we have a lot of loyal customers.
"The increase in car sales prompted our decision to move out here because the place in Monksland was just too small for the business we were doing then, to be honest."
While Ian holds the General Manager's position, Michael is still very much "the main man" when it comes to the running of the business and it is through him that they have maintained their GAA connections with the Gracefield club in Portarlington. Ian himself had played with Gracefield at underage level.
"I played minor and senior football for the Gracefield club and underage for the county but never really won anything. I would still follow a lot of the clubs in Westmeath when the championship comes around, but I don't really have a preference," he said.
As a businessman, it is Ian's duty to try and remain neutral when it comes to picking one team over the other, but despite playing his club football in Offaly he still supports Westmeath when ever the Lake men come up against the Faithful County.
He's also adamant that while Brendan Hackett's charges suffered relegation in their recent Division Two campaign in the National Football League, they could have stayed in the second tier had a bit of luck come their way
"They had a mixed league campaign really, when you look at the games they could and maybe should have won. I suppose they were very unlucky not to have beaten Meath up in Navan anyway," said Ian.
Further narrow defeats to Laois, Kildare and Donegal eventually sealed Westmeath's fate and condemned them to Division Three league football for 2011.
However, with the recent return of veteran ace Martin Flanagan and the county's Under 21 footballers earning their way into a provincial championship final, Westmeath won't be all too overly concerned when the time comes to facing either Wicklow or Carlow in their Leinster SFC opener in June.
It's a little known fact in the GAA that league form counts for nothing when it comes to the championship and no club in the county learned this better than Castledaly in recent years.
In 2008, after an unsuccessful league campaign, the south county outfit stormed to their first ever Westmeath Senior Football Championship title. It was a success for the club which all at Michael Moore Car Sales were glad to hear about.
"Castledaly are the local club here for us and we support them and they support us," Ian explained.
"Last year we sponsored jerseys for the club's Under 16 football team and while I don't think they won anything or made any finals, or anything like that, we still felt it was important to do because you need to support young people and keep them interested."
It's not the first occasion where Michael Moore has helped to provide for a club in need either.
For many years now his dealership has acted as the main sponsor to the Gracefield senior football team in Co Offaly, an agreement which both sides have benefited from down the years and look likely to continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Through their generous sponsorships - even in the toughest of times - Michael Moore Car Sales have seen plenty of their grateful customers choose them first time and time again. Now, with things looking up again, they are beginning to pick up where they left off before things took a turn for the worst three years ago and for that Ian would like to thank the company's loyal customers.
"I'd just like to thank all of our customers across the country for their loyal support. You have been fantastic to us over the years and we look forward to hopefully seeing you again soon," he concluded. Tweet
