AUSTRALIA’S top-performing Nissan dealers took centre stage at a gala event in Melbourne recently, with three retailers receiving the Japanese brand’s coveted annual ‘Global Award’ across metropolitan, provincial and rural categories.

Ferntree Gully Nissan in Melbourne’s outer east was named metro winner – the award was accepted by dealer principal Wayne Stevenson – while the Sunshine Coast Nissan in Caloundra, south-east Queensland, took out the provincial category, accepted by dealer principal Ray Jones.

Another Queensland dealership, Gatton Auto, won the rural category, with dealer principal Jason Gordon on hand to accept the award.

The Global Awards are described as the highest accolade a Nissan dealer can receive and acknowledgment is given by the car-maker’s global head office in Yokohama, Japan, hence the name.

As is the case with a variety of other retail reward and recognition programs, Nissan determines its top dealerships by measuring their performance in areas including “sales effectiveness, customer experience and service recommendations”.

Nissan Australia managing director and CEO Richard Emery said: “To be the best of the best is what the Nissan Global Award represents.

“Each of the top three dealerships in Australia given this special recognition exceeded the exacting requirements Nissan sets for this award and I’m proud of their commitment to our brand in Australia.”

Nissan Financial Services Australia also runs a Dealer of the Year program alongside the Global Awards, and Von Bibra Robina Nissan on the Gold Coast took out the award for 2015. It was accepted by dealer principal Wade von Bibra.

Nissan says this award is given to the dealership that “delivers exceptional performance in the areas of business volume, compliance and finance penetration for new Nissan vehicles”.

By Terry Martin