The Bridgestone tyre brand has announced the winners of its national 2021 DRIVE program for Bridgestone Select and Bridgestone Service centres around Australia.
Brisbane-based Bridgestone Select Hendra has won the National Franchise of the Year title for the second consecutive year.
The Bridgestone Service Centre Broome which is owned by James and Lynda Hagan has won the National Service Centre of the Year category.
The Bridgestone Service Centre Warrnambool which is owned by Peter Baulch has won the National Truck Store of the Year award, and the New Store of the Year award has gone to Brisbane-based Bridgestone Select Keperra which is owned by Garth and Leanne Pettersen.
Bridgestone Select Hendra owner franchisee Caleb Sos says the back-to-back wins were a surprise to him, but a team-wide effort.
“Our focus at Bridgestone Select Hendra has always been to go above and beyond – putting our customers first and ensuring that we have a safe and healthy environment for our staff, and clearly that is a formula that is working,” Sos says.
“It’s a huge honour to win store of the year once, but to win two years in a row is amazing and reflects the incredible commitment from the team, led by store manager Darren Proctor,” he says.
Launched in 2020, Bridgestone says the national DRIVE program sees stores benchmarked in line with the brand’s values of customer centricity, delivering a leading customer experience and exceptional value for tyre and automotive services.
The program recognises the top stores nationally and by region across three main categories: Franchise of the Year for Bridgestone Select stores, Store of the Year for Bridgestone Service Centres, and Truck Store of the Year for the best performing store for Bridgestone truck, bus and re-tread sales.
A dedicated New Store of the Year Award is also awarded amongst Bridgestone Select locations in their first three years of trading – contested between 17 stores in 2021.
Bridgestone Australia and New Zealand Managing Director Heath Barclay says the focus of the Bridgestone network remained on the customer in spite of the challenges of 2021.
“We’re delighted to recognise our DRIVE program winners and showcase their commitment to customers – especially our national winners,” Barclay says.
“Bridgestone has been named Australia’s most trusted tyre brand by Reader’s Digest, and our network has the most satisfied customer according to Canstar Blue, so our DRIVE program is recognising the best of the best.
“The DRIVE program highlights the effort our network makes in delivering exceptional service, value for money and continuing to build trust with customers. In spite of lockdowns and a continually changing business landscape, our stores have remained fixed on these core values and continue to do our brand proud,” he says.
Joining national winner Bridgestone Select Hendra for Queensland’s state honours in the Service Centre of the Year category is Matthew Smith & Chris Rockemer’s Bridgestone Service Centre Charters Towers, with Bridgestone Service Centre Gladstone and Derek Treichel winning Truck Store of the Year.
In the New South Wales region, Franchise of the Year was won by Marcus & Kristen Cornish’s Bridgestone Select Rutherford, with Bridgestone Service Centre Laurieton and Rubikant M Modi & Manji Murji Thakarani taking out Service Centre of the Year. Truck Store of the Year of the year was won by David Spokes and Bridgestone Service Centre Kempsey.
National Truck Store of the Year winner Peter Baulch from Bridgestone Service Centre Warrnambool had even more reason to celebrate, with the store also taking out the Service Centre of the Year for the Victorian/Tasmanian region, while Scott Turnbull and Richard Hilderand’s Bridgestone Select Hobart claimed the Franchise of the Year award.
In South Australia and Northern Territory, Franchise of the Year was taken out by Kerry & Debbie Collins’ Adelaide based Bridgestone Select Norwood, with Alf Bamford, Dave Barry & Terry Gilcrist’s Bridgestone Service Centre Mount Gambier Service Centre of the Year honours. Robert Larking and the team at Bridgestone Service Centre Ceduna claimed Truck Store of the Year honours.
Western Australia was conquered by James and Lynda Hagan’s stores, with Bridgestone Service Centre Broome claiming the National Service Centre of the Year prize, and their Bridgestone Service Centre Wedgefield site in Port Hedland take out the Truck Store of the Year. Franchise of the Year was won by Jason & Shontelle Bowman’s Bridgestone Select Busselton.
“DRIVE continues to set the benchmark across our network, and I am thrilled with how competitive the results were in 2021. Ultimately, our customers are the real winners through the DRIVE program – and our stores are performing by delivering on customer needs,” Barclay says.
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