Jubilee Ford closes down - why?

[Head Injury]

Got a letter in the mail from my local Ford Dealer - Jubille Ford, Five Dock, Sydney.

They inform me that due to the expiry of their lease they are closing down and ask me where I would like to send the records of my car servicing to ??????? with a list of all Sydney dealers

I live in Croydon with options of City Ford, Dale Ford (Bankstown) and other dealers further afield...........not good enough FoA!
On top of that Jubilee Ford had a dam good service centre with top people.

I go to their web site (here) and they give a different reason - something like joining the might of other Sydney dealers...........

Does anybody really know why they closed?
Not happy Ford, and it leaves a decent whole in your Sydney geography. :

[henry_ford]

My ex wife worked there and would still be there if they didnt shut. they simply were not making money, and as i belive the group that owns them the AAG also owns many of the surrounding dealers they are cutting there losses and closing it. assuming that the sales they will miss will be picked up by the surrounding yards as will the servicing and parts.

[GXL078]

Wouldn't Thomson Ford at Parramatta be the nearest? Or maybe Garlicks?

[FTE217]

Thats a pity,bought my new AUXR8 from them, the service side was pretty good I agree. Pity for all the good ppl in there. Hope they find some jobs soon for themselves.

I currently use Garlicks, wouldn't go to Dales purely in the area it's in,puke !
South African group owns them from memory ? They want profits big time.

[landau5.8]

Allow me to set the record straight, they are shutting down due to a few reasons: a)the lease was to much to pay b)Ford Australia would not allow them to move down the road to where wagon wheels used to be(a much bigger site with less rent). c)Ford Australia would not allow them to carry another franchise so they could be muilti franchise (which you have to be nowadays). Ford Australia wants all their franchises to be stand alone but says nothing to the likes of Ford Liverpool and others who are already carrying various franchises. How do I know this? Insider info.

[landau5.8]

Oh, I forgot to mention to BlueDriver,

The group also ownes Brad Garlicks......

Multi franchise dealerships are the way of the future. Ford will have to allow this asap if they don't want any other dealers shutting down. Jubilee was right next door to Toyota anyway, so if anything they weren't in a bad location.
It was mainly due to the rent more than anything.

[Abacus]

Brad Garlick's is about the pick of the dealerships more-or-less in the vicinity.

[MarkAW]

Sent my XR6 to Dale Ford this morning for the 3K new vehicle service (I work @ Homebush so thats the closest)
The warranty work is an oil leak around the sump and a strange click noise (like a relay operating) when braking. The sump probably needs tightening as there are too many bolts on this car which are loose or missing especially in the trim components and the click noise is like nothing I've ever heard before.

The service people seemed OK mind you they claimed they were being watched by a set of Ford Auditors.

All I can do is wait for the call to pick it up - will let you know how they are.

[elusiverunner]

Now from someone who really knows the score .... me :. Jubilee Ford along with all the other Ford dealerships listed are not I repeat not owned by Ford of Australia. They are all owned by a group called Australian Auto Group Pty Limited which in turn is owned by a South African Company called Imperial Holdings. If you followed the provided link it will tell you something about the company's purchase of 9, now 8 Ford Dealerships.

http://www.imperial.co.za/ImperialNews.aspx

The reason Jubilee Ford has been targetted for close down is as they have said the lease is finishing up and to renew on their present site is too expensive - the site also needed extensive renovation and reorganisation, which the South African were probabley not prepared to pay plus the down turn in larger cars has meant the Jubilee Ford was not making the sort of profit that the other dealerships were making.

So as you can see it is not Ford of Australia making this dealership close, it's just a matter of profit over expenditure.

[XR Rob]

So, I wonder if they'll be just as happy to send the service records to a non AAG dealership?

[FTE217]

Heh just as I said in my post about Sth Africans, and I don't blame them.
It was run down to the hilt, many dealerships around them had gone through renos and Jubilee looked like a neglected property.
In saying that wasn't it part of the previous RJV ? Even during that period it never got an injection or at least a freshen up, milked it dry and yes the market had changed as well.
A great example of mis management, Garlicks is another operating in premises's from the ' 70's.

[henry_ford]

Originally Posted by elusiverunner

Now from someone who really knows the score .... me :. Jubilee Ford along with all the other Ford dealerships listed are not I repeat not owned by Ford of Australia. They are all owned by a group called Australian Auto Group Pty Limited which in turn is owned by a South African Company called Imperial Holdings. If you followed the provided link it will tell you something about the company's purchase of 9, now 8 Ford Dealerships.

http://www.imperial.co.za/ImperialNews.aspx

The reason Jubilee Ford has been targetted for close down is as they have said the lease is finishing up and to renew on their present site is too expensive - the site also needed extensive renovation and reorganisation, which the South African were probabley not prepared to pay plus the down turn in larger cars has meant the Jubilee Ford was not making the sort of profit that the other dealerships were making.

So as you can see it is not Ford of Australia making this dealership close, it's just a matter of profit over expenditure.

I did mention the AAG... but a nice if very indepth response.

[ADSXR8]

Originally Posted by landau5.8

Allow me to set the record straight, they are shutting down due to a few reasons: a)the lease was to much to pay b)Ford Australia would not allow them to move down the road to where wagon wheels used to be(a much bigger site with less rent). c)Ford Australia would not allow them to carry another franchise so they could be muilti franchise (which you have to be nowadays). Ford Australia wants all their franchises to be stand alone but says nothing to the likes of Ford Liverpool and others who are already carrying various franchises. How do I know this? Insider info.

We where also told this. I am located in Homebush and we have fleet of around 25 Ford's that where all purchased and serviced by Jubilee. We also received our letter today, but was told late last year they where closing by the Boss. His primary reason sited the $1.5million per year rent for that site.

Now that is alot of sales and oil changes!

[ltd]

AAG group also own sydney mitsubishi, which is where Fred from service and a couple of the mechanics are going. Alot of them are going to city ford, some are going to Dale ford but Dale is on the chopping block as well. It's disgusting that Jubilee have closed, have been going there for many many years, and they had the best mechanic I have ever had the pleasure of knowing working there. When you told him of a fault it was fixed, and in the last 7 years I have never had to take a car back for a repair not done correctly. Ford Aus screwed up big time letting this service department close, as they were leaps and bounds ahead of the other dealerships. At least with Tony the manager you didn't get lied to, instead you were told straight up of the fault.
I am going to have to send my cars to Dale now, because the mechanic I have used for years has been transferred there. Does anyone know if Mark Duncan is still at Dale, or Con the manager?

[HLC]

Originally Posted by Abacus

Brad Garlick's is about the pick of the dealerships more-or-less in the vicinity.

yeah. got my car done there today.

we've bought most of our recent cars from there, and have strong ties with them and the staff past/present.

very good dealership.

[MarkAW]

Originally Posted by ltd

Does anyone know if Mark Duncan is still at Dale, or Con the manager?

I believe I spoke to Con this afternoon when arranging to pick up the XR6.

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by Bluedriver

In saying that wasn't it part of the previous RJV ?

Yeap and was still operating as an RJV when we bought our cars Maurie.

Compared with PWS Smithfield's Service Dept the one at Jubilee was like a backyard garage!

[cArSiK]

Originally Posted by Bluedriver

In saying that wasn't it part of the previous RJV ? Even during that period it never got an injection or at least a freshen up, milked it dry and yes the market had changed as well.

Yes it was part of Sydney RJV pty Ltd until early 2005 when AAG moved in. It was then when palces like Rockdale Mazda and Sentry were also dropped form the group.

[landau5.8]

Dale Ford is NOT closing down.

[ltd]

Hope you're right, because from what some good friends at Jubilee told me AAG aren't thrilled with Dale's performance either, and are looking at only retaining the profitable dealerships.