Paul Gardner, newly-appointed Regional Sales Manager at Temsa, explains to Peter Jackson why a focus on the fundamentals is needed to build the future of the brand in the UK and Ireland
A number of coach and bus manufacturers have had to find new routes into the UK market in recent months, with Covid-19 spelling the end of some well-known dealerships and forcing others to downsize.
“The minute Temsa realised I was open to a move, they decided it was time to bring some UK-specific knowledge into the business and move ahead with their own sales team,” explained Temsa’s new UK & Ireland Regional Sales Manager Paul Gardner. “So they decided to take me on as their first UK employee to build a future for them here, based on the two-and-a-half years I worked with them at Arriva. My role is to act as a national sales manager for the brand, very much akin to the roles I previously held. I’m responsible for the UK, Ireland and Malta, and there’s potential for that to grow to include other right-hand-drive markets or geographically close markets – once the UK, Ireland and Malta are settled of course.
“What they want from me initially is that knowledge, that data that they were so greatly missing – someone who could warn against legislation changes and give strategic information to allow them to make better decisions.
Whilst Temsa will look to appoint dealers, there’ll always be someone like myself stewarding the market and managing the dealers.”
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Family affair
“I’m second generation bus and coach sales – my late father Alan White had held a number of positions in the industry,” Paul told me, recalling his career to-date. “He’d worked at Optare, Esker (now EVM) and latterly Minis to Midis, so predominantly in mini coaches. My uncle, Steve White currently works for Pelican, but has previously worked for Moseley, Caetano and others, including Minis to Midis. So it’s a family affair really.
“After I left university, my father got me an introduction to Dawsonrentals in Rotherham. He introduced me to the company, and I went through the interview process – Dawson was across the road from Optare back in 2003. I got through the interviews and that was me in. My father always said that if you last more than six months in the industry you’ll never leave, which has proven to be true!
“I did a year there before Evobus came knocking, and they thought I was worth a gamble despite being only 24. I spent just over six years there, selling Citaro city buses predominantly as well as low-floor minibuses.
“Then MAN needed a National Bus and Coach Sales Manager, which I considered for a while; I liked working with integrals and didn’t really know any different at the time. But what I came to realise was the flexibility of chassis and body vehicles allows them to reach a wider audience. I ended up taking the plunge and spent just under seven years there. I later became General Manager, and during that time we invested more in coach chassis and worked with dealers like BASE, Nu-Track and Moseley. We also got the green light for the P10 Neoplan Tourliner and TGE Van.
“I left before those projects fully came to fruition, and went to join the family business, Minis to Midis in Doncaster. My father had been running it for a few years, but was looking to take a less active role in the day-to-day running of the business.
“Unfortunately, the effects of Brexit on currency and my father’s ill health led us to search for a buyer or investment partner, but no deal could be agreed in time and the company had to close.
At the time Arriva Bus and Coach Sales were looking to expand into mini and midi coaches so they recruited three of the ex-Minis to Midis staff to assist in bringing a product to market. I joined as Senior General Manager for Sales and Commercial, running the sales team and developing and marketing the products. 2018 and 2019 were great for sales volumes of new and used coaches and we were successful in bringing a mini coach dealer into the stable.”
Getting familiar
“My first task was to travel around to operators and get a few meetings under the belt, just to get things settled,” said Paul. “Then I was asked to go and source an additional service partner; we’re at the back end of discussions now, so we expect to be able to make an announcement in the coming days. It will take a couple of weeks to get parts on the shelves and systems in place, so we don’t want to rush it too much.
“I’ve also been spending some time with DAF dealers, as well as Cummins and ZF. During the first lockdown I made it my business to get close to the DAF dealers and the central DAF network, to try and get a foot in the door with them and introduce our plans. I’ve already had Skype meetings and whatnot, which were very helpful. The company is very forward-thinking and DAFaid is well thought of.
“It’s all been about greasing the wheels and showing people that there is a Temsa presence here, and so far the response has been very positive. Operators are starting to get used to me, the ‘Temsa man,’ doing the rounds – albeit in a socially distanced way!
“I’ve started setting up some social media, including a Facebook page which has been very effective. A lot of Temsa owners have got in touch with me through Facebook, and we’ve sorted out a lot of customer issues relating to parts and servicing through there. There will be official Temsa UK pages on there and LinkedIn too, which will be focused on brand news. The website will stay as temsa.com, but with a dealer looking likely, they’d have their own website too.”
Future sales
Temsa is intending to appoint additional sales channels in future, but for now Paul is able to sell vehicles himself. “Although it’s predominately a strategic role, I can also sell vehicles direct to customers whilst a sales outlet is appointed. Once the dealers are in place I will focus more on fleet customers and tenders in terms of sales.
“There’s also a ‘brand ambassador’ angle to this, travelling to see Temsa customers and focusing entirely on the brand experience. We want to reassure operators that we’re there for them and that they’re not being forgotten, whether they have one Temsa vehicle or 10. We want to offer a level of customer care comparable to the market leaders and this will reflected by any future importer, distributor or dealer appointed.
“Temsa is used to having a large dealership that could hold 40-50 stock vehicles in one go, but with the current pandemic causing financial uncertainty that is not a popular strategy to employ by prospective candidates. Even if there was no pandemic, who would want stock to these levels when there are so many unregistered non-PSVAR coaches already out there?
“Brexit and Covid have both changed what’s ‘necessary’ for a dealership – the benchmark has changed now. In the past expectations were the traditional large footprint with a glass-fronted showroom, flags and matching fixtures and fittings. This level of presentation requires significant investment and in the current climate, this may not be the most effective route to market! Customers’ expectations for what is required of a dealership have changed significantly and the feedback I have received so far is centred on providing effective aftersales support above all else.”
Broader portfolio
So, which vehicles will Temsa be selling in the UK market? “The MD9 and HD12 are still available in the standard configuration, so we will continue to import them,” said Paul. “The HD12 PSVAR variant is at the factory going through approval, so if somebody was to order a brand-new HD12 for 2021 delivery they could have a PSVAR version. There is no immediate PSVAR option on the MD9, but it’s being assessed by the R&D department at the moment.
“I’d personally like to look at the HD13, as well as the low-deck models. The HD13 would compete against other models in the segment as a value for money touring coach. It has up to 57 seats, and I think where PSVAR vehicles are concerned, you need the extra seats as four are lost for wheelchair spaces.
“I also think the The LD12 and LD13 could be successful in the UK market as they are very popular in left-hand-drive (especially in France). They are an entry-level specification on a low-deck chassis and with the PSVAR specification could be a fantastic dual-purpose coach. It would give Temsa, which is already price competitive, entry into another segment of the UK market.
“Temsa also produces city buses like the Avenue, which has an electric version too. Some Temsa Avenue buses were sold previously in the UK, so we hope to build on this in the future and get on board with the green energy transport revolution.”
What’s around the corner?
“Back in 2013 there was a clamour to buy Euro V EEV because it was cheaper than the upcoming Euro VI models,” Paul recalled. “Everyone thought they’d won, celebrating that they’d got the last of the Euro Vs. Fast forward a few years and with the introduction of LEZ and ULEZ the industry suddenly has a Euro V vehicle parc problem. We now have the same issue with changes to accessibility legislation and the availability of PSVAR-compliant vehicles.
“More and more coaches are becoming obsolete due to legislation, and unless retrofit exhaust systems and PSVAR conversions can be applied these coaches will ultimately drop out of the market sooner than expected. This is great for the breakers, but disastrous for operators who still expect an additional serviceable life cycle on say a pre-2014 coach. Having worked for several dealers and manufacturers I can see that investment will be needed to encourage the sale of older, non-compliant coaches.
“Most dealers are well on the way with this now in terms of PSVAR and there are several options for aftermarket exhausts kits. However, the cost is not cheap and investment could top £45,000 for a complete market-ready coach. With zero emissions pressure around the corner, manufacturers will need to be planning for the future to ensure product is relevant for the market. I hope that government policy also takes into account the value of older coaches if and when this comes into force.”
Getting the job done
Paul was keen to stress that, despite a period of instability, with Temsa in new ownership as of last October and the future of the brand on these shores still taking shape, the manufacturer is committed to the UK and taking care of its existing customers. “The message I’m really trying to get across is that Temsa is still here to look after its customers after a period of upheaval,” he said. “I want a ‘job done’ attitude here in the UK, a no glitz, no glam approach in the short term. You don’t necessarily need large dealerships and large marketing budgets – what really matters first and foremost is delivering a product and supporting it.
“Keeping in contact with operators and maintaining relationships will mean a lot more to them during these uncertain times. Doing the job is the key thing, and I feel it’s time for a no-nonsense approach and good, honest customer service. That’s the attitude that I think will get us through the next year, and after that we can start to think about reviving the factory visits and extensive industry event programmes. Until then, it’s about looking after Temsa family of customers in the UK, Ireland and Malta.”
