PRETORIA, South Africa, 22 February 2023 – The Quick Lane Tyre & Auto Centre network is reaching a new milestone with the launch of its first B-BBEE franchisor in the country.
Located in Rustenburg, in the North West province, the new centre is the first to achieve Level 1 broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) status, and the first Quick Lane beneficiary of a grant from the Ford South Africa Enterprise Development programme. This centre will help raise the standard of vehicle care, reliability and safety in the area. Other benefits to the surrounding community include the creation of job opportunities and the provision of a foundation for early career experience for young technicians.
Quick Lane Tyre and Auto Centre opened its first location in the United States in 1998 and has grown to over 1 000 centres in 32 countries. In South Africa, Quick Lane can be found in seven locations in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and now in the North West.
Ford Motor Company is the first vehicle manufacturer in South Africa to venture into the independent aftermarket sector, offering not only Ford customers an alternative, but also owners of other makes and models who don’t want to visit a traditional dealership. This is even more relevant under the Automotive Aftermarket Guidelines, also known as Right to Repair, which came into effect in July 2021. Under the guidelines, customers now have the freedom to choose from a multitude of independent service providers which offer them the combination of service and price that caters to their individual needs.
“Quick Lane is acutely aware of consumers’ growing desire and right to choose where they wish to service, maintain or repair their vehicles,” says Louisa Cordier, Quick Lane and Collision Business Manager at Ford South Africa. “We aim to make Quick Lane the number one auto franchise through our ongoing support, customer care, and training services. The launch of the first B-BBEE Level 1 Quick Lane is something we have been striving for and echoes our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” says Cordier.
With a focus on affordability, Quick Lane prioritises the use of approved and cost-effective parts from trusted brands on all vehicles, fitted by trained technicians. Further benchmarks for quality and workmanship are established by the fact that all Quick Lanes in South Africa are Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA) and Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) approved.
What makes Quick Lane unique when it comes to customer convenience is that vehicle services can be carried out while you wait, with or without an appointment. Quick Lane also provides a Vehicle Health Check to every customer to help ensure their vehicle is running properly and safely.
