Hamills win ‘Vehicle Recovery Operator of the Year’ title

Hamills won the ‘Vehicle Recovery Operator of the Year’ title at the SIMI Irish Motor Industry Awards at the Clayton Hotel in Dublin.

The event was held in partnership with sponsor Bank of Ireland, and Simon Delaney, master of ceremonies, announced the accolades in front of 700 senior motor industry figures.

Brian Cooke, SIMI director general and John Feeney, head of Property, Project and Asset-backed Finance of Bank of Ireland Finance presented the five award categories.

The award winners, adjudicated by an independent panel, operate across all sectors of the Irish motor industry. Companies selected demonstrated an award-winning level of excellence and best practice over the last 12 months.

Category Award Winners

Vehicle Recovery Operator of the Year: Hamill Rental Ltd, County Westmeath,

Bodyshop of the Year: Denning’s Cars Ltd, Dublin,

Independent Retailer Operation of the Year: Autopoint Motor Group, County Kerry,

Franchised Aftersales Operation of the Year: Toyota Naas, County Kildare,

Franchise Sales Operation of the Year: Western Motors Drogheda, County Louth

Before the announcement, SIMI president Paddy Magee commended the resilience and adaptability of the motor industry to trade during challenging times and acknowledged the continued committed to the climate change targets.

He said the motor trade has play a significant role in the Irish economy; €1 billion was collected for the exchequer from car sales last year, and when other motoring taxes, and the annual tax take from motorists are included, the figure is close to €6 billion.

Mr Magee said: “Manufacturers and retailers have worked diligently to grow the EV market, and more than 70 different new electric vehicles models are now available.

“While we accept that incentives cannot continue indefinitely, it is still premature to start phasing supports. The government have been generous in their supports of EVs to date, and it is imperative that their commitment is maintained as we move to the next cohort of potential EV buyers.”

The SIMI welcomed Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI), who announced the winners of the ZEVI EV Dealership of the Year regional awards.

The awards recognise and reward excellence in the promotion and sale of electric vehicles (EVs) in Ireland.

ZEVI EV Dealership of the Year Regional Award Winners:

Fitzpatrick’s Garage Kildare Ltd in Kildare for Leinster,

Fermoy Nissan in Cork for Munster,

Western Motors Ltd in Galway for Connaught,

Connolly’s Volkswagen Letterkenny for Ulster

John Feeney from Bank of Ireland) said they are “delighted to partner with SIMI for the Irish Motor Industry Awards”.

“The event is a small representation of our strong and steady backing for the motor finance business. We are immensely proud of our partnership with 23 motor brands. Bank of Ireland are committed to supporting the transition to electric vehicles, which is an important part of our national story, and we are proud to help facilitate the industry in delivery an incredible range of vehicles to their customers.”

Mr Magee praised all the companies who were shortlisted for each of the SIMI Motor Industry Award categories.