Posted: 6/08/2013
South Australia’s most awarded Toyota dealer celebrates its 50 year partnership with Toyota during 2013.
The celebrations have begun and will continue all year as CMI Toyota marks a huge milestone in its history and thanks the customers who have helped them achieve it.
CMI’s journey began in 1963 when a family-owned, Regency Park based company founded by Sidney Crawford started distributing Toyota four-wheel drive and commercial vehicles throughout South Australia.
At first a sceptical public questioned the reliability and quality of vehicles manufactured in Japan but just a few years later their concerns were allayed and demand often exceeded the factory’s ability to supply.
In 1967 Jim Crawford took over the management of CMI Toyota from his father Sid, and by the mid-80s Jim’s sons David, Michael and Paul joined their father in the business. Michael and Paul became joint managing directors in 1988 when Jim retired, and as CMI Toyota switched from being a distributor to a retailer of Toyota motor vehicles.
The 1990s were strong years for the company as it opened a service centre in Stepney (CMI Eastside) and a dealership in Christies Beach (CMI Southside). It had established itself as the Number One Toyota dealership for passenger and commercial vehicles in South Australia. CMI Portside at Cheltenham was opened in 2006.
In a highly competitive market CMI continues to prove its ability to produce sales results driven by its core promise of exceptional customer service. Its innovative advertising theme ‘We love to see you CMI-ling’ has been running since 2000 and reflects their customer-driven mantra.
In early 2010 CMI’s impressive flagship West Terrace headquarters was built, allowing the company to provide an even better level of service and comfort for its customers in the state of the art new dealership.
CMI Toyota has won six out of the last seven Toyota Dealer of the Year awards, the 2012 award having been awarded in March. CMI Toyota Dealer general Manager Mr Roy Marando says that CMI is constantly striving. “We’re not complacent, we’re grateful,” says Mr Marando.
He says the 50th anniversary is all about thanking their customers. “It’s great news for CMI customers as they will benefit all year long from special offers and anniversary deals we’ve put together.
“We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for our customers, so this anniversary is especially about thanking them for their part in our success – because without them we couldn’t be the top selling Toyota dealer in Adelaide. We have some very exciting promotions and special deals throughout our year-long celebrations to do just that,” says Mr Marando.
Third generation of this family owned business, Managing Director Paul Crawford, says he’s proud of the company’s achievements.
“Three generations of our family have worked hard to make our company what it is today – commercially successful and with a huge reputation for looking after our customers,” says Mr Crawford.
“So we are all extremely proud of this tremendous milestone and very thankful to the people of South Australia – our customers - who have supported us. Our partnership with Toyota is really strong and South Australians have benefited from that for the last 50 years and will continue to benefit from this enduring relationship.”
“We’re all really proud of our achievements and of our fantastic staff and now look forward to putting the ‘CMI-le’ on the faces of more South Australians over the next 50 great years.”