Our History
Peter Vardy Limited is a modern company with a fresh approach for the 21st century but built on firm foundations stretching back more than 80 years.
The Vardy name is one of the best known in the motor industry having been established by Reg Vardy in 1923 and grown by his son Sir Peter Vardy into one of Europe's most successful motor retailers with a turnover of £1.7bn and 6,000 employees across the UK.
The business was built on honesty, integrity and excellent service, growing to earn an international reputation in the industry and able to attract the best people.
The experience and expertise gained in the family business has helped Reg's grandson Peter shape and refine his own company to meet the needs of colleagues and customers today.
Peter Vardy Ltd is the next generation - a new company for a new era.
Timeline
February 2006
Peter Vardy leaves his position as General Manger of Rossleigh Jaguar Edinburgh and Sir Peter Vardy steps down as Chief Executive of Reg Vardy plc following the Group's acquisition for £506m by Pendragon.
May 2006
The Vardy Group of Companies is launched in Durham. Sir Peter establishes Vardy Venture Capital and his elder son Richard launches Vardy Property Group. Peter Vardy works on the development Peter Vardy Ltd, the most exciting new company to enter motor retailing for many years. He is joined by managing director Jamie Crowther, finance director Gary Dreghorn and marketing manager Carly Smith.
June 2006
Peter Vardy Limited is officially launched with the acquisition of Perth Vauxhall from Autovision of Inverness. Martin Dale joins as IT Manager to develop the IT strategy and infrastructure of the group.
July 2006
Human resources manager Anita Douglas and Craig Macfarlane, franchise development manager, join the company. Peter Vardy Ltd appoints Kerridge and British Car Auctions as key partners to support its planned growth.
October 2006
The Accelerator Programme, an innovative and unique scheme to attract the best people in the motor industry by linking performance and ambition with rewards, is launched. The programme is the first in the industry to place equal value on employees' performance, their behaviour at work and their desire to learn, and to reward with a range of flexible benefits.
The company website, www.petervardy.com, is launched. It highlights exclusive offers on new Vauxhalls, a Car Finder search tool for customers interested in used vehicles and the opportunity to book services and MOT tests online. The latest job vacancies are posted on the site along with details of the company's unique franchise model. The website also provides information on Peter Vardy Ltd, its vision and values, a company news service and road tests.
November 2006
Peter Vardy announces its first community sponsorship, unveiling a plan to support Young Carers, one of the groups to which PKAVS (Perth & Kinross Association of Voluntary Services) provides support and services. Throughout 2007, the dealership will help by taking the young carers out once every quarter, by sponsoring the charity's annual open day and by providing free servicing and maintenance of its people carriers.
January 2007
The company announces the creation of up to 60 new jobs in Kirkcaldy after buying land to build a new Vauxhall dealership in the Fife town. Chief Executive Peter Vardy says Kirkcaldy has immense potential since it is the main motor retail centre for the area and is already a destination for customers. The company hopes to secure planning permission in time to build and open the new dealership by summer 2007.
Innovative plans to allow talented general managers to become owners of their dealerships and to share in the success they create are unveiled. The unique opportunity to become a Peter Vardy Managing Partner will see general managers with a proven track record investing in their own dealership and enjoying the financial rewards of the business they build. Mark Berwick, branch manager at Perth Vauxhall who started his career as a mechanic, becomes the first Managing Partner, saying it represents a fantastic opportunity.
March 2007
Perth Vauxhall goes straight into the top spot of Vauxhall dealerships in the East of Scotland in the manufacturer's annual appraisal of market share performance. Peter Vardy Vauxhall secures the number one position after just seven months of operations. Vauxhall UK retail sales director Andy Dunston describes the Perth team's success as a "fantastic achievement".
Peter Vardy acquires its second Vauxhall dealership in Motherwell. The company unveils plans to build a brand new flagship dealership on the site at Airbles Road by the end of the year. The acquisition marks a return to Motherwell for the Vardy family - Peter's mother, Lady Margaret Vardy, and her family come from Motherwell. The purchase also sees the launch of a new division of Peter Vardy Ltd, Peter's Car Company, a brand which reflects the fun and vibrancy of the business.
July 2007
Peter Vardy acquires its first specialist dealership. The acquisition of the former Dunedin BMW site in Edinburgh marks the company's first business in the Scottish capital. The company unveils plans to move Mini to a dedicated new showroom allowing the existing building to become the biggest showroom in Scotland dedicated to the BMW brand.
September 2007
Peter Vardy opens its Kirkcaldy Vauxhall site. The purpose built site further establishes the Peter Vardy name in Fife alongside the extremely successful Perth based dealership.
November 2007
Commercial Director Jeremy Simpson joins the company. Jeremy will oversee the marketing division and establish commercial opportunities for the company.
May 2008
Peter Vardy Supports New Charity. Peter Vardy Ltd has backed a new charity that helps severely unprivileged women and children in Cambodia. The Hagar Foundation in Cambodia provides women and children from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds opportunities for recovery in readiness to pursue reintegration options through emotional, psychological and social support in secure residential environments. Peter Vardy Ltd has vowed to raise funds to supply the Hagar Foundation with 1000 water filters. Due to the levels of poverty access to clean, drinkable water is limited. A Peter Vardy project force has been set up to find solutions to raise funds to meet this goal. The whole work force at Peter Vardy is committed to achieving this goal and along with the support of our customers and suppliers hope to make the lives of women and children in Cambodia greatly improved.
June 2008
Peter Vardy Celebrates 2nd Birthday. Here at Peter Vardy we have recently celebrated our 2nd Birthday. The 2nd of June saw us turn 2 years old. To mark this occasion we are celebrating with a Carnival Weekend at all our dealerships including various forms of children's entertainment. The Carnival weekend will take place on the weekend of the 14th of June.
August 2008
Over £30000 was raised for The Hagar Foundation through staff, customers and suppliers.
November 2008
The new and improved site of Peter Vardy Ltd goes live. After two years of growth, the company is now offering the ultimate customer-friendly experience to internet users with a vast array of services made available through the re-designed website. The new-look site is the culmination of a major effort to boost the firm’s online presence and is providing a “one-stop shop”, with customers able to get everything they need from petervardy.com. Visitors to the site will be able to choose from a huge selection of new cars and vans from the company’s Vauxhall, BMW and Mini dealerships, as well as a wide range of used vehicles.
Details of new vehicles will be accompanied by reviews from What Car? magazine, to give customer an independent opinion on the car they are considering. Customers can also make finance arrangements and obtain insurance quotes online meaning they do not have to leave the Peter Vardy site to sort out issues related to their purchase.
December 2008
13 members of staff visit Cambodia to see the money raised in action by earlier charity efforts. Last year nearly £35,000 was collected through fund-raising events and donations. The money raised is helping to pay for water filters to help eradicate disease, especially among children, in 1,400 families.
Euan Cameron, one of those who made the trip, said: “I spoke to a mother-of-eight who said at least two of her children had diarrhoea every month because of filthy water. Since she’s had a water filter the problem has stopped. It’s really made a difference.”
The money collected by Peter Vardy Ltd will also support the charity’s work with abused women and orphaned children.
March 2009
In a unprecendeted move Peter Vardy's 3 Vauxhall Dealerships have been named the top 3 dealerships in the UK by Vauxhall themselves.
The dealerships were measured against Vauxhalls new car target which saw them hit an incredible 300% of their target. This performance put the 3 Peter Vardy Dealerships in 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the whole of the UK for the first quarter of 2009. Once again an oustanding and unheralded performance for such a newly established company.
April 2009
Once again the Peter Vardy Annual Ball saw the coming together of colleagues, suppliers, partners and friends of the company for a night of celebration and recognititon. The event is held yearly and sees all branches and departments of the Peter Vardy Group come together for a fun evening to celebrate everyones hard efforts over the year. The evnt is eagerly anticipated throughout the company and was held at the Corn Exchange in Edinburgh. The highlight of the evening was the annual awards which recognise the efforts of the colleagues within the organisation who are outstanding in their field. One of the core values of Peter Vardy is recognition and these awards are a critical part of these values. Below is a list of the award categories and winners.
Company Star:
Ginny Mckinnie
Dealership Of The Year:
Motherwell
Department Of The Year:
Motherwell Used Cars
Manager Of The Year:
Gary Wilson
Administrator of The Year:
Laura Moffat
Accounts Person Of The Year:
Lara Tuttle
Parts Person Of The Year:
John Mckenzie
Technician Of The Year:
Matt Ross
Service Person Of The Year:
Cliff Nairn
Sales Person Of The Year:
Al Edwards
The ball was a fantastic success for all concerned not just those fortunate enough to win awards.
May 2009
Peter Vardy opens new designated preperation centre in Livingston. The preparation centre will allow a more efficient process meaning cost savings can be passed directly onto customers. The designated facility and team will mean all cars will receive the highest level of preparation passing the thourough Peter Vardy 114 point check.
May 2009
Peter Vardy launches unique Just Drive vehicle financing scheme bringing new cars in at used car payments
July 2009
Scotland-based Peter Vardy Vauxhall has clinched the top two places in the carmaker's Chairman's Circle league which ranks more than 400 dealerships across the UK. The group also announced a 35 per cent increase in year-on-year sales. Peter Vardy's Perth operation has also made it into the top 10, ranking an impressive sixth place.
The rankings cover the first six months of 2009, are awarded for overall performance of the dealerships across the UK, based on a number of criteria including, retail sales, parts sales and customer satisfaction. The judging also includes a mystery shop to grade a dealership's sales and aftersales performance.
"We are delighted with the success of the company after being in business for only three years," said chief executive, Peter Vardy said.
"The Vauxhall franchises have seen remarkable sales growth this year and our BMW and Mini dealerships have also performed extremely well despite some of the challenges that the industry is facing," he said.
September 2009
The Peter Vardy Foundation was launched in September 2009 with an initial £100K investment as a means of distributing 10 per cent of our annual profits to worthwhile causes in the communities where we operate across Scotland (Motherwell, Perth, Kirkcaldy and Edinburgh).
Group Chief Executive Peter Vardy said "When we opened for business in Scotland three years ago, we were determined that Peter Vardy would be a company that did things differently for the benefit of customers, staff and the wider community.
The Peter Vardy Foundation is our mechanism for delivering on this commitment. We are interested in supporting youth-focused charities that could use some additional help. If you are involved in an organisation that fits this criteria, please get in touch."
Since we founded the business, we were determined to do things differently, and that included putting the wellbeing of our colleagues and their families above anything else. This is the reason we have taken the decision to close on Sundays. Feedback from colleagues around a healthy work/life balance led us to trial Sunday closing at our Perth dealership and the results were overwhelmingly positive. We had a similarly positive response from the vast majority of our customers.
January 2010
January saw the launch of Sunday closing across the Peter Vardy group. The Peter Vardy Sunday closing ensures that everyone in the company gets a weekend day off each week with no work intrusions. This also allows the company to provide more effective Management cover to coach and support our colleagues across six days, rather than pro rata working over seven days which in turn enables us to deliver a better experience for customers. The revolutionary announcement received widespread media coverage and overwhelmingly positive response from both staff and customers alike. To see an example of media response please click here
February 2010
Peter Vardy has seen unrivalled success in 3 categories at the 19th annual AM Awards for Excellence, including the prestigious 'Best Motor Group' award!
On one of the industries biggest nights of the year, Peter Vardy scooped the awards for 'Best Company To Work For', 'Best Community Initiative' and 'Best Motor Group'. This recognition comes from across the industry with dealers, manufacturers and industry suppliers at the focus of the ceremony.
Success at the AM Awards has become the benchmark by which the industry judges itself. This remarkable feat for Peter Vardy Ltd comes during only it's third year of trading. This achievement further cements the reputation of the Vardy family as being synonymous with the motor industry.
March 2010
Peter Vardy have been voted the 22nd best UK company to work for in the 2010 Sunday Times poll.
This exceptional result comes off the heels of last years placing of 54th in the same poll. With Peter Vardy now entrenched within the top 25, this is a strong signal of how satisfied the leadership and colleagues are within this young dynamic company.
Below is an exerpt from the Sunday Times Assesment:
"The entire team from the leadership down are using their passion and drive to achieve results, and as a result have created a superb working environment for all concerned. This massive recognition can be attributed to the whole team for what they are doing and what they believe in.
Chief executive Peter Vardy, who comes from a long line of car dealers, founded the company in 2006. He writes a team email every Sunday to update the workforce and, seen as one of the guys, regularly mucks in on the shop floor.
"Our leader is one of the most visionary, motivational individuals I have ever come across," an employee said. "His enthusiasm spreads throughout the workplace, making the working environment the zone to be in."
May 2010
The annual Peter Vardy Ball descended upon the Edinburgh Corn Exchange on May 1st, which once more was a fantastic evening of recognition for all involved with the company. The guests and their partners were treated to a marvellous evening of entertainment, befitting of the recently voted UK's 22nd best company to work for. The tradition of presenting awards to meritorious colleagues continued, with several staff members receiving accolades in front of their peers. The full list of the evenings winners can be seen below.
- Best 2nd Mile Sales Colleague:
Lorna Mcleod - Motherwell - Best 2nd Mile Service Colleague:
Mitchell Moir - Perth - Best 2nd Mile Parts Colleague:
Darren Blane - Perth - Best 2nd Mile Sales Department:
Bmw Edinburgh - Best 2nd Mile Service Department:
Kirkcaldy - Best 2nd Mile Parts Department:
Motherwell - Best 2nd Mile Dealership:
Perth
July 2010
Peter Vardy acquires two new Vauxhall sites from the John Martin Group.The new additions are based in Aberdeen and Edinburgh and also represent Chevrolet, both are located in established car retailing areas. Peter Vardy now operates five Vauxhall sites across Scotland. The group, which was launched in 2006, now operates a total of nine dealerships and also represents BMW and Mini. "Not only are we venturing into a new area in Scotland with the Aberdeen dealership, we are also expanding in the capital," said chief executive Peter Vardy. "A great deal of time and effort has gone into securing Aberdeen and Edinburgh Vauxhall; we are committed to the brand and the teams that represent it. The current success of these two dealerships and the respectful relationship we have built with John Martin over the years, made it the perfect fit," he said.
November 2010
Peter Vardy launches Rookie Sales Academy. At Peter Vardy, we believe in supporting and developing our colleagues to be the best that they can be, so that’s exactly what we wanted to do with some fresh candidates in The Peter Vardy Sales Academy. This year we invited people who are new to the automotive industry, or new to the sales environment to come along and show us their drive and passion to succeed and their natural rapport with people from all walks of life. We used our knowledge and expertise of the sales environment to identify 11 candidates from the many who applied that we believed would be most likely to succeed.
The successful candidates will join our other ‘Sales Rookies’ for a 12 week programme where the focus will be on giving them everything they need to become highly successful sales advisors in our award winning organisation.
The programme is a mixture of classroom training at our head office and ‘hands on’ activities at their designated dealership (as well as a few more unusual days that we’ll keep a surprise for now). We’ll work closely with the candidates to build confidence and knowledge and make sure they know exactly what it takes to create delighted customers who always come back to us.
Each candidate will have a dedicated trainer and coach throughout the entire programme who will continue to support them once they are out in the job for real.
February 2011
The company takes up 15th Place in The Sunday Times Top 100 Companies to work for 2011 - A huge achievement recognising our commitment to putting our colleagues first.
June 2011
Celebrates five year birthday with huge discounts across all franchises.
August 2011
Peter Vardy Ltd picks up Workshop of the Year Award at the 21st annual Motor Trader Industry Awards hosted in London's Grosvenor House on Wednesday 13th July.
September 2011
The company joins the social media world with a strong ‘Join the Journey’ campaign across Twitter, Facebook and Youtube.
January 2012
Hosted an incredible 2012 launch event at Stirling Castle and donated £36,000 to our selected charities for the year.
February 2012
Ran a successful social media competition to give away 3 Astra GTC’s for three months. The winners blogged about their journeys on the competitons Microsite at http://ultimatejourneygtc.blogspot.co.uk/