BORN with ‘fuel in his veins’, Dirk Ellis founded Dirk Ellis Motors in 1984 – four years after joining the sales team at Volkswagen Handelaarskap (Marais & Erasmus) in 1980.
In fact, he had an eye on the town’s award-winning dealership for quite some time while selling and buying vehicles as a beginner salesperson.
Dreaming big and with a vision of success, Ellis bought 33% shares in the Humansdorp Volkswagen Dealership situated at Saffery Street in 1982, followed by 17% more shares in 1983. After purchasing the remaining shares in 1984, he was appointed Dealer Chief at the age of 26.
The dealership was renamed Dirk Ellis Motors, before becoming known as Dirk Ellis Volkswagen in 2013. In early 1988, after four years as the owner of Dirk Ellis Motors, Ellis came to the realisation that the building housing his business did not meet the high standards he set for himself and his product. So, he decided to construct his own building in Main Street, Humansdorp. Over the years, the business expanded to such an extent that it had to move once again in 2013 – this time to a new, large world-class building in Maluti Street, Jeffreys Bay.
Customer excellence
Dirk Ellis Volkswagen has over the past four decades become a landmark in the Kouga region and surrounding areas – establishing a name for the quality of its vehicles and its unwavering commitment to customer service. They endeavour to keep their clients satisfied and build long-term relationships with every customer. What makes them different from the rest is that they do business with integrity and that they do things right the first time.
They furthermore look at the best way to assist their clients in a quick, efficient way, with customer satisfaction as a priority.
“At Dirk Ellis Volkswagen customer service is our heartbeat,” says Ellis. “We always strive to exceed our customers’ expectations by providing the best quality vehicles and excellent service.”
According to Ellis, a myriad of things has changed over the past forty years, especially technology and pricing. “When I first started to sell cars, there were no ‘power’ wheels or power steering, and no model had air conditioning. Vehicles also came without radios – only the luxury cars, like the Audi 200, had radios.”
Awards
Numerous awards confirm the high service quality: including Dealer of the Year (six years), Club of Excellence (13 years), New Vehicle Sales Manager (five years), Service Manager Award (two years), Golden Pin and Diamond Pin.
Community involvement
Not only is Ellis’s business important to him, but the interests of the local community are also close to his heart – his being actively involved in the community for the past four decades.
During 1986, he donated a Management Training Engine to Nico Malan High School in Humansdorp. This vehicle was replaced with a new car every year. Later years Ellis annually donated book prizes, including Stulting Primary School in Humansdorp.
Striving to tackle community projects every year, Dirk Ellis Volkswagen launched an Amarok campaign in 2015, in conjunction with Solidarity Helping Hand – collecting dresses for underprivileged women in the community.
In 2016, Dirk Ellis Volkswagen collected nappies for Timion, a local organisation that works with children with cerebral palsy. ‘Toys are up!’ was their campaign in 2017 where they encouraged customers and residents to donate toys. During this campaign, toys – that filled five Volkswagen vehicles –were donated to children’s wards at local and surrounding hospitals.
In 2019, on Mandela Day, they donated R30 000 to Talhado Children’s Haven in St Francis Bay.
Future
“My biggest wish is that Dirk Ellis Volkswagen will strive to remain the top Volkswagen dealer in South Africa,” says Ellis.
“All you need to do to be successful in the auto industry, is to look after your customers. My staff and I work according to a plan and it is important not to deviate from the plan.
“If every employee feels part of the business and feels cared for, it is not a difficult plan.”
