Kevin Newell ‐ Sales Manager at our Dandenong Branch celebrated 40 years service on Monday 12 July 2010. During the lunchtime barbeque celebration Kevin gave us a ‘trip down memory lane’ recapping on the positions he held with Patterson Cheney prior to Preston Motors acquiring the Patterson Cheney Parts Network in March 2004.
In 1970 at the age of 17 Kevin was offered a full time position at S A Cheney in Flinders St City by Mr Alan Bell the Parts Manager. He worked in the Parts Receiving Area unloading goods with Norm Stanley & Fred Smith. He moved to Despatch - picking & packing orders under George Coulson and later became a Delivery Driver for the metro area.
Kevin moved to the Phone area taking orders from Sales Reps reporting to Alf Humphries. There he started to learn Parts Interpretation and attended Richmond Tech at night doing a parts course. He then was transferred to the Service Division on the back counter assisting John Smith servicing the mechanics with their parts requirements.
Bill Patterson Motors and S. A. Cheney merged in February 1973 and moved the operation from the City to Sturt St South Melbourne. Kevin then moved into Phone Sales located in Kavanagh Street, South Melbourne.
The business was relocated to Footscray into a new warehouse and Dealership.
Kevin remained in Phone sales reporting to Geoff Olcorn until he was asked to transfer to the Ringwood branch, under Ron Woods, and start up a new position driving a cash van servicing local mechanical workshops, service stations and used car yards with on the spot parts on a cash basis offering greater discount.
Kevin was transferred to the Dandenong branch, under John Scott, to use the same van concept but selling paint and refinish products to the Panel Industry, one week out of Dandenong & one week out of Footscray.
Later Kevin was given a part-time Sales Rep’s position travelling around Northern Victoria calling on Holden Dealers generating extra business and forming a contact between them and Patterson Cheney to supply their parts requirements.
Kevin moved to Gippsland on a full time basis doing the same job in competition with Graeme MacQualter of Preston Motors.
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Kevin became the 2IC to the Parts Manager in the Patterson Cheney Dandenong phone room and was then appointed as Warehouse Manager at Dandenong Distribution.
Following Phil Scott’s appointment as the new Parts Manager Kevin became the Parts Sales Manager with responsibility for the Sales Reps. Whilst in this position he spent time on the road calling on trade customers and Toyota dealers convincing them to purchase parts on a daily basis from Patterson Cheney rather than from the Factory.
Kevin said that in late 2003 they were informed that Preston Motors and Patterson Cheney had signed an agreement to merge Patterson Cheney’s Holden Parts Distribution business with the Preston Motors Parts business. This was implemented in May 2004 and Phil Scott, Kevin and 34 Patterson Cheney staff moved to Preston Motors Parts Sales in Greens Rd Dandenong.
Over a period of 6 weeks in excess of $1,000,000 dollars of stock was moved to Dandenong and located using the Toyota based Kaizan System which we have now seen implemented into all Preston Motors branches.
Today Kevin is responsible for the day to day operation of the Greens Rd Parts Sales & Distribution business.
After returning from an overseas trip in 1975, Kevin met Brenda, who was working for Drake Overload as a receptionist for Patterson Cheney and they married on 11/9/1976, after he took her to the Drive In, in a borrowed HB Torana which had a hole in the floor on the passenger’s side.
Today they have 2 children Stacey 32 & Bradley 30 and 2 grandsons Noah & Jackson.
Congratulations Kevin on 40 years of service in the Automotive Parts Industry! |
