12:30 pm, December 5, 2024
The Dealer Principal of the Year Award at the 2024 Car Dealer Used Car Awards has been bagged by the much-loved industry favourite, Car Quay boss, Craig Vladimirovs.
Vladimirovs, who runs the sales operation at the Derbyshire-based business, said he was ‘overwhelmed’ to scoop the prestigious gong, after years of attending the glitzy ceremony at the Brewery in Central London.
The 40-year-old bagged the prize in recognition of his ability to rally the troops and lead from the front, while ensuring everyone was making good progress in their careers and happy in their work.
He also plays a key role in the achievement of sales targets and the delivery of great customer service, the judges noted.
Reacting to his win, Vladimirovs paid tribute to his team’s determination in what has been a challenging period for the business and the industry as a whole.
He told Car Dealer: ‘It’s just fantastic. Absolutely brilliant. As a business we’ve had a tougher year behind the scenes with everything we’ve been trying to do, achieve and change.
‘It’s been a learning year and we’ve had to do a lot of new stuff that we haven’t before so to win it this year is incredibly special because I have worked hard this year.
‘To win it with the team that I’ve got, with a business owner who has allowed me to implement different ideas and go in a different direction is absolutely fantastic. It’s nice to get recognition for it.
Vladimirovs makes his way up to the stage after being named our Used Car Dealer Principal of the Year
‘Every award we win, the entire team is proud and it is a team effort. Yes, it’s got my name on it but it’s for everybody because we all club together and no single part can achieve anything without the others.
‘I think this is our eighth or ninth year at the Used Car Awards, so I’m a bit of an old timer I suppose, but this is my first time with my name on a piece of plastic so I am absolutely buzzed!’
Car Quay has been a serial winner at the Car Dealer Used Car Awards in recent times, with both the business and owner Jamie Caple collecting gongs in the past few years.
Caple was also highly commended in this year’s Dealers’ Dealer of the Year category, having won the prize last time out.
Vladimirovs has long been a key cog in the company’s success and his input was recognised just ahead of the highly commended Mark Gothard, from Rangebrook and Joanna Smith, from Wink Cars.
- Craig Vladimirovs, Car Quay
- Joanna Smith, Wink Cars
- Lee Ferguson, Pine Lodge Cars
- Mark Gothard, Rangebrook
- William Lee-Kemp, Auto Sportiva
Congratulating him on his win, Car Dealer founder and editor-in-chief James Baggott said: ‘’Very well done to Craig. This is an award that’s richly deserved. He was up against some tough competition so it’s an achievement he and the whole Car Quay team can feel incredibly proud of.’
Mike Brewer, host and compere of the Used Car Awards, added: ‘Many congratulations to Craig Vladimirovs!
‘He and his team ticked every box and got everything right when we looked into the business and carried out our mystery shopping. This is a banging result for Craig and his colleagues so very well done.’
Main image: Craig Vladimirovs collects his award from Mike Brewer and Mark Barker, development manager at Warranty Solutions Group
