GT Group - a one stop shop
17/06/2016
At GT Group, they provide their customers with a one stop shop for all their motoring needs. Celebrating 25 years in business in 2015, Managing Director Darren Ferguson traces the company's roots from its humble beginnings as a petrol station in Gormanston, Co Meath.
In 1990, the late Mike Ferguson and his wife Martina bought what was then a run-down petrol station in Gormanston, Co Meath.
Mike was a great believer in the personal touch and, over the next fifteen years, he and his family built up a large and loyal customer base.
At the time they also carried out puncture repairs and sold tyres on a small scale. Mike’s youngest son Darren took a keen interest in the family business and joined its payroll as an 18-year-old in 2001.
Four years later, the Ferguson family sold the petrol station and, straight away, Darren set up a tyre repair and sales centre in Julianstown.
Today GT Group employs 17 and is on the lookout to take on additional staff such is the volume of work coming through its Keenogue Business Park doors.
“We started the 24 hour recovery next in 2008 after buying our first tow truck,” Darren recalled. “We were doing a lot of recovery work for Laytown Garda district and crash repairs were a natural progression for us. Instead of towing vehicles back to the storage compound for another business to repair them, we diversified into crash repairs and GT Crash Repair Centre was set up in 2009.
“We were running all that from our Mosney Road premises but, in 2013, a state-of-the-art unit became available in Keenogue Business Park, Julianstown and we were able to move the whole operation on to the one site. At the same time we decided to rebrand the company.”
GT Group comprises three separate divisions - GT Recovery, GT Crash Repair Centre and GT Tyre & Service Centre - and combined they bring their clients a complete range of motoring repair and maintenance services all under one roof.
GT Recovery provides 24hr recovery and breakdown service 365 days a year. Some of their clientele include An Garda Siochana, insurance companies, main dealers, motorway maintenance companies as well as their own customer base built up through years of service.
From a flat tyre to a flat battery, many motoring mishaps occur before you even leave the driveway. GT Recovery can get you started and on your journey quickly with their Home Rescue service. They also specialise in recovering and transporting all types of commercial vehicles, heavy goods vehicles and agricultural vehicles and equipment. Regardless of size, weight or location, they can fulfil all of their customers' heavy towing requirements.
GT Crash Repair Centre, meanwhile, is a market leader in providing collision damage repairs to all types of vehicles. They provide a comprehensive range of crash repair services using the latest equipment. Their body repair specialists are qualified to the highest industry standards and are committed to producing the highest quality repairs and finishes.
GT Crash Repair Centre provide the highest standard in crash repair. They carry out all types of body repair, restorations, and much more and specialise in chassis alignment and major body component repair and replacement.
Full body resprays and complete vehicle colour changes are also a speciality. They use the very latest technology in oven bake finishing and employ a state of the art colour matching system to ensure a high quality showroom finish, every time.
GT Tyre & Service Centre supplies and fits all top quality brands of tyres including Semperit, Pirelli, Bridgestone Dunlop and many more premium brand tyres to suit all budgets and all types of vehicle.
They provide a full range of vehicle maintenance and repair services to maintain your vehicle in top motoring condition all year round. They also stock an extensive range of alloy wheels, car accessories, premium brand vehicle batteries and much more.
Their professional tyre fitters are always on hand to advice on tyre choice to suit your vehicle, budget and driving conditions. They also provide computerised balancing and laser alignment services.
Servicing, routine maintenance and all types of mechanical repairs are catered for at GT Tyres & Servicing. From diagnosis of minor faults to full engine rebuilds, our service department is fully equipped for all of a car’s servicing needs.
In addition, they provide a full pre-test service to ensure your car passes the National Car Test first time. They operate a dedicated NCT test lane for pre-testing of all vehicles prior to the test to ensure accurate pre-testing and remedy of any defects.
Open Monday to Friday (9am to 7pm) and Saturday (9am to 6pm), Darren explained: “We consider ourselves a one stop shop and each division is managed as a separate entity by specialists in each field.
“Thankfully, business is really flying at the moment. We've witnessed an increase in business every year since we started and a big increase in turnover.
“We're always trying to keep ahead of the game and, as a result, we are constantly investing in new equipment as new technology comes out and investing in staff training. All of our staff are trained and certified to the highest standard while we also place a big emphasis on waste compliance.”
GT Group
U1 Keenogue Business Pk,
Julianstown,
Co Meath
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (041) 981 1800 Fax: (041) 981 1008
Mobile: (086) 600 5534
Taken from Irish Trucker & Light Commercials magazine, Vol 18 No 7, September 2015
