MANILA, Philippines - The quiet whispers and countless rumors have been finally laid to rest as Mazda Motor Corporation (MMC) of Japan has announced that Berjaya Auto Philippines will start the distributorship of Mazda vehicles, parts, and accessories in the country starting January 1, 2013.
The major shareholders of Berjaya Auto Philippines, Inc. will be Bermaz Motor International Ltd., an indirect subsidiary of Berjaya Corporation Berhad, and Berjaya Philippines, Inc. The former is a major Malaysian conglomerate listed in the Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad while the latter is listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange.
Yuji Nakamine, Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer of MMC and Francis Lee, Executive Director of Bermaz Motor International Limited were on hand during the formal signing of the Distributor Agreement at the Blue Leaf Pavilion in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. Cristino Panlilio, the Undersecretary for Industry and Investments of the Department of Trade and Industry witnessed the signing.
“Mazda is very impressed with Berjaya’s track record in building the Mazda business in Malaysia, registering year over year sales increases in Malaysia since its appointment in 2008 [from less than 1,000 units in 2009 to about 6,000 units in 2011]. With this new business opportunity, Berjaya again demonstrates its commitment to Mazda by investing in the Philippines, establishing an organization many months before official operation and filling the positions with experienced professional management talent,” said Yuji Nakamine.
Berjaya Auto Philippines is helmed by Steven Tan, who serves as the Chief Operating Officer. Tan has more than 15 years of experience in the automotive industry, and has handled key leadership positions across the Asia-Pacific region including a previous stint in the Philippines as the Vice-President of Sales and Marketing of Ford. This puts him in a unique position as he understands the subtleties, opportunities, and challenges of working here.
When pressed as to the future plans of Berjaya Auto Philippines for Mazda, Tan remained tight-lipped. However, he emphasized that their first priority is to make sure that the transition between Mazda’s current distributor and Berjaya Auto Philippines is as seamless as possible not just for customers, but for dealers as well.
But despite not giving specifics about Mazda’s future plans, they’re nonetheless promising to continue offering new and exciting products. It must be noted that Mazda is already well-known for its stylish and high-quality vehicles such as the recently launched Mazda CX-5 with SkyActiv and the BT-50 pickup with its 200-hp 3.2-liter diesel engine. And thanks to the renewed backing from the Berjaya Group, it will definitely bring the brand to new heights.
The Berjaya Group isn’t new in the Philippines. The group has already been in the country for 18 years and currently has 800 employees engaged in a wide variety of businesses from food & beverage, hotels, gaming & lottery management business; and now, automotive distribution.