The Harris Group has been a cornerstone of the Irish motoring industry since it was founded by the late Robert “Pino” Harris in 1961. While Ireland was finding its economic feet in the 1960s, it was still a challenging time for all businesses, and yet instead of following the herd, and sticking with the perceived wisdom, Pino decided that he would do things differently when it came to selling heavy trucks to Irish hauliers. He decided to become the agent for a then little-known brand — Hino Trucks.
“Pino went to Japan in 1966 to explore opportunities for the business,” says Denise Harris, his widow. Mrs Harris is today the chairwoman and chief executive of Harris Group, and has led the company since the untimely passing of Pino in 2017. “He really was a visionary in the transport industry, and we are grateful that he put such wonderful foundations in place for the company, to allow it to become the market leader it is today,” she said.
In 2014, Pino pulled off another decisive move when he began negotiating with Chinese carmaker Shanghai Automotive, owner of the Maxus brand. That was a coup that has set the Harris Group up to capitalise on its long-standing success in this decade and the next. Not only is Harris Group the exclusive Irish importer for Maxus — and its all-important, and growing, electric van line-up — but the company is also the sole distributor for the UK, and other key right-hand drive European markets. It has also taken on the duty of training Maxus technicians from all over the continent.
Harris Group occupies prime real estate sites on Dublin’s Naas Road having moved from its traditional home at the junction with the Long Mile Road. The group’s headquarters is a striking office development on a 24-acre site, complete with a state-of-the-art showroom, training academy, and storage for spare parts, as well as incoming new vehicles. The precisely arranged line of vans and trucks, in addition to the diversity of buses and electric MPVs on sale, makes for a remarkable sight if you’re driving along the Naas Road, or passing by on the Luas Red Line.
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That headquarters is the nerve centre of a vast network of 120 independent dealers across Ireland, the UK, Cyprus, Malta, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man — where Harris operates with many of its brands which include Isuzu, Maxus, and Higer Bus & Coach.
The business will not stop here either. The company has ambitious expansion plans this year with the group set to increase its dealer network by 15 per cent and sales set to grow by 60 per cent, as well as expanding into new markets. Famed for its EV commercial vehicle sales, thanks to the Maxus connection, Harris Group is now exploring the opportunities the passenger car market presents too.
“This will be quite a big change for us — but it is a change we are ready for,” says Brian Patterson, who is the group’s managing director. “Internal preparations are afoot as we seek to take advantage of global market trends, demographic changes in Ireland and increasing Government supports targeted at EV ownership.”
To carry out this expansion plan, Harris has instigated a restructuring of the business. Alongside Patterson, Denise Harris has appointed Mark Barret to the role of managing director of group franchises, while John Keogh is now managing director of retail operations. Barry McGrane is Harris Group’s newly-appointed chief financial officer with Nigel Birkmyre joining the Harris Group board. Widely recognised as a trusted leader and adviser to the automotive industry, Birkmyre will provide strategic counsel and support to the new management team.
Climate targets
Given the current Government’s policy ambition to meet net zero climate targets, decarbonising transport will be a key enabler of this and the Harris Group is keen to play its part. The company has already introduced a robust company carbon policy to reduce its emissions to zero by 2030.
Leading by example is an important ethos of the company which is why it is helping its customers to make the environmentally friendly choice with the new line-up of Maxus eDeliver electric vans. Ever mindful of good customer service practices, Patterson confirms that it’s not just a question of pushing electric vehicles at clients but providing a bespoke service that fits their requirements. Dealers are trained to carefully assess each customer’s needs and to help them decide when it is the right time for them to embrace the transition to electric. “The customer is at the heart of everything we do at the Harris Group,” says Patterson.” Mrs Harris agrees, saying that it is a key tenet of the group that the customer is supported, “because they are the person who will buy the next vehicle from you, and that is the success on which this business was built”.
Training
Harris Group’s new training academy is now qualifying graduates in the latest, cutting-edge, servicing and maintenance techniques, helping to fill the gaps that have opened up in the motor industry for qualified mechanics and technicians. “We can take them through three levels,” says Patterson. “From maintenance tech to diagnostic tech to master technician. We train, and the dealers invest in the training programme too. We are proud of the learning path we provide to graduates, it has proven time and again to be a very high-value training course.”
For all the expansion, for all the success, for all the restructuring, the Harris Group remains very much a company with a family ethos at its core, and one that aims to help the people who work there grow and fulfil their ambitions. “We had a young chap who started with us as a valet for buses,” says Mrs Harris. “He approached me and asked if he could retrain as a mechanic, which I encouraged him to do. But after a while, he felt this was not his calling, and he asked me if there was something else he could do, rather than leave the group. I put the necessary structures in place to empower him to reach his potential and now he is working in our administration department, dealing with tenders and shipping, and he’s absolutely thriving.
“We are extremely fortunate here on the Naas Road and because of our people-centric values we have a high talent retention rate. People do not work for me, but rather we work together as a team. I am excited about the next stage of the group’s development. Undoubtedly it will grow and increase its market share, but just as importantly for me is that the people who are with us will grow too.”
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