New Zealand's Southpac Trucks has beaten over 25 Australasian dealers to claim the Kenworth Service Dealer of the Year award. 
The award recognises the dealership with the highest ranking across five main areas – technician training, tooling and dealership investment, Kenworth owner survey results and the dealership's commitment to longterm customer support strategies. 
PACCAR Australia national service manager Ryan Hooper congratulated Southpac for its "professionalism, outstanding customer support and for setting a strong example for other dealers to strive for."
Added Hooper: "Southpac again has focused on the most important factor in the business – the customer. They have again shown the highest standards of service and professionalism."
The award, he said, "is about which dealer provides the best overall performance for the customer – encouraging all dealers across the Kenworth dealer network to strive for customer excellence."
Southpac CEO Maarten Durent dedicated the award to his team and the NZ dealer network "for their hard work, dedication and passion – which shows through in all they do.
"We are extremely honoured to win this award and for being recognised as the top-performing service dealer amongst an already-outstanding cast of dealers in Australia. The relationship we have with our customers is paramount to our success, and we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer service and support." 
He said that 2019 was a "massive" year for Southpac and the NZ dealer group: "Investment in new and facility upgrades are never-ending – with new, world class facilities at TRL Gore, McCurdy Trucks, New Plymouth, and Dunedin Truck Servicing." 
Added Durent: "In terms of winning awards, we have done really well in the last 10 years: We are consistently in PACCAR's top-performing dealer group.
"The recognition is great, but there is no backing off or getting comfortable about our achievements. 
"We still see lots of room where we can and will improve. That requires determination and financial strength – and we have that with an exceptionally supportive chairman, Graeme Gibbons, head of Southpac's parent, the Colonial Motor Company.