We are extremely proud to announce that Miles Toyota and ILAM Toyota have been recognised for their outstanding performance at the 2025 New Zealand Toyota Business Excellence Awards (BEA), securing two prestigious honours. Both stores were awarded the Finance & Insurance Excellence Award, with ILAM Toyota also taking home the title of Branch of the Year.
These achievements highlight the dedication and excellence of our Toyota teams in delivering outstanding service, surpassing franchise standards, and performing exceptionally across multiple categories. They reflect the Miles Group’s commitment to providing the best possible experience for our customers and maintaining the highest levels of professionalism in the automotive industry.
Over the past year, Toyota New Zealand has continued to strengthen its position as the country’s leading automotive brand, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to quality, innovation, sustainability, and community partnerships. The success of our regional teams reinforces this momentum, underscoring the significant role they play in Toyota’s wider achievements nationwide. These recognitions showcase the collective effort that drives our continued success.
Sophie Penny, Michelle Murray and Leah Xiao
Toyota Premier Awards
Mark Mills, and Tatsuya Ishikawa.
Toyota Insurance & Finance Award – Miles Toyota & ILAM Toyota
The Toyota Finance & Insurance Excellence Award is an immense honour at the BEA, highlighting our excellence in providing personalised Toyota Finance and Insurance solutions designed to support customers across their entire ownership journey.
Winning this award is a testament to the dedication, expertise, and collaboration of our teams across Miles Toyota’s City and Airport branches, as well as ILAM Toyota. From finance and insurance specialists to administration, sales, customer care, and support teams, every department contributed to delivering these personalised solutions. This recognition reflects our shared commitment to providing a seamless, supportive ownership experience and setting a high standard of excellence across the Toyota network.
“Being recognised for exceptional performance in Finance & Insurance is a proud moment for our team. This award reflects the skill, care, and consistency shown by the people who support our customers through some of the most important steps in their ownership journey. Their commitment to providing clear, personalised solutions is the reason we’ve earned this recognition.
At Miles Toyota and ILAM Toyota, we believe great service goes beyond the showroom – it’s about guiding customers with confidence from the moment they walk in, right through to ownership and beyond. We’re grateful to Toyota New Zealand for acknowledging the work our teams put in every day, and we extend our thanks to our customers and community for their continued trust and support. Here’s to another year of delivering excellence together.”
Mark Mills, CEO of Miles Toyota and ILAM Toyota
Branch of the Year Award – ILAM Toyota
This award recognises a dealership that consistently delivers exceptional performance across every area of its business. It reflects the strength of our operations, the quality of our customer experience, and the commitment our team shows to meeting—and exceeding—Toyota’s high standards. Being named Branch of the Year highlights the positive impact we create for our customers and community, and reinforces the importance of working together to deliver excellence every day.
ILAM Toyota earned this recognition through its continued focus on customer care, strong sales performance, outstanding service delivery, and a culture that puts people first. From the showroom to the workshop, every member of the team plays a vital role in creating a seamless, supportive experience for customers throughout their ownership journey.
As part of New Zealand’s leading automotive brand, this award is an acknowledgement not only of ILAM Toyota’s achievements, but also of the meaningful contribution the branch makes to Toyota’s wider success. It reflects the dedication, professionalism, and passion shown by the team, and the strong relationships built with customers and the local community.
“Being named Branch of the Year is an incredible honour and a reflection of the exceptional work our team delivers every day. This award recognises our collective commitment to outstanding customer service, operational excellence, and the high standards we uphold across every part of the dealership. It is the result of a team that consistently goes above and beyond to support our customers, our community, and each other. We are proud of this achievement and remain driven to continue raising the bar in everything we do.”
Paul Taylor, Branch Manager
Paul Taylor and Elize De Goede
“The Business Excellence Awards recognise the commitment of Stores to customers and communities which underpins Toyota’s position as New Zealand’s mobility leader.”
Tatsuya Ishikawa, CEO of Toyota New Zealand
Toyota Excellence Awards
We are thrilled to announce that our dedication to excellence has been recognised with two awards at the Toyota BEA:
Branch of the Year Award
ILAM Toyota
Recognising the branch that delivers outstanding results across new and used vehicle sales, parts and service, facilities, and overall performance—setting the benchmark for excellence within the Toyota network.
Finance and Insurance Excellence
Miles Toyota & ILAM Toyota
Recognising our success in providing tailored Toyota Finance and Insurance solutions to support customers throughout their vehicle ownership journey.
A testament to our customers and staff
The Miles Group is incredibly proud of these awards, but we know they wouldn’t be possible without the trust of our customers and the dedication of our staff across Canterbury and the Bay of Plenty. More than just sales or trophies, our success is built on the relationships we have grown and the impact we make in our communities. Every day, our Toyota teams work with passion for the brand and care for the guests of our business to provide the best experience possible, and for that, we are truly grateful.
To our customers and staff – thank you for being part of this journey. These achievements belong to all of us.
What’s next for Toyota at the Miles Group?
It’s clear that our success in representing the Toyota brand in our communities goes beyond the sale of Toyota vehicles. Along with our environmental and social responsibility, it showcases the pinnacle of brand confidence in our customers’ path to purchase and the many interactions our customers have throughout their ownership journey.
A recent Toyota Business Planning Meeting with the Toyota network showcased what’s on the horizon for our Toyota brand, and it’s more exciting than ever. The advancement of sustainability initiatives, network empowerment, and continued community contributions presents incredible opportunities to uphold these achievements and continue setting the benchmark of New Zealand’s most popular and trusted brand.
Careers with the Miles Group
From humble beginnings in Christchurch our founder Bruce Miles has lifted the bar in New Zealand’s automotive industry for over 40 years. Dedicated to each brand we represent; the Miles Group prides itself on cultivating a strong team that makes our dealerships best-in-class.
We’re the perfect place to start or continue your automotive career in New Zealand. As a people-focused business, we believe our commitment to our team is the key to success. If our team is motivated, happy, skilled, and well-resourced, then our team will look after our customers.
We are New Zealand’s leading independent automotive group and have a variety of jobs in the car industry available across the country. All roles come with exceptional levels of support, training, and opportunities for career advancement throughout our group.
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