We are extremely proud to announce that our Miles Toyota, ILAM Toyota, and Pacific Toyota stores have been recognised for their outstanding performance at the 2024 New Zealand Toyota Business Excellence Awards (BEA), securing five out of ten prestigious awards, including Miles Toyota and ILAM Toyota also taking the top title of Supreme Winner.
These accolades celebrate the dedication and excellence of our Toyota teams in delivering exceptional service, exceeding franchise standards, and achieving outstanding results across multiple categories. These achievements are a testament to the Miles Group’s commitment to providing the best possible experience for our customers and maintaining the highest standards in the automotive industry.
Over the past year, Toyota New Zealand has cemented its position as the country’s leading automotive brand, reinforcing its commitment to excellence, sustainability, and community partnerships. Our Toyota teams have also been celebrating Toyota’s recognition as New Zealand’s most reputable brand in the Kantar Corporate Reputation Index (CRI) 2024 , highlighting corporate trust, leadership, fairness, and responsibility. Toyota has been acknowledged as New Zealand’s most reputable car brand for the past decade, while 2024 marked the first time Toyota has claimed the overall top spot, with no direct competitors from the automotive industry appearing in the top 20. This outstanding achievement further drives home the significance of these regional awards.
Bruce Miles, Paul Taylor, Mark Mills, Tania Taylor, Cath Mills, and Kay Miles.
Toyota Premier Awards
Andrew Davis, Mark Mills, and Tatsuya Ishikawa.
Toyota Supreme Award – Miles Toyota & ILAM Toyota
The Toyota Supreme Award is the highest honour at the Toyota BEA, recognising overall excellence across all aspects of dealership operations.
Winning this top-shelf award is a testament to the dedication, expertise, and teamwork of our business, spanning Miles Toyota’s central city and airport branches as well as ILAM Toyota. From administration to marketing, finance & insurance, customer care, vehicle sales, parts, and service, every department played a vital role in achieving the pinnacle of Toyota store success. This award reflects Miles Toyota and ILAM Toyota’s collective commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences and setting the benchmark for excellence in our industry.
“Being named the leading dealership of New Zealand’s leading vehicle brand is an incredible honour. These awards are a testament to the dedication of our team – those who work tirelessly to deliver exceptional service and uphold the ethos of both the Toyota and Miles names. None of our achievements would be possible without their hard work, passion, and brilliance.
At Miles Toyota and ILAM Toyota, we don’t just sell and care for cars – we build lasting relationships. Our commitment to excellence is driven by a genuine desire to do right by our customers and community, and this award is proof that we’re on the right track. We’re grateful to Toyota New Zealand for the recognition, and to our customers, our team, and our community for being an immeasurable important part of our journey. Here’s to the year ahead.”
Mark Mills, CEO of Miles Toyota and ILAM Toyota
Citizenship Award – Pacific Toyota
This award highlights businesses that create meaningful social, environmental, or cultural impacts in their communities. It celebrates the positive change we have helped drive and reinforces the importance of building lasting partnerships with our customers and the wider community.
Pacific Toyota was recognised for its long-term partnership with Good Neighbour, a programme dedicated to providing practical support, opportunities, and most importantly a human connection to vulnerable people in the Bay of Plenty. The organisation plays a vital role in supporting local communities through food rescue and distribution, firewood supply, and neighbourhood clean-up projects – just to name a few.
In addition to its now award-winning connection to Pacific Toyota and New Zealand’s most trusted brand, Good Neighbour has been selected as a finalist for the Heart of the Community Award at the 2025 Western Bay Community Awards. This recognition highlights the meaningful impact of their work. You can learn more about Good Neighbour or show your support by voting for them as People’s Choice under the Heart of The Community Award segment. Voting closes in March 2025.
“Winning both the Service Excellence Award and the Premier Citizenship Award at the Toyota Business Excellence Awards is a testament to our commitment to quality, service, and community. Our team not only delivers exceptional results but also creates meaningful, lasting connections with the people in our community and the recognition reflects this level of dedication. We are honoured to receive this recognition and remain inspired to continually elevate our standards of excellence.”
Chris Bussenschutt, CEO of Pacific Toyota
Chris Bussenschutt – CEO Pacific Toyota
Toyota Excellence Awards
We are thrilled to announce that our dedication to excellence has been recognised with three additional awards at the Toyota BEA:
Used Vehicle Excellence
Miles Toyota & ILAM Toyota
Recognising our commitment to delivering high-quality, trusted used vehicles – including Toyota Certified and Signature Class models – while achieving outstanding sales targets.
Service Excellence
Pacific Toyota
A testament to our focus on aftersales care, ensuring every customer enjoys a seamless ownership experience through top-tier servicing and customer support.
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.
“The Leadership teams at our Toyota Stores are deeply invested in creating a thriving business, that’s not only great for the customer but is also well connected to the communities they operate in. Our Stores are actively involved in delivering valuable community work. These Awards give us the opportunity to recognise them for all their hard work.”
Tatsuya Ishikawa, Acting CEO Toyota New Zealand
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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