By Jonty Ralphsmith
Patterson Cheney Isuzu celebrated an employee’s 40 years of service with a lunch and presentation on Tuesday 19 April.
Now dealer principal, Terry Jewson got involved with Toyota Commercial in April 1982 as a light commercial sales cadet, three months before the business was bought by Patterson Cheney, who has been his employer ever since.
His mate’s Dad, Alan Weston, the then used truck manager, took Terry under his wing and showed him the ropes at a time when Terry was considerably younger than his colleagues.
“I was willing to say I’ll get in and learn this – so that’s what I did,” Terry said.
“I didn’t go into the business thinking that I was going to become dealer principal. I just did my job every day and the more you practice, the better you get.
“I wanted to give this a go and see where it took me.
“I was lucky that I enjoyed what I was doing quite a lot and I got to meet different people all the time.
Julie, Terry’s wife, was also recognised in speeches throughout the presentation for her unwavering support across the journey.
Terry has been instrumental in significant developments for Patterson Cheney, including taking over Westar Isuzu and Western Star in Dandenong, Derrimut and Campbellfield designing and building the new dealership in Derrimut.
Terry remembers first encountering Isuzu trucks as a used vehicle salesman, hailing their resale value and 40 years later, his zest for the industry still strong.
“Customers haven’t changed what they want. They want a product that’s reliable, that doesn’t let them down, and they want ease of service. With truck models, that’s just evolution. At the end of the day, a customer focus is what it’s all about. We offer a 24-hour service facility and the reason we do that is so we can service our customers and ensure less downtime for them too.”
