It was late in 1992 that Lynn Schroeder Motors acquired the BMW Franchise for the Southern Cape area, which includes Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, George and Mossel Bay. Since commencement of operations sales of new cars have increased from 32 units per year in 1992 to 220 units in 2002, increasing the company's turnover over the period from R6 million to R96 million respectively.

To support customer requirements a substantial investment of R15 million was needed in terms of facilities, BMW corporate identity and workshop equipment, with the remainder of this capital being utilised to ensure that New and Used car stocks would meet the demand. This was most clearly illustrated when in 1997, Lynn Schroeder Motors moved into new purpose-built premises in Courtenay Street , George. The new set up had an impressive 740 m2 of showroom space, combined with a fully integrated service and parts business (to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty), making it a fully fledged flagship BMW dealership.

Motorcycles

The most recent aquisition has been the addition of the BMW Motorcycle Franchise which came on stream in March 2002, with over 50 motorcycles having been sold in the first 12 months of operation. The majority of these units were On/ Off Road units which totally compliment the specific rider 'lifestyle' needs in the area, namely a huge variety of riding conditions in some of the most beautiful scenery, something which few other regions can offer in such abundance.

New Products

Following the recent, and highly successful launch of the new 7 Series flagship model, the exciting new Z4 will be launched in mid 2003, with the all new 5 Series model range hitting the streets later in September. This will be followed by the X3 Series in mid 2004, with the launch of the new 1 Series later in that year. 2004 will also see the introduction to the BMW product line up of the 6 Series Coupe and Convertible range. Lots of new models on there way then, which bear witness to BMW's renowned quest to constantly enhance and upgrade their fleet of exclusive luxury cars, continuing the historic trend of making the purchase of a BMW a truly 'aspirational' experience.

Employment

At the heart of any successful business is a committed and loyal staff following. From humble beginnings Lynn Schroeder BMW now employs 40 staff members, therefore supporting approximately 120 people in the George area (including respective staff members' families).

Customer Satisfaction

Most recently Lynn Schroeder BMW was voted as the Number One BMW Dealer for 'Customer Satisfaction' out of the entire BMW Network, beating the other 54 dealers throughout the country. The dealership also boasts the presence of Etiene Meyer in their workshop who was voted last year as the 'BMW Technicion of the Year', winning himself an all expenses paid trip to BMW's Head Office in Germany as a prize.

"All these factors make our employees and myself extremely proud of being part of such an organisation", said Lynn Schroeder, the Managing Director. Included in the management team is Lynn Schroeder's son, Adrian, who heads up the Motorcycle Division and is destined to be taking over the reins in the foreseeable future.

" The foundations of this business have been laid over the past 10 years through our commitment and belief in the BMW products and services which we offer, however none of this would have been achievable had it not been for the support and loyalty of our ever increasing and all important customer base. Now we are in a position to build on this customer strength, to constantly improve on all customer interfacing, to ensure that we provide the level of service which is required both now and in the future", stated Lynn Schroeder.