Ermelo Toyota is a highly successful business that was founded in 1974 and is privately owned by Jimmy Loubser.
The business started as Ferm Motors in 1974 by the late Senator Rob Ferreira. On 20 June 1994, the name was changed to Ermelo Toyota. The dealership was based on the premises of a Total filling station using the same name, trading as Ermelo Toyota Total but it is now a wholly owned subsidiary.
In 1991, George Toyota was taken over at the request of the late Bert Wessels, whose family owned Toyota SA at that time. The name was changed to Loerie Toyota. This dealership became very successful but was sold to the Halfway Group in 2011. The Loubser Family still owns the property from which it operates, which was fully redeveloped in 2006.
Having purchased the property adjacent to their filling station in the late nineties, Ermelo Toyota built the current modern and attractive new Ermelo Toyota Dealership in 2004/05 and Total simultaneously redeveloped the filling station.
In 2005, Ermelo Toyota bought the battling Pongola Toyota in partnership with the Holl Family (sugar farmers in Kwazulu Natal since 1954). Roelof Grove (current Dealer Principal of that dealership) is also a shareholder in Pongola Toyota and has been with the group since 2001. The dealership was spectacularly turned around and vehicle sales were increased from 7 units a year to the current just less than 300 units a year. Brand new world class facilities were completed in 2010.
Ermelo Toyota has been extremely successful since 1979 and has won numerous awards over the years, amongst others the coveted Best Toyota Dealership in South Africa, PMR’s Most Respected Dealership in Mpumalanga [across all brands] and Best Service Centre in the country, on many occasions. The Ermelo Toyota Total Filling Station achieved similar spectacular results and sales increased from just over 100 000 litres per month in the beginning to approximately 780 000 litres per month at present. This business also operates a very successful Steers Restaurant, which won the best Operational Standards Award in Mpumalanga last year from Famous Brands and a high volume Bonjour convenience store.
Whilst Jimmy Loubser is still involved in the business, his wife Noeline is now Group Managing Director and Koos Badenhorst is currently Dealer Principal.
