Sponsors: Sancus UK
Andrew Turner started his life sharing a bedroom with his four brothers and went on to launch the near £300m turnover business Chorley Group.
The car dealership now spans 22 franchise outlets across Lancashire but Turner has continued to live by the mantra that it’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.
The larger-than-life character has gone on to raise millions of pounds for charity and is a life-time President of Inspire Youth Zone in Chorley.
As one of eight brothers and sisters, Turner’s childhood was dominated by hand-me-downs but by the age of five his greengrocer father had taught him how to weigh a 5lb bag of spuds.
His first job was with his dad on the market stalls in Blackburn and his love of numbers served him well when he landed a job as a car salesman in his early 20s.
In 1989 he launched his own car dealership – the Bugle Inn Motor Company – selling his first car at auction for £510 and celebrating by going to the Little Chef.
From humble beginnings the Chorley Group was born, which today employs 450 people in Lancashire and is approaching £300m turnover.
He said: “I’ve always said we’ll never be the most profitable company but we’ll be one of the most robust by putting the interests of the customers first.”
Turner has a photographic memory when he comes to remembering the cars that he has sold – often down to the exact mileage.
He was awarded an MBE in 2019 for his charity work and in the same year he raised £60,000 for Chorley Youth Zone by braving temperatures of minus 20C to complete the Everest Base Camp Challenge.
Now aged 65, Turner shows no signs of easing up and talks about family, why he never stops learning and his love of Blackburn Rovers.
Host: Chris Maguire, executive editor, BusinessCloud
Producer: Ellice Street, What Media
Contact: Chris Maguire [email protected]
Listen to the podcast on Spotify; on Apple Podcasts; or watch the interview on YouTube below.