Jesus Ruiz, General Manager of Torres Automotriz and part of the company’s founding family, mentioned that continuous improvement, as well as a great social and labor awareness are the factors that have allowed them to move forward with 64 years of experience and a 10% share in the Guasave automotive market.
How was the company born?
The story of Automotive Towers It was born with a family group, of my uncles, led by Mr. Carlos Torres Ibarra, and thus it continued to be a Chrysler company, until there was a rearrangement and my cousins kept the El Fuerte Automotive company in Los Mochis and the Ruiz Torres family kept Torres Automotriz and Torres Automotriz The Reed. Later, El Carrizo disappeared, but we continued to contribute to sales to the north and south of Guasave. As a result of this and at Chrysler’s request, I have been in Guasave for 44 years. They welcomed me very well and my family and I are happy here. We come from Los Mochis and the company was founded in 1960.
How can they manage multiple brands?
Regarding the brands, there is a franchise agreement and it is given according to the market share that one has, that is, how many vehicles are sold and the preference of our clients, the satisfaction of our clients. We have with Stellantis, which is now the three product lines that are the Jeep, which is an internationally recognized brand, we also have the BC which are the RAM wagons, the RAM trucks and the wagons and the other market is called ‘mainstream’, where there are the smaller cars, the FIAT, the Dodge Attitude, which is a very common product because it brings together an economical service for the market and that is what we have.
How do you feel the industry has changed?
The transcendental change came with the pandemic. The pandemic caused us a shortage of product, because the chips did not arrive and we had no product and a lot had to be done due to the pandemic itself, doing everything electronically, presentations, calls and something that we already knew had to happen, well, we already reached the leads. We have already reached a different level, although we are not like other larger cities, where in reality more electronic purchases are being made, especially in spare parts, in spare parts electronic purchasing is more advanced, but if the quotes are made, and naturally for us face to face is the most important thing and the presentation of our products. Whoever gets in the car, sits in it, drives it, is ‘making the bride fall in love’, we say.
Does the industry believe it has already strengthened?
The industry is quite strong at the national level, we at the state level are being affected by the drought, which is fundamental for us because here in Guasave we live from agriculture. This problem affects all sectors, not just the automotive sector. For me, a major problem is that if there is no water, land is not planted, we lack financing, we lack employment and we are in a strange situation right now, because we need people and there are none. We don’t know why there aren’t so many constructions because there are no bricklayers, if we need a mechanic because we can’t find one, there is something we don’t understand. However, social security tells us that there are more people working.
Have you noticed any drop in sales?
Well, we had low growth, but it was growth. Now, as a result of this, we had the worst May in a long time, and we are thinking that June will be better for us. How can I say it, it is the drought, but it is also the lack of income, because supposedly, and I say this without full knowledge, the total harvests have not been paid off, and the other thing that worries me is that in general we are not savers and we live, as they say, from day to day and credit cards bring a benefit for the moment, but a detriment to the personal economy.
How do they manage to take care of their human capital?
Well, first of all we have to have a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of commitment to ourselves and to the company. If you can do something and you are not achieving it, then with more effort you will probably achieve it. We have very committed people, most of them have been here for quite a few years, we don’t have any turnover and that speaks very well of us. Our staff consists of around 40 people.
How many units are you handling for sale?
Well, our target is variable. I always say that December counts for two, but our normal month should be around 30 units. New models are coming out throughout the year to keep the attention, right now we have the Peugeot part, new electric vehicles are coming, it is the novelty and it is something we are already venturing into, we already have electric or semi-electric vehicles. We have around 5%, it is still little, they are high-end vehicles like Jeep or RAM, very elegant vehicles.
What price ranges do you handle?
The cheapest one is around 280,000 pesos and the most expensive one is around 2 million. The RAM 700 is our biggest seller, along with the Jeeps and pickups.
What do you think about Chinese competition?
People want something new right now, we’ll see in a while if they can support the product. Right now it’s what’s pretty, it’s what’s cheap, and yes, they’re having very good sales.
What sets them apart?
I think that first of all it is about being committed to society, to customers, and having a team of partners who are willing to take risks, because I will tell you that what you see now, we are going back in time and it has nothing to do with what we had back then. The mechanical part is important, right now we are working on the electrical part, but the most vital thing is the human part and sending people for training. We have the best ranks, called platinum and gold, of our technicians to deliver results, so that they know how to solve problems.
What’s next for Torres Automotriz?
We would like to consolidate, to be what we were, to be leaders in the market. We have a good market share, but we need to have more sales to give us a greater presence in the market. That is what is important. Stellantis is at approximately 6% at the national level and we are at about double that, at 10%, 11%. In the best times we were above 30%. We have a new Mexico, in which we have to adapt and reflect, we have to participate with enthusiasm, not give up and always seek to do things better. We are a company that is committed to the best and I know that tomorrow we can be better than today.
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