INDEPENDENT NEWS

New Christchurch Depot Opens

Published: Mon 1 Sep 2008 04:43 PM
MEDIA INFORMATION
01 September 2008
New Christchurch Depot Opens In Wake Of Vehicle Rental Company’s Blazing Success
Low cost vehicle rental company Explore More is opening its third depot tomorrow after a year of exponential growth for the new business despite petrol price rises and falling tourism numbers.
The new depot is located in the heart of Christchurch in Worcester Street’s Cathedral Junction and will complement the two existing depots at Christchurch airport and in Auckland city. A fourth depot is due to open at Auckland Airport in the next few weeks.
The additional depots are part of a raft of expansions the company has made, in order to keep up with its massive growth since launching a year ago in a tough market. The size of the Explore More fleet has grown by nearly 400 per cent over the course of its first year. Strong growth continues with the fleet planned to double to 800 vehicles by the end of the year. Originally opening with one car and one campervan rental option, there are now nine different car, sleepervan and campervan options. Staff numbers have also risen, growing fivefold to 35, compared with just seven staff a year ago.
As well as providing great service and value for money, Explore More’s point of difference is its positioning as a “Kiwi to the core” company, which strikes a popular chord with its local and international customers. Especially favoured is the naming of its vehicles after nicknames for iconic New Zealand locations such as the Tron, Gizzy and Rotovegas, The latest edition to the Explore More fleet, ‘The Franz’, after popular tourist spot Franz Josef, are each individually named after Kiwi slang, with names like Choice Bro, Not even ow, and Sweet as.
The new Christchurch depot opening underlines that Explore More was a calculated risk that has paid off according to EX Group General Manager, Sue Sullivan. “We launched into a tightly packed vehicle rental market that was facing falling tourism numbers and economic downturn, but we have ensured the success of Explore More through positioning ourselves over and above our competitors in the areas of value, vehicle selection, availability and service,” says Sullivan.
Tourism Holdings Limited’s CEO, Trevor Hall says the expansion of the company is very exciting in the face of such challenging times. “Explore More has not only met all of its annual financial
objectives but also sustained huge growth within its first year, which is an achievement that we are incredibly proud of, particularly in what are currently tough tourism conditions and we look forward to continued growth in the future”.
Explore More is the newest initiative from Tourism Holdings Limited’s EX Group, which also includes the successful tour bus operations Kiwi Experience and Feejee Experience amongst its portfolio.
For more information about Explore More campervan and car rentals visit www.exploremore.co.nz.
ENDS

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