Bradford head quartered car retailer JCT600, one of the largest privately owned companies in the UK, last week (20 June) marked its 70th anniversary by inviting all of its 2,300 colleagues to a celebratory lunch and giving them all a special gift of an extra day’s holiday.
Colleagues from the company’s head office and its 50 dealerships from Lincolnshire to Newcastle marked the special occasion by enjoying lunch courtesy of JCT600 and will be able to take an additional day’s holiday in the next 12 months.
Founded in 1946 by Jack Tordoff, current chairman and father of chief executive John Tordoff, the historic business began life as Brooklands Garage on Sticker Lane, Bradford, subsequently becoming Tordoff Motors and selling its first vehicle, a Jowett van, for just £175. In 1961, the current company name was born after Jack bought a Mercedes 600 with the registration JCT600, which included his own initials. Over the last seven decades, it has grown from a single dealership into a £1.1bn turnover company, representing 18 of the world’s leading car marques and selling more than a million vehicles.
John Tordoff, chief executive of JCT600, said: “We have come a long way over the last 70 years and are very proud not only of our long heritage, but also of the fact that we have remained true to our family values. Putting the customer first remains central to everything we do and this is only possible if we have a committed and loyal team which shares our culture.
“As we continue to strive to make JCT600 the best place to work, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank every single colleague for their hard work by ensuring that they are all included in our anniversary celebrations and feel appreciated for their part in the company’s success.”
With its head office in Bradford, JCT600 is a family business with 50 dealerships throughout Yorkshire, the North East, the Humber, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. It sells 18 of the world’s most respected brands such as Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW/MINI, Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Vauxhall and Volkswagen.
