Fourth generation leads Köhler Auto in Emalahleni

Köhler Auto was established by Heinrich Köhler in 1925. It became part of Eastvaal Motors in 2020, and the fourth generation Köhler is still in charge of the dealership. Another family member - Anneke Schafer, is at the helm today as the Dealer Principal.

“When you enter our dealership, we have a poster against a wall that reads: ‘Welcome to our family’. This is as much true today as part of the Eastvaal Motors’ family than it was true nearly a century ago when my great grandfather established the business. It goes without saying, this also applies to our staff and our customers,” Anneke tells Dealerfloor.

“In the 1940s, my grandfather, Max, took over the dealership and in the 1980s my dad, also named Max, was handed the reins of Köhler Auto. The business began in the 1920s with brands like Vauxhall and in later years, we became the official GM/Delta and Chevrolet dealer in this part of Mpumalanga.

“When GM withdrew from South Africa in 2018, we were left with only Isuzu. Since we became part of Eastvaal, we have established a multi-franchise dealership with three of the Stellantis group’s brands, Peugeot, Citroën and Opel as well as the Chinese manufacturer, Chery at Köhler Auto.

“I joined Köhler Auto in 2004 as a 20-year-old ‘child in adult shoes’ so to speak. I thought my dad’s plan was to make me a financial manager, but on my first day at work I had to begin at the bottom, working my way up through the different departments over the years and many courses covering the complete spectrum of the business. Years later, I was appointed as the financial manager and a director of the company,” Anneke tells us.

This prepared her well for the future and when she and her dad sold the business to Eastvaal Motors, she was asked to stay on as the new Dealer Principal. Her dad retired and he still lives in Emalahleni.

And how does the smaller family set-up differ from the ways of the bigger corporate set-up?

“Growing up with my grandfather and my dad in the business and seeing and experiencing first-hand how they run the dealership, prepared me for the future. As part of a larger group, there is a new dynamic and both ways combined put me and the dealership on a solid footing,” she says.

Anneke says the mining industry with its related industries as well as rental sector is a big part of their success over the years with many fleet customers. Our Stellantis brands are getting good traction locally, and Chery made a lot of preconceived ideas about Chinese brands disappear quickly. The agricultural sector is also an important part of our customer base, and the rest is your normal mixture of buyers.

“We moved to our current location at the M4 Business Park during 2007 and have adapted our dealership to deal with the challenges most businesses face these days regarding load-shedding and water supply,” she says.

“We have a great team across all our brands. We are constantly one of the top ten Isuzu dealers in the country and have been the number one seller more than once. Our dealership also won a challenge from Isuzu in their ‘The Heat is On’ competition for 2021.

“I am excited about the future and our brands. Köhler Auto has been part of the motor industry landscape in Mpumalanga for close to a hundred years. Eastvaal Motors, established in 1968, also has its roots in Mpumalanga, covering the province with different brands and dealerships across various towns for many years as well as a footprint in the North West province,” Anneke concludes.