Florian Huettl, Opel's global CEO, enjoyed a visit to Dublin on July 16 to meet with the Opel Ireland team at Gowan Auto, Irish importer of Opel vehicles and spare parts.
In the spirit of Opel's new motto, Forever Forward Since 1899, Huettl's visit to Dublin was the ideal platform to celebrate several key milestones. Eleven of Opel's longest-standing dealers in Ireland were presented with trophies, to mark their many decades of partnership with the 'Blitz' brand.
Among those was JJ Fleming & Co., Galway, with dealer principal Pat Fleming being presented with a trophy for the dealership's 52 years of Opel business, since 1972.
Speaking on the day of his visit, Florian Huettl said: "Opel has a long and successful history in Ireland with a loyal customer base. We have seen consistent success, especially in the light commercial vehicle segment, where Opel enjoys a market share of eight per cent, a growth of 48 per cent in the first half of 2024, compared to the same time last year. We have also succeeded in increasing our overall market share in Ireland.
"I congratulate the employees of Opel and Gowan Auto as well as the Opel dealer network of Ireland on these successes, and I thank them for their efforts and achievements. I am sure that this motivated team will continue to drive Opel forward in Ireland with sustainable and continuous growth."
The Gowan Group, established in 1969, today represents eight Stellantis brands in Ireland. The company invested in a new distribution centre in Citywest in 2023. Opel's new home in Ireland boasts expansive office space, an 80,000 square foot parts warehouse, a contemporary training academy, and an extensive marketing showroom.
