Local team drives Cooke Howlison Toyota to national success

John Marsh, Owner/Director Cooke Howlison Toyota, and Matthew Downing, CEO Cooke Howlison Toyota, with the Toyota Supreme Award. 
  

Cooke Howlison Toyota from Dunedin has been named the Toyota Supreme Award winner at the 2025 Toyota & Lexus Business Excellence Awards, celebrated on Waiheke Island last weekend. The Lexus Supreme Award was won by Lexus of Wellington. 

Toyota New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Tatsuya Ishikawa says the Business Excellence Awards recognise the commitment of Stores to customers and communities which underpins Toyota’s position as New Zealand’s mobility leader. The awards are divided into two categories – Excellence Awards for specific operational areas such as Service and New Vehicles, and Premier Awards for all-round performance within the Toyota Store network. 

“Our Stores are part of their communities,” Mr Ishikawa says. “Customers see them as trusted destinations for sales and service, and that trust is what sustains Toyota’s leadership in New Zealand.” 

“Each of our Stores reflect the character of its local community, and that is something we value deeply,” Mr Ishikawa says. “To be recognised nationally is a significant achievement, but what matters most is the trust these teams build with their customers every day.” 

“Cooke Howlison Toyota should feel very proud. Their commitment to serving their region, supporting local initiatives and caring for customers is what defines Toyota in New Zealand.” 

One of the longest established businesses in Dunedin, Cooke Howlison has been selling cars since 1907, and Toyota since 1989 when it acquired the Wrightcars Toyota dealership. The business is deeply rooted in mobility as it began selling and making bicycles in 1895, before the first cars arrived in New Zealand. 

Cooke Howlison Chief Executive Matthew Downing says his team are excited and proud to win the Supreme Award as it reflects their dedication, delivering Toyota values and service to their customers and the people of Otago. 

“We are thrilled! Our motivated team are invested in the Toyota brand and with our community partners. They wish to do well for the business and for the Otago community we serve,” Matthew Downing says. 

The Toyota Supreme Award recognises all-round leadership and excellence in every aspect of Toyota operations and includes no less than 30 criteria covering every aspect of store operations. The competition for the Toyota Supreme Awards was the closest ever amongst the 64 Toyota Stores nationwide, with Cooke Howlison Toyota taking it by millimetres from Hawke’s Bay Toyota. 

Of the other Premier awards, the President’s Award for customer satisfaction went to South Canterbury Toyota, and both the Leadership Award and Citizenship Award went to Tasman Toyota, who also won two of the Excellence Awards (Service & Used Vehicles).  

The Citizenship Award was introduced in 2022 to celebrate the community pillar of Toyota’s Let’s Go Places branding. The submissions for this award continue to show the passion that Stores have for their local communities with a wide and creative range of activities that are clearly having a deep and lasting impact.   

Tasman Toyota’s longstanding partnership with Building Wellness Taranaki was a finalist for last year’s Citizenship award too, and the work the trust is doing to support mental health and suicide prevention in the local construction sector continues to impress.  

Tasman Toyota Chief Executive Craig Clarke says, “It’s been incredibly special for us to be involved with Building Wellness Taranaki. When we were first approached around five years ago, it really ticked so many boxes for us. The building industry is massive here in Taranaki, and many of the people working across those sectors are our customers. We saw it as a real opportunity to give back to our community in a direct and tangible way – we just had to become involved.” 

“Tasman’s refreshed submission included moving endorsements from participants and compelling evidence to show the significant impact Building Wellness Taranaki is having in an industry which has long supported Toyota but sadly still has the highest suicide rate in New Zealand,” notes Mr Ishikawa. 

Other awards on the night went to Rutherford & Bond and King Toyota from Wellington, Prescott Toyota Otorohanga, Miles Toyota & Ilam Toyota from Christchurch, and Lexus of Christchurch.

Premier Award Winners:

1. Citizenship Award: Tasman Toyota – Craig Clarke
2. Leadership Award: Tasman Toyota – Craig Clarke
3. President’s Award: South Canterbury Toyota – Mark Patterson
4. Lexus Supreme Award: Lexus of Wellington – Derek Tilyard
5. Toyota Supreme Award: Cooke Howlison Toyota – Matthew Downing

Excellence Award Winners:

1. Parts & Accessories Excellence Award: Rutherford & Bond Toyota – Derek Tilyard
2. Service Excellence Award: Tasman Toyota – Craig Clarke
3. Used Vehicle Excellence Award: Tasman Toyota – Craig Clarke
4. New Vehicle Excellence Award: Prescott Toyota – Ryan Prescott
5. Lexus Sales & Marketing Excellence Award: Lexus of Christchurch – Aaron Frazer
6. Branch of the Year Award: Ilam Toyota – Paul Taylor
7. Finance & Insurance Excellence Award: Miles Toyota – Mark Mills

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