The early years set the foundations

It all began in 1932, when Charalambos Pilakoutas (the first generation) opened the first service workshop and showroom as the first representative of the Hillman and Humber vehicles, while also importing the British Commer trucks.

Following his studies, Kodros Pilakoutas continued on the same successful path, taking over as exclusive representative of Perkins engines in 1952. At the time he was the only one in Cyprus with the know how to repair oil diesel engines. Gradually he also secured the Trojan trucks and Nuffield tractors dealerships.

But he went beyond cars too, creating a home appliances company which represented Thorn Appliances Ltd.

The Group worked cooperated with a number of internationally acclaimed firms in the oil and automotive engines sector, such as Deutz.

BMW-A landmark year

1958 was a turning point for the group, landing the exclusive authorised dealership of the BMW auto industry in Cyprus. It wasn’t just a business deal. Cooperation between Pilakoutas and Sons Ltd with BMW, marked a new era of expansion and reorganisation of the Group. It was all upwards and onwards until the Turkish invasion of 1974, when the Group took a heavy blow, as the core of the island was torn apart.

The Pilakoutas family did not dwell in the fall for very long. Kodros Pilakoutas expanded his business to the United Arab Emirates and soon BMW proposed that he take over the dealership there too. His success established BMW as a formidable force in the region.

The Company becomes a Group

On the return of Kodros Pilakoutas from Dubai in 1990, he was  succeeded by his son Charalambos Pilakoutas, the 3^rd generation joining the business. He designed and implemented a new development strategy, with the company evolving into a Group in 1995, both in terms of administration and organisation, with the Rover and Land Rover dealerships integrated with the Group.

Following to this Pilakoutas expanded  further with the addition of Jaguar, followed by yet another landmark in 2004, when the Nissan representation was secured. In 2018, the Group grows yet even stronger with Renault, Dacia and Mitsubishi being incorporated.

Beyond car dealerships expansion however, the Group recorded yet another landmark as the 4^th generation of the family made a strong presence in the day to day business flow of the group.

Vision and values

The Pilakoutas Group vision can be summed up in a few lines: a dynamic way forward and striving for the top through innovation and product quality.

The Group’s values are encapsulated in four words:

• Innovation
• Passion
• Quality
• Collectivity

It wasn’t easy

The Pilakoutas Group faced many challenges and its success kept launching new platforms of growth, ultimately leading to the top of the sector.
‘It’s great responsibility to respond to clients’ expectations and honour their trust with new products and services, showing adaptability and effectiveness where it matters most, the market.

A company of six

The Pilakoutas Group owns the following six companies:

• Char. Pilakoutas Ltd.    Α leader, with the BMW, MINI and Rolls Royce brands, providing a top selection of historic cars, driving avenues of automotive experience.

• Cyprus Premium Automobiles Ltd. It takes the market by storm through the power and prestige of Jaguar and Land Rover, offering exciting options with new models.

• New Nissan Cyprus Ltd. It stands out in its unique credibility and durability of its vehicles, forging bonds of trust with its clients.

• Char. Pilakoutas Auto Alliance Ltd. The most recent member in the family of companies, representing Renault-Dacia and Mitsubishi, cars combining elegance, resilience and a good deal in terms of quality over price.

• Char. Pilakoutas (Industrial) Ltd. An innovator in diesel engines and industrial systems, representing the world class renowned companies such as PERKINS, F.G. WILSON, DEUTZ and PRAMAC.
• KPI Industrial & Marine Ltd. An exclusive representative of YANMAR marine, providing a range of yacht and leisure boat machines as well as industrial engines and spare parts.

Passion in high achievement

As the Group puts it,

‘The Pilakoutas Group has never stopped developing and evolving, based on a determined passion that has always shown the way to our people, a steady compass. This is none other than the passion to strive for the best, the sky’s the limit!’

Innovation, passion, quality, team spirit

It’s been nine successful decades for the Pilakoutas Group, founded by Charalambos Pilakoutas in the form of a service depot and the first showroom, representing passenger vehicles and trucks. His son Kodros continued on the same track. The 3^rd generation has taken over at the helm, with the 4^th also making their presence felt. CEO Charalambos Pilakoutas (3^rd generation) spoke to us about the Group’s history, present realities, future plans, values and vision.

What’s it like leading a Group with such a long history and prestigious name?

The substance lies in the way someone prepares, their principles and professional behaviour, not just in the great responsibility of the history his company carries but also successfully dealing with the inevitable challenges they are going to face.

You know, the weight of any name is based on actions, decisions and choices. It was a personal wager to actually make my own business mark in the Group. Strengthen the Group with new dealerships and rise to new heights in the sector, always providing the best possible outcome for our clients. That’s the very oxygen that keeps us going. I am certain that the family’s 4^th generation now also taking part in decision making and the business flow, will take the group to new heights in the future.

Passion for the best

What does all the history contribute to present and future?

Clearly, passion to strive for the best. Our vision is to always forge a dynamic path forward and be the best at what we do, through innovation, quality of products and services. And to achieve this, you need to work hard. Tirelessly. Nothing is a given, particularly in the demanding automotive sector. Sure, we have a long history and naturally, every road has its own obstacles. But what truly matters is the way you overcome them, using all this accumulated experience. And how this rich past is combined with fresh ideas, innovative choices, adapted to modern times and its needs and keeping our eyes firmly fixed on the future. Our history carries valuable experience, such as setting targets and collectively driving towards achieving them. No success is an exclusively personal matter. Everything is based on the strength of the team, the ability to work together.

What is the Group’s DNA?

No limits development is at the core of our DNA and this business philosophy is carried from one Pilakoutas generation to the other. This approach is also undoubtedly shared by our personnel. As I said, it’s all about teamwork. We’re proud of our people, their professionalism, abilities and will to grow, improving their skills and knowledge. This DNA is now integrated as a vital element of our business philosophy, it’s at the core of every decision.

Landmarks

Name the one outstanding moment throughout this history

I really couldn’t name just one. There have been many in every period, playing their own crucial role in the Group’s development. One example was the start of our cooperation with BMW in 1958. That was indeed decisive. We secured the Land Rover dealership in 1995, Rolls Royce in 2004 and Jaguar in 2005. Those were also significant, not forgetting the addition of Nissan in 2004, a major strategic move, followed by Renault, Dacia and Mitsubishi in 2018.

Every period had its own landmarks.

The most important project or decision?

Undoubtedly, strategy wise, the most significant decision is the targeted expansion with selected brands. This business reorganisation was built over time and always focuses on providing quality products and comprehensive support solutions for our clients. So I can’t really pick any single landmark, as I would do no justice to another. All played a vital role in the Group’s development, considering their framework and timing.

An electric future

Any memorable incident or story, either your own or passed down the line?

Well it’s clear that the future of motoring is electric. But that wasn’t the case in 2012 when we brought the first electric car to Cyprus, the NISSAN LEAF. Clients at the showroom were impressed by the technology and amazed by how quiet it was; naturally so, as the engine was not conventional.

The most frequent question was ‘so you can drive to Paphos with it?’ And how do you drive back without charging it? It’s been almost a decade since then and the car world has turned on its head. This is a new era for electric vehicles, with advanced technological and energy systems, not to mention hugely autonomous, particularly when it comes to the Cyprus market.

What’s also important is that at least we have a basic charging network installed on highways. But the relevant infrastructure needs development both in the cities and provincial roads, if we really want to make strides in electric motoring. These are steps that will also bring us closer to the sustainable development EU targets by the end of the decade. I think that demand is a catalyst in creating new structures. It’s a two way street basically. New charging points also create motives for electric car demand.

Father’s advice

What did your father advise you on behaviour and decision making?

I grew up in the company as a young boy so I had the chance to observe my father on the day to day running of things, how he managed the business. Management styles might change and adapt over time, adding new realities, conceptions and notions, but certain values and principles remain timeless. Even though he had the final word on decisions, my father always listened closely to his inner circle of associates. He believed in the power of teamwork and result oriented dedication, always encouraging creativity and innovation. And beyond that, he always talked to me about the need for sound judgment and fairness towards your personnel. They are nothing short of your wider business family.

Pandemic and economy

The pandemic followed the financial crisis before we even got on our feet. What’s your take on things?

Well, we came to realise that many things we took for granted are really vulnerable and volatile. It’s true that as we were coming out of the 2013 crisis, things had been looking up and we took optimistic steps, the pandemic threw us back into uncertainty. But throughout their modern history, Cypriots have shown resilience, , that extra ‘something’ during tough times, what unites and drives us to achieve demanding targets. We have the ability to adapt and an inner strength to change.

For example everyone has more or less realised the speeding up of digital transformation both in state structures as well as businesses. The country’s development model is on the cusp of being redefined. What’s more, the international environment is destabilising and uncertain, with the pandemic pushing states and societies to their limit.

It’s true that the small sized Cyprus economy might be vulnerable based on the current development model, one which essentially has outlived its days. On the other hand however, our small size carries with it the possibility of more flexibility and immediate results and these are quite significant factors. All this works given the widest possible policy and social consensus, taking us in the right direction, so we can also utilise new forces to fuel the economy.

How do you see things post-pandemic?

No one can really safely say. We’ve seen quite a number of experts fail in their predictions. One’s thing for certain; the post-pandemic world will be quite a different proposition.

National and international awards

PILAKOUTAS GROUP

• 2007- BMW OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE AWARD
• 2011- HIGHEST MARKET SHARE AWARD IN EUROPE (NISSAN)
• 2015 & 2016- NISSAN GLOBAL AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE

KODROS PILAKOUTAS

• 2017- IN BUSINESSLIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
• 2020- ΚΕΒΕ HONORARY AWARD FOR OVERALL CONTRIBUTION TO ENTERPRENEURSHIP

ΧΑΡΑΛΑΜΠΟΣ ΠΗΛΑΚΟΥΤΑΣ

• 2004- MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
• 2004- BUSINESSMAN OF THE YEAR
• 2008- MANAGER OF THE YEAR
• 2009- BUSINESSMAN OF THE YEAR
• 2012- SILVER MEDAL OF APOSTLES BARNABAS AND PAUL, PRESENTED BY ARCHBISHOP CHRYSOSTOMOS II, HEAD OF THE CHURCH OF CYPRUS
• 2019- DECLARED GRAND BENEFACTOR OF AYIA SKEPI

A rare collection of BMWs

The Pilakoutas Group recently held the official opening of the ‘Char.Pilakoutas.Heritage’ exhibition hall, hosting a rare collection of legendary BMW models.

The rare and emblematic cars of the Pilakoutas collection form a unique heritage. They are part and parcel of the family’s unbreakable bond with the legendary BMW Group.

They are exhibited at the ‘Char. Pilakoutas Heritage’, part of the Char. Pilakoutas Ltd facilities in Strovolos.

The family began building this collection since the 1980s, made up of cars from the 1950s onwards. It was forged through Charalambos Pilakoutas (third generation) dedication to the BMWs vision and history, timeless values that the Pilakoutas Group has been carrying forward from generation to generation since 1932.

The official opening was held on October 26 and was a grand media event.

In his speech, Charalambos Pilakoutas noted that ‘the collection of BMW historic and emblematic models was a personal stake. Every model you see is a landmark in itself. An innovation landmark, a development landmark, a passion to do more; they are all landmark on a road to growth alongside BMW. We chose to host this collection of unique cars at the Char. Pilakoutas Heritage exhibition hall. Three generations of the Pilakoutas family share this space, along with the BMW generations of historic models. They are a testament, a symbol in my view, that human creativity is boundless. Growth is boundless when quite simply put, you really love what you do. Then you are able to master all the challenges, overcome every difficulty they might throw your way. And this is also realised when you are joined by a team of talented, skillful and competent associates, all sharing the same vision’.

What comes next for Pilakoutas Group

We’re never complacent

But what are the Pilakoutas Group future plans, it’s next business moves?

Here’s what the Group’s CEO had to say:

‘One word is missing from our dictionary; complacency. We’re constantly on the move, looking into how the business environment is changing, how the market is shifting, planning every step down to the last detail.

At the moment we’re going through a transformation process, directed towards viable development. Within this framework, we’re currently implementing an energy needs analysis programme, so we can install photovoltaics at our facilities.

The plan calls for 66% renewable source energy coverage.

Furthermore, in line with the electric movement strategy, we’re also moving forward with installing quick charging areas in selected areas of our facilities both for customers and personnel.

As part of our environment protection policy and in cooperation with specialised companies, we have managed to recycle almost 100% of the industrial waste than can actually be recycled.

Beyond that though, I would like to mention a recent development, very close to my heart, carrying special importance.

We have created a modern exhibition hall at the Char. Pilakoutas Ltd head Quarters in Strovolos, the Char. Pilakoutas Heritage, dedicated to BMW.

It hosts a unique collection of classic models, from 1950s onwards.

Such a unique heritage goes hand in hand with the strong bonds that our family shares with BMW Group.

Building this collection was a personal wager that was realised by our team, who is sharing the same vision.

Each classic model represents a landmark of innovation, development and passion to do more. It is a place where the values of the Pilakoutas Group come together with those of the BMW.