‘Bigry’ brings the business home

When last Automotives spoke to Tumor ‘Bigry’ Moses about his then one-year-old auto sales business on the competitive stretch along Hagley Park Road, he had predicted a future of “continuous growth [and] continuous expansion”, with the potential of having branches in Ocho Rios and Montego Bay.

Although the location is not exactly what he had planned then, the now 29-year-old entrepreneur has made good on his word with the recent opening of a St Elizabeth branch of his brainchild, BM Auto Sales.

“I chose St Elizabeth because that’s where I am from, originally,” Bigry said, adding that the bread basket parish had been where he received most of his formal education. He noticed a need for an expansion of the auto sales business on the south coast and decided to act on it.

He said, “I saw that often when persons wanted cars, they had to go far out to look at cars, so I thought, ‘why not bring the cars closer to them’?”

Another perk of taking the business home was that the teething pains of expansion were not as intense for Bigry and his team.

“It was easier for me to go back home and start a car mart there,” he said. “I’m bringing newly imported cars closer to my people.”

“It’s only been a month, and we have seen where the market has been open to us,” he continued. “Customers are coming in and purchasing cars so far.”

Bigry admits, however, that sales are not as fast as they are in Kingston, but says that “they are pretty close”.

The BM difference

Like the Kingston location, now managed by long-time associate Rory Holness, all the amenities that BM Auto Sales is known for will be available in St Elizabeth, including the six-month warranty on engine and transmission.

Additionally, Bigry told Automotives: “We deliver cars islandwide. So if someone purchases a car from us and they can’t come down for it, we will take it to them anywhere in the island.”

According to Bigry: “We also source parts for our customers in case they need them. If they want to come back and have the car serviced, we will service it at a discounted price as well.

“The BM difference is that we truly care for our customers, so once a customer calls, we are always there to offer our help even a year after purchasing the car,” he said.

The team is also expanding its fleet to include both left- and right-hand drive cars. They are also able to perform special orders for customers if they require a specific car, specific colour, or a specific year.

A business of trust

What was interesting to note about Bigry’s business is that his ardent staff includes only close associates of his, who were also relatively young.

Today, the new St Elizabeth branch is operated by his fiancée, Chakira McCarthy.

“It’s the same principle,” Bigry says. “I have very close friends with me in St Elizabeth. Being back home, I was able to hire persons who I grew up with and who have always been there for me. My fiancée is also very close to the persons we hire, so we keep the business very professional, but we keep it close.”

To Bigry, the auto sales business is something he considers as high risk, and it is essential that he employs persons he trusts.

The young professional, a past student of the University of the West Indies, now has his eyes set on Falmouth for his next branch opening.