[Interview] Kwon Hyuk-min, CEO of Deutsche Motors, "The New Survival Strategy for Dealers is Multi-Brand"

Record Sales Last Year with 'Multi-Dealership' Strategy
Distribution of 7 Imported Car Brands... Considering Additional Dealer Rights
Differentiated Sales Strategies Tailored to Each Brand's Characteristics
Young Team with Average Age 31.6... Strength in Fast A/S System

"Companies that do not sustain growth are inevitably left behind. The 'multi-dealership' strategy of expanding business areas with various brands was an inevitable choice."

Kwon Hyuk-min, CEO of Deutsch Motors (38, pictured), recently explained the background of pursuing dealership expansion in an interview with Asia Economy. Deutsch Motors, one of the top three imported car dealers in Korea, has expanded its dealership scope beyond its existing businesses such as BMW, MINI, Porsche, and Jaguar Land Rover to include Lamborghini, Aston Martin, and Audi.

Kwon Hyuk-min, CEO of Deutsch Motors
Photo by Deutsch Motors

Last year, the domestic imported car market recorded a decline for the first time in four years since 2019. However, Deutsch Motors, an imported car dealer, surpassed 2 trillion won in sales, the highest since its founding. CEO Kwon said, "I always keep three operational philosophies in mind: proactive investment for sustainable growth, improvement of employee welfare, and enhancement of shareholder value," adding, "We will strengthen the multi-brand strategy and continue to expand our business."

Deutsch Motors has launched three new brand businesses in the past two years. Following Audi last year, it was selected as the official domestic importer for Lamborghini in March and Aston Martin in May this year. The company has expanded its business scope from premium imported cars such as BMW, MINI, Porsche, Jaguar Land Rover, and Audi to Italian and British supercar brands. Additionally, it is considering securing dealership rights for new complete car brands through further investment this year.

He said, "For supercar customers, we want to share not just the purchase of a vehicle but also the brand’s history, philosophy, and lifestyle that money alone cannot buy," adding, "By distributing various brands, we have been able to clearly distinguish each brand’s identity and differentiate them to deliver a clear message to customers." For example, recently, Aston Martin celebrated the selection of its new domestic dealer by hosting a small customer invitation event organized by the British Ambassador to Korea. The event was designed to review the development of the British automotive industry and the history of the Aston Martin brand.

When asked about Deutsch Motors’ strengths as an imported car dealer, CEO Kwon cited ‘customer-centric management’ grounded in fundamentals and a young organization with an average age of 31.6 years. Buyers of high-priced imported cars have high expectations for after-sales service (A/S). Deutsch Motors was the first domestic dealer to establish a system allowing vehicle maintenance requests and results to be received via the KakaoTalk app, and introduced the concept of a ‘service factory’ dedicated to accident repairs, ensuring that simple damage repairs do not exceed 48 hours. CEO Kwon emphasized, "Anyone can build a system through investment, but what is most important is to consistently utilize the established system and connect it to actual business."

Born in 1986, CEO Kwon became the CEO of a KOSDAQ-listed company at a young age in his 30s. After completing university in the United States, he started his career in the trading division of Samsung C&T Corporation, where he learned the basics and perseverance of sales. When asked if he feels burdened by leading a large organization at a young age, he replied, "I believe sufficient external expansion and the ability to adapt to changes in the times are important." He added, "Even with the same product, I want to provide trust so that customers can buy with confidence from our company," and concluded, "I will build a company that maintains fundamentals while achieving sustainable growth."