Hilton Wheeler
Mtunzini
Summary
- An experienced Vehicle Rental Professional, I excelled in business management and people leadership, notably with the Avis Budget Group.
- My journey includes transforming a start-up into a thriving entity with over 260 vehicles, leveraging negotiating and procurement skills.
- I successfully expanded operations, navigated challenging economic times, and achieved significant fleet growth, while consistently achieving a Level 1 BEE rating.
- My leadership ensured resilience and profitability, highlighting my strategic and interpersonal skills, while being involved in Marketing strategies at Avis and Re-branding initiatives at Hambanathi.
Overview
35
35
years of professional experience
3
3
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Hambanathi Vehicle Rental
Halfway Group
11.2023 - Current
- I currently oversee the running of 3 branches situated in Richards Bay, Empangeni and Salt Rock, with a Staff complement of 18 people. Activities include driving Sales, keeping costs as low as possible, ensuring fleet utilization is kept as high as possible, fleet downtime is minimized, and vehicles are disposed of timeously to achieve the best possible returns for the Group.
- I am also involved with Halfway Group Marketing rolling out the new logo, branding, uniform and website for Hambanathi Vehicle Rental, in order to educate and create awareness around this new vehicle rental brand in the region.
Avis Van Rental Sub Licensee Director
Avis Budget Group
05.2002 - 11.2023
- Starting with 7 vehicles in May 2002 and with no knowledge of the rental process, we purchased the Avis Van Rental license from the Avis Budget Group for northern KZN.
- Avis Van Rental was an unknown concept in the area and we had to start educating and exposing potential customers to this new division within Avis.
- Fast forward to 21 years later, we had 4 branches in operation in Richards Bay, Empangeni, Ulundi and Salt Rock, and over 260 vehicles at our peak, 30 Staff Members and a Level 1 BEE rating. In addition to the commercial vehicles, (vans, bakkies and 4x4's), we rented out sedans, hatches and SUV's under license to Avis from 2 of the branches.
- Navigating the Covid-19 shutdown, civil unrest in July 2021 in KZN and elsewhere, and the floods in KZN in April 2022, followed by the curtailed supply chain disruptions at the OEM’s were just some of the challenges we overcame.
- Our journey with Avis ended on the 27th September 2023 and on the 6th November 2023, we sold the business to the Halfway Group, who re-branded the business to Hambanathi Vehicle Rental, and continue to trade from 3 of the branches and with a Staff complement of 18 people.
Director
Amasondo Motors
10.2017 - 05.2022
- I was a shareholder and co-Director with Shaun Steynberg, in a vehicle retail business, selling cars and vans off primarily off rental fleets - low mileage, warranty still intact cars and bakkies.
- The concept was not to have a showroom full of vehicles, tying up capital, but rather a small warehouse with an online catalogue of vehicles we offered and could buy in. Shaun’s Linked In profile details all the numbers.
- Although we were only in business for 4 years, we managed to repay the loan to Dreamteam, generate meaningful profits and pay ourselves dividends. We successfully navigated the business through the Covid-19 shut downs and benefited from the demand for second hand vehicles caused by supply chain disruptions at the OEM’s, due to Covid-19.
- As we saw the market normalizing and new and second hand inventory stocks rising, we decided to close the business. We found positions for all the salesman as well as the support Staff at other companies.
Farm Manager
Chimwala Farm
01.1992 - 04.2002
- Returned to the family farms in Zimbabwe at the end of 1996, after working as an Account Manager, in Advertising firms in Johannesburg and London.
- We grew tobacco, maize(corn), grass seed, and had 4 hectares of roses under greenhouse cutting up to 30 000 stems daily which were exported to Holland and South Africa.
- We also ran beef cattle and both farms, which were just over 400 hectares in size were fully irrigable, with a Staff complement of 250 people between the 2 farms.
- In addition, we ran a small trucking company moving baled tobacco and cut flowers to the Tobacco Auction floors in Harare and to the airport for the cut flowers. The trucks returned with farming inputs for our Customers such as lime and fertilizer.
Account Manager
Ogilvy
01.1990 - 12.1996
- I applied for an internship run by the AAA School of Advertising after leaving university. Did my internship at Bernstein, Loxton, Golding and Klein In Killarney, Johannesburg and then joined Ogilvy, Rightford, Searle-Tripp and Makin (now Ogilvy) in Sandton.
- I worked with incredibly talented people on accounts such as Sun International, Dulux Paints, the South African Olympic Committee, Aquafresh toothpaste, and Grand-Pa Headache powders.
- I left for a brief sojourn at Bates, working on the Benson and Hedges Cigarettes account, before returning to Ogilvy’s.
- Early in 1996, I left to join M&C Saatchi in London for 9 months, where I worked mainly on the British Airways advertising account.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - English And Economic History
University of KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg, KZN
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa 01.1987 - 12.1989
Skills
Vehicle Rental Professional
Business Management
Business Ownership
People Management
Negotiating Skills
Rebranding Initiatives
Keeping Fit; Photography; Reading
Keeping Fit is a priority to me while my photography skills can only be described as amateur but that doesn't dim the passion.
I also like to read, primarily non-fiction.
Timeline
Hambanathi Vehicle Rental
Halfway Group
11.2023 - Current
Director
Amasondo Motors
10.2017 - 05.2022
Avis Van Rental Sub Licensee Director
Avis Budget Group
05.2002 - 11.2023
Farm Manager
Chimwala Farm
01.1992 - 04.2002
Account Manager
Ogilvy
01.1990 - 12.1996
Bachelor of Arts - English And Economic History
University of KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg, KZN
01.1987 - 12.1989