An insight into the company Winner reveals an illuminating footnote to the history of its appearance in Ukraine.
During a Wimbledon championship in 1991 one of Ford's managers suggested John Hynansky, the owner of dealerships known under the style of Winner in Delaware and Pennsylvania going into a new business in Ukraine. Hynansky said he was not quite interested in buying another firm but he liked the idea of helping Ford start a network of dealerships in Ukraine. Encouraged by this idea, John Hynansky first came to Ukraine in 1992, shortly after the republic declared its independence. It was not long until he came to love the country of his origin (his parents were born in Ukraine but they quit the country in the late 30's).
At the end of 1992, Winner was designated as an authorized importer of Ford Motor Co. in Ukraine. In the same year Ford workshop was launched, which came to be the largest one in Ukraine at the time. It is back then that first realty was bought, which laid the foundations of our real estate business. Today it's one of strategic lines of our business.
1995 through 1998 we were an authorized importer for Mobil, Gates, Champion and Hoffman. However we sold out this business to our advantage because we wanted to hurl all our efforts into promoting Ford's brand name inside Ukraine.
In 1997, our construction outfit 'Winner Construction' was founded. The new firm built the first Ford's showroom in Ukraine in the same year. And in 2000, our company's business was marked by an important event - Winner came in for status of authorized importer of Volvo in Ukraine. It is by dint of hard work and an ongoing perseverance that Winner succeeded as one of the leading businesses on Ukrainian automobile market.
In 2004, Winner procured a few challenging tenders from the internationally known key manufacturers and became an authorized Ukrainian importer for Jaguar, Land Rover and Porsche after a while.
In November 2005, a new multi-brand concept dealership, Winner Automotive, was opened in Kyiv (24D Moskovsky Avenue), which is one of the largest in Eastern Europe.
2004-2007 became years of fast-paced development and acknowledgement of Winner’s work. Winner Imports Ukraine received a number of important awards and diplomas, and the brands successfully extended their model ranges with more and more new models that quickly won the hearts of Ukrainian people and became multiple-award winners in various automotive competitions and ratings. In 2007, the company celebrated its 15th anniversary.
2009 was a record year in terms of automotive market decline in Ukraine. The market fell by 74% - a record figure for Europe. In 2010, the automotive market remained practically unchanged, having grown by only -0.2%. Despite the hard times during the 2008-2010 recession, the choice of an effective business model, a well-defined plan of actions and a competent team of professionals helped Winner not only survive the difficult period for automotive business, but also become one of the leaders of automotive industry.
In May 2009, the construction of the new Winner Distributor Center in Kapitanivka, near Kyiv, was finished. The total site of this huge state-of-the-art center covers 3 hectares, while the building which has become the best-equipped facility of this kind in Ukraine takes up 8,000 square meters.
A jewel in the crown of Winner Imports Ukraine is the Pre-delivery Inspection Center of cars, that the company receives from manufacturers. This is the only PDI Center in Ukraine with the full cycle of service of top level cars “from A to Z”.
Winner Imports Ukraine’s new Distribution Center represents not only a financial investment but also a pledge to a business philosophy centered on delivering world-class performance. The new facility serves as an instrument to promote our unique approach to the automotive business.
2011 was a year of our new achievements. Certainly, credit should be given to all brands represented by Winner in Ukraine. The biggest victory in 2011 was the increase of Ford’s market share to 5%. This is the highest figure ever for Ford in Ukraine. Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo and Porsche set another important record by reaching 21.7% of market share in the premium segment and, consequently, significantly boosting sales. In other words, every fifth premium car registered in Ukraine in 2011 belonged to a brand represented by Winner.
Opening of the First Jaguar Ukraine Showroom was another milestone. At the moment this is the only Jaguar showroom in Ukraine, which emphasizes uniqueness of the brand.
In 2011, Winner Imports Ukraine significantly expanded the PDI Center in order to expand business, increase the center’s capacity and raise the level of aftersales customer service. The construction of a new dealership, Porsche Kyiv Airport on Boryspil highway, is now in full swing.
In short, one can definitely say that 2011 was the most successful year for Winner Imports Ukraine, and this success should be credited to all members of Winner’s team. We are constantly growing and plan to start new projects such as a new bodyshop and a new customs warehouse. It all makes sense, because our aim is to become the best importer and distributor in Ukrainian automotive business, building upon our philosophy, new technologies, new processes, modern and state-of-the-art equipment, constant development and innovations. And we are confident we are strong enough to succeed!