The SIMI (Society of the Irish Motor Industry’s) held its 61st annual dinner at the Double Tree by Hilton hotel in Dublin on Friday with over 500 Motor Industry guests in attendance.

Addressing the audience, SIMI President Paul Linders spoke about the upturn in the Motor Industry: “In all of our mindsets, our offices and our showrooms let's be clear , the recession is over. While we haven’t actually yet recovered we are recovering.”

“In the past year alone, 310 new businesses have been formed in our Industry and add to that credit must be given to all of you who have, despite the stormy weather, diversified and innovated to change with the times and to keep your own staff in employment.”
He did note however that the industry is still some way off a ‘normal’ market: “We may be beginning to see green buds coming through, but we're way off seeing a full bloom.”

“Even though we're not predicting a brilliant year for car sales this year, something unexpected has happened in the market this year; customers are back. As of today, car sales are up 32%, heavy commercials are up 41% and light commercials up 45%.”
He also spoke about the importance of available credit to stabilise the market: “At Industry gatherings these days I am hearing much more stories about recruitment than redundancy and where we used to only speak of the lack of credit we now hear of newly established finance houses joining or even rejoining the marketplace.”

Concluding his comments Paul Linders said: “Despite mixed messages in the media we, the Motor Industry is one of the most important industries in Ireland. We're one of the biggest employers – still employing almost 40,000 people.

“Over the years of recession we have continued to invest in the young people of this country. When many other sectors just stopped training we have continued and are the single biggest employer of apprentices in Ireland with over 2,000 currently in training and this at a time when our business has been reduced to half its normal level. Add to that the fact that we contribute a fifth of all Indirect Taxes and 13% of all Taxes. Last year the Motor Industry contributed €4.7 billion in taxes.”