Author: Amy Lancaster

One of Bowker Preston BMW’s most popular staff members has retired a matter of months before his 20-year milestone with the company.

Popular with staff and customers alike, Eoghan Gilbert was one of the most familiar faces at the aftersales reception at Bowker BMW in Preston. Bringing a perfect blend of humour and efficiency to the aftersales role, Eoghan was also renowned for organising staff charity challenges, including a recent 24-mile 5200-feet climb in around 12 hours and raising over £4,000 for St Catherine’s Hospice. 

Eoghan joined Bowker BMW in Preston in March 2004 as a Service Advisor before swiftly making his mark as a Senior Service Advisor, becoming one of the most recognisable members of the team for 19 years and 4 months. Prior to joining Bowker BMW, the former Darwen Vale High School student served as a service Advisor at Jacksons Mercedes Jersey and a Trade Advisor at Baxi Clean Air. 

Now, Eoghan plans to take a breather from the automotive retail industry and make more time for wife Karen, to travel and to enjoy long walks with his pet dogs. Best wishes to Eoghan on his well-deserved retirement and the very best in all his future endeavours.

BMW Group UK has added Pod Point as a preferred EV home chargepoint supplier for MINI retail customers, further enhancing home charging services for retail customers.

Pod Point have entered into a three-year agreement to allow MINI customers to receive an offer of a home charger consultation and installation by Pod Point’s expert team.

This partnership will also allow MINI customers an increased access to Pod Point’s vast network of National charge points, bringing over 6,200 additional charging bays, allowing you to seamlessly connect to over 11,000 electric vehicle charging stations in the UK. 

The MINI Electric and Plug-in Hybrid range offers drivers the option of a more sustainable driving experience without sacrificing the go-kart feel that MINI is known for. Both the MINI Electric and Plug-in Hybrid range are capable of driving in all-electric mode, producing zero emissions. With a range of up to 140-145 miles on a single charge for the MINI Electric and up to 26 miles of pure electric driving for the Plug-in Hybrid models, these vehicles are ideal for urban commuting and short trips. Plus, their compact size and agile handling make them perfect for navigating city streets and tight parking spots.

BMW Group UK has added Pod Point as a preferred EV home chargepoint supplier for BMW retail customers, further enhancing home charging services for retail customers.

The three-year agreement will see BMW customers purchasing a new electrified vehicle at a franchise retailer offered the option of home charger consultation and installation by Pod Point’s expert team. Over 3,800 BMW customers have already installed a Pod Point home charger. All home installations benefit from a three-year Pod Point warranty included as standard.

The Pod Point app’s charge activity monitoring feature provides vehicle owners with insights into energy usage, enabling them to determine how much energy they are using to charge their vehicle and the electricity cost over a specified period.

This new partnership will also provide BMW customers with increased access to public charging infrastructure with the inclusion of Pod Point’s extensive network in the BMW Charging service.  As a result, in addition to the 14,000+ UK chargepoints already offered to customers through included networks (including bp pulse and IONITY), Pod Point bring over 6,200 additional charging bays thereby increasing BMW Charging access to over 70%* coverage across the UK.

Daniel Elliott, eMobility Product Manager at BMW UK said “We’re really pleased to announce our new relationship with Pod Point.  They excel at providing reliable, easy to use home charging products with a proven reputation for delivering outstanding customer service.  Furthermore, the inclusion of Pod Point’s public charging network within BMW Charging further cements BMW’s focus on creating easy and convenient access to public charging, anywhere, using just the BMW Charging Card or My BMW App.”

Commenting on the partnership, Erik Fairbairn, Founder and CEO of Pod Point said: “We’re delighted to be working with BMW as a preferred chargepoint supplier. BMW has won praise for having some of the best electric cars on the market with its models consistently lauded for efficiency and range, and we’re excited about the electric vehicles it will bring to market in the coming months.”

The partnership supports BMW Group’s transformation towards sustainable mobility. This year, including pre-production vehicles, BMW Group will already have 15 fully-electric models in production and by the end of 2025, the company will have more than two million fully-electric vehicles on the road, worldwide.

Bowker MINI had a fantastic time at Lancashire Business Expo 2023. The annual expo, held on Friday, 24th March, at Preston Guild Hall, attracted over 1,600 visitors.

The team from Bowker MINI offered advice on electric and hybrid fleet benefits, with information on EV range, performance, and cost savings. They also had a team of experts on hand to answer questions and provide one-on-one consultations.

Bowker MINI was one of over 120 exhibitors and exhibition partners showcasing their businesses, a new record for exhibition stand sales and visitor registrations.

Bowker MINI marketing manager, Amy Lancaster-Hall, said, “What a great event! The Lancashire Business Expo is always a fantastic opportunity to meet other local businesses. Thank you to Shout Expo for their hard work, and congratulations on delivering another memorable event.”

Director of Shout Expo, Jordan Conlin, echoed the positive sentiment: “This year’s LBE was off the scale – so much fun. Preston Guild Hall was buzzing. We’re all exhausted, but we’re already excited about 2024! A huge thanks to all our partners and exhibitors who made the expo such a huge success and to the visitors who came along to see what the fuss is all about and give our exhibitors the chance to showcase their services.”

The Lancashire Business Expo has established itself as an important annual event for businesses in the region, combining exhibition stands, networking opportunities, and interactive activities.

For more information and reactions to this year’s Lancashire Business Expo, search for #LBE2023 across social channels.

Bowker BMW enjoyed a successful Lancashire Business Expo 2023, which took place on Friday, March 24th, at the Preston Guild Hall. The event drew in over 1,600 attendees, and Bowker BMW was one of the more than 120 exhibitors offering their services.

At the expo, Bowker BMW provided valuable information on the benefits of electric and hybrid fleets, including details on EV range, performance, and cost savings. In addition, their team of experts was available to provide one-on-one consultations and answer questions.

Marketing manager for Bowker BMW, Amy Lancaster-Hall, expressed her delight with the event, saying, “What a great event! The Lancashire Business Expo is always a fantastic opportunity to meet other local businesses. Thank you to Shout Expo for their hard work, and congratulations on delivering another memorable event.”

The Director of Shout Expo, Jordan Conlin, also praised the event, saying, “This year’s LBE was off the scale – so much fun. Preston Guild Hall was buzzing. We’re all exhausted, but we’re already excited about 2024! A huge thanks to all our partners and exhibitors who made the expo such a huge success and to the visitors who came along to see what the fuss is all about and give our exhibitors the chance to showcase their services.”

The Lancashire Business Expo has become a significant annual event for local businesses, providing opportunities for networking, interactive activities, and exhibition stands. To learn more about this year’s event and see reactions, search for #LBE2023 across social media channels.

Sunday 16^th April 2023 | 9:30-16:00

Have you been riding for a few years since you passed your test, are perhaps not fully up-to-date on the Highway Code, lacking a little confidence with slow speed maneuvering or would maybe benefit from having someone cast an eye over how you ride?

We are looking to arrange a Free 1 to 1 Assessment Ride Day with an IAM RoadSmart Observer, based from our Centre on Preston Docklands.

The session will begin with a pre-ride chat to find out what your riding interest/experience is and if you have any particular area(s) you would like to improve on, followed by a discussion of the route, which should take approximately 40 minutes covering a variety of roads.

After the ride, your Observer will give their feedback, covering both the good areas and where there is some room for improvement.

Sometimes it’s useful to know how others perceive our riding. You will be given a time slot for your session which should take approximately 2 hours in total.

If you are interested in taking part in our Free 1 to 1 Assessment Ride Day, please complete the enquiry form on this page or call Richard Chacewicz on 01772 767300.

BMW UK presented the award to the Bowker BMW Centres in Blackburn and Preston, at a ceremony in Liverpool. The award was one of the national BMW UK Retailer Awards and recognised the family-owned group’s commitment to sustainability. The award also acknowledges Bowker’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

Bowker Motor Group’s financial commitment to sustainability in 2022 alone has reached almost £2 million. The business has engaged an Energy Champion to discover smarter ways to reduce their carbon footprint. And, last year, Bowker revealed that it has eliminated all but 95% of its paper transactions and communications. 

The BMW UK Awards were presented at the ACC Liverpool by comedian Alan Carr and TV presenter Edith Bowman. The awards recognise the hard work and dedication of BMW and MINI retailers across the country. BMW UK chose winners in categories including Sales, Marketing, Used Cars, and Sustainability. 

Chris Eccles, Bowker Motor Group director, said: “Thank you to BMW UK for this prestigious award. We are proud that BMW has recognised us for our commitment to sustainability, especially in the first year it has been presented. At Bowker, we take our responsibility to minimise our impact on the environment seriously. And we want to lead by example. 

“This award is credit to the hard work and dedication of our staff. Now, more than ever, we’ll continue to find more ways to reduce our impact on the environment. It’s up to us all to reduce our carbon footprint and make a difference.”

Sustainability has been at the heart of Bowker Motor Group since 2007. In that year, the Bowker centres adopted the ‘Bowker SOS’ (Switch Off Something) initiative inspired by the energy crisis of 1973. Since then, the centres have recycled materials such as glass, cardboard, oil, and even rubber tyres to help the environment. Recyclers reconstitute the tyres to reuse in flooring for children’s playgrounds.

In 2012, Bowker BMW in Blackburn became the first car dealership in Lancashire to install  solar panels on the roof of its Blackburn Centre. At the time, the investment in 210 panels offered a projected saving of £420,000 over the next 25 years. With the spiralling increase in energy costs, this saving is likely to be even more. An emissions saving of almost 500 tonnes of CO2 was also predicted.

The sustainability award also acknowledged Bowker for creating wide-ranging social value. The business demonstrated a focus on improving working conditions for employees and supporting the local community. 

At work, the company is investing in new showers and changing facilities for staff.  From wealth management workshops to professional development for managers, Bowker employees can count on support. And they have sourced uniforms from sustainable suppliers.

Working with local colleges, Bowker has established scholarship and apprenticeship schemes for over 15 years. The group has employed 14 apprentices and recently hired its first female apprentice. Bowker also invites students to experience the motor trade at first hand. The training covers all departments during a 10-day period.

Bowker Motorrad has confirmed it is sponsoring young rider Kieran Smith in the upcoming BMW F 900 R Cup. 

The partnership will provide support for Smith as he competes in the new one-make series, which runs alongside the 2023 British Superbike Championship programme.

17 year-old Kieran Smith, from Reading, will compete in the F900R Cup alongside his twin brother Christian. Kieran and Christian’s passion for motorcycles stemmed from a very early age and started for fun at the age of five. Their first racing experience (at the age of 12) was in Motocross on KTM 85s in 2017 and 2018. They both had their rookie year in HEL Junior Supersport BSB in 2021 learning the ropes and became seriously competitive racing again in HEL Junior Supersport in 2022.

For Bowker Motorrad, John Nichol said: “We are thrilled to be supporting Kieran in this first year of the F 900 R Cup. Kieran is a talented rider with a bright future ahead of him, and we are proud to be able to play a part in his journey. We can’t wait for the season to start.” 

Designed to be accessible for both aspiring and experienced riders, the F 900 R Cup features up to 40 riders competing on identical 105hp F 900 R roadsters at iconic UK circuits. The event includes multiple practice and qualifying sessions, with points accrued during two races at each round.

The first testing sessions will be held at Donington 25th-26th March and Silverstone 28th -29th March.  The series starts at Silverstone on 7th – 9th April and ends nine races later at Brands Hatch on the weekend of October 14th. 

Bowker Motorrad’s sponsorship demonstrates the Lancashire dealership’s commitment to supporting up-and-coming talent and provides race-day experiences for customers and a platform for the dealership to reach a wider audience.

Kieran Smith said: “We are grateful to Bowker Motorrad for their support and belief in me. Competing in the F 900 R Cup is a great opportunity, and I am excited to see what the future holds. With the help of Bowker Motorrad, I am excited to get back on the track and looking forward to a great season.”

The F 900 R Cup is set to be a highly competitive event, with riders from across the UK vying for a chance to prove their skills on the track. More information is available at https://www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk/en/experience/motorsport/the-bmw-f-900-r-cup