Our Story So Far
Kevin Egan - Business Owner
The opening in November 2023 of Kevin Egan Cars’ magnificent new €4m showroom and
aftersales facility on the Old Dublin Road in Sligo represents another important milestone
for a business known for the irrepressible ambition of its owner.
Kevin Egan began his career in car sales in 2000, his early years spent between showrooms
in Sligo and Roscommon before the chance arrived to start his own business in 2009.
“The car dealership I was working with at the time couldn’t afford to buy trade-ins so, with a
nest egg I’d built up over the years, I started buying them and selling them myself in the
evenings. When I was satisfied that I had a viable business, I handed in my notice and began
trading full-time,” he says.
Coming on foot of Ireland’s banking crisis and subsequent economic recession, the move
was not without risk for the father-of-three. Opening challenges were mitigated by the
recruitment of Mark Walsh, an experienced salesman who put his dynamism and flexibility
to good use by refining the online sales process, leading to a surge in revenue.
“Mark helped me take the business to the next level after he came on board in 2010. We
won six major industry awards between 2012 and 2016, all while downsizing our offices
from a large showroom to a Portakabin and smaller yard. We streamlined everything,” says
Kevin.
“The larger profile gave us easier access to credit to expand our stock and become players in
the used car market. Naturally that led us to set up our after-sales maintenance services,
which has been brilliant both financially and also in bringing us closer to our customers.”
The next chapter ensured business stability, explains Kevin. “Mark bought an equity stake in
the company in 2016 and is now my business partner. I was delighted with that for several
reasons, not only because Mark had worked hard and he deserved it, but also because the
investment allowed us to buy this three-acre green-field site on the Old Dublin to Carraroe
Road.”
In 2017, Kevin struck a deal with Gowan Auto to take on the prestigious Peugeot franchise in
the North West and commissioned designs for what would become the state-of-the-art
facility. Record-setting years in 2018 and 2019 led to the construction of the purpose-built
workshop and valeting bay.
However, the showroom project became mired in delays due to uncertainty around Brexit’s
impact on the car import market and the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We continued selling out of a Portakabin. That was fine for a time but the showroom has
always been our ambition. Thankfully, we managed to break ground in March 2022 after
securing a €2.5m loan from Bank of Ireland,” says the company CEO who stresses that the
project has not been without sacrifice.
“My father Bobby works with us and none of this would have been possible without him. He
owned a garden centre on the banks of Lough Gill and sold the site to partially finance the
deposit for the loan. I see this showroom and our whole facility here as a vote of confidence
– from the bank, my family and the staff – and as a testament to what can be achieved by
doing things the right way.”
Kevin believes that a genuine love of cars, an interest in people, and an emphasis on
maintaining high standards have been key to the longevity of the business.
“I love cars. Even after all these years, I still love cars. That’s your starting point. After that
you need to like people. The hardest thing is to build trust and credibility and, in my opinion,
demonstrating high standards over a long period of time is the best way to do that,” he says.
“Even in our earliest years, we were vigilant about keeping the highest standards – whether
that’s the cars we sell or the staff we employ in our workshop, sales department and
valeting bay. It’s vital that customers know that, in the event their car breaks down, we will
there with a proven first-class service.
“We’ve never taken a short-term view. It’s always been about building a business that’s
synonymous with quality and trust. Our record speaks for itself in that regard.”
