Innovative Lancashire Honda team earns trip to Brazil

By Lancashire Business View

06 Dec 2018

north-west-honda-motorcycles-brazil-1-1000x500.jpg
A team of four representing North West Honda Motorcycles has earned a trip to Honda's Brazilian manufacturing plant to present its innovative ideas.

The team, consisting of group audit manager Barry Todd, smart fix repair manager Iain Black, motorcycle general sales manager Neil Morris and e-commerce manager Damian Brog, won the trip as part of the global motor company's Circles project.

The initiative is designed to empower employees working for various parts of the Honda Motor Corporation to identify issues within their part of the business. Once identified, teams of up to seven individuals undertake a ten-month research project that they must present to a Honda judging panel in their home country before following that with a visit to their Bloc location.

The North West Honda Motorcycles quartet became the very first dealer team to visit the New Honda Circles World Convention in Brazil after presenting their ideas at Honda's Europe-Africa-East conference in Budapest.

Their winning idea was based on plans to increase customer retention across their dealerships in Blackpool, Lancaster and Wigan.

In Sao Paulo, the team got the opportunity to visit the Honda Car Plant based inside the city with the chance to see various Circles already implemented on the production line, as well as present their own ideas.

Team Leader Barry Todd said: "It was amazing just to get the chance to be in Brazil, but to see what an incredible difference these Circles can make to operations was a real eye-opener."

The four were then invited to join a team-building exercise. Neil Morris said: "We were given the task to link up with international colleagues to build a child’s bicycle from scratch. Then the real surprise came as we were asked to present these bikes to local disadvantaged children as part of a local social project."

Iain Black added: "These children were between seven and ten and this small gesture from us was everything to them. It gave you a real sense of perspective and is something we were all really proud to be involved with."

Their final day consisted of a culture tour of Sao Paulo taking in the local Football Museum to learn the importance of football in Brazil, personified by heroes such as Pele and Ronaldo.

In 2019, the team will have it all to do once again as they first travel to Honda UK in Swindon to attempt to earn their place in the Europe-Africa-East convention to be held in Amsterdam. With the World Convention happening every two years, they will have to wait until 2020 before they can take the first of three steps that will see them in Frankfurt and another opportunity to enjoy time with their International cohorts. North West Honda Motorcycles (part of the Cox Motor Group) has branches on Lytham St Annes Way in Blackpool, the White Lund Industrial Estate in Morecambe and Challenge Way, Wigan.

Latest news

1

Morecambe shortlisted in National Visa Awards celebrating the UK’s thriving towns David Waddington and John O'Neill

Morecambe shortlisted in National Visa Awards celebrating the UK’s thriving towns

04 Jul 2025

2

County council sets out 'areas of focus for 2025-26 in document Coun Stephen Atkinson

County council sets out 'areas of focus for 2025-26 in document

04 Jul 2025

3

Warden Construction completes project to help Preston school double pupil numbers Warden Construction completes project to help Preston school double pupil numbers

Warden Construction completes project to help Preston school double pupil numbers

04 Jul 2025

4

Grant Thornton advises RJ Power Networks on sale to Ipsum Jamie Roberts

Grant Thornton advises RJ Power Networks on sale to Ipsum

04 Jul 2025

5

College principal resigns Karen Buchanan

College principal resigns

04 Jul 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
LBV123 July/August Launch Event
Lancashire Business View magazine launch
Networking
16 Jul 2025

LBV123 July/August Launch Event

Burnley

08:30 - 10:30

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025
BEC 315 X 315 Px
Networking
25 Sep 2025

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025

Blackpool Football Club, Blackpool, FY1 6HX

08:30 - 13:00

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Tri-Site Survey Equipment Showcase
unnamed (2).jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
09 Jul 2025 - 09 Jul 2025

Tri-Site Survey Equipment Showcase

Crow Wood Hotel, Burnley, BB12 0RT

09:30 - 16:00

Blackburn Cathedral hosts Champagne and Diamonds Event with Ainsworth Jewellers
Champagne-Jewellery 10 07 25_page-0001.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Awards
10 Jul 2025 - 10 Jul 2025

Blackburn Cathedral hosts Champagne and Diamonds Event with Ainsworth Jewellers

Blackburn Cathedral, Blackburn, BB1 5AA

18:00 - 20:30

Choose Chorley for Business - Talent Reimagined Business Breakfast
talentreimaginedbb.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
10 Jul 2025 - 10 Jul 2025

Choose Chorley for Business - Talent Reimagined Business Breakfast

Strawberry Fields Digital Hub, Chorley, PR71PS

08:00 - 10:30

Shaping Preston's future by remembering its past
1750160034867.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Jul 2025 - 16 Jul 2025

Shaping Preston's future by remembering its past

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 20:30

Chamber Summer BBQ
LBV Hub Social
17 Jul 2025 - 17 Jul 2025

Chamber Summer BBQ

The Borough, Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA1 1PP

17:30 - 20:00

Preston Tech Connection: Web3 is Dead. Or is It?
July Longer Banner.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
29 Jul 2025 - 29 Jul 2025

Preston Tech Connection: Web3 is Dead. Or is It?

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 19:30

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: July
Longer July Banner.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
31 Jul 2025 - 31 Jul 2025

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: July

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

Cumbria Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880461633-4862066883-1-original.20241022-110415.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
19 Sep 2025 - 19 Sep 2025

Cumbria Business Expo 2025

Carlisle Racecourse, Carlisle, CA2 4TS

09:00 - 15:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV122 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin