When we at Bilia continuously add new and large car dealerships to our portfolio, simple administration and low energy costs are significant factors for our choice of electricity supplier. Entelios gives us everything we need, says Johan Svensson, responsible for indirect material purchasing at Bilia.
Bilia is today one of the fastest-growing car chains in the Nordic region – with nearly 100 dealerships and workshops in both Norway and Sweden. Bilia started as a network that only sold Volvo cars. Today, they also sell brands such as BMW, Ford, Toyota, Lexus, Renault, Mini, and Dacia – the latter three only in Sweden.
The expansion is taking place through continuous acquisitions of dealerships, which in 2014 contributed to a total revenue of SEK 19.5 billion. Bilia employs over 3,000 people in Norway and Sweden.
The world’s largest Volvo dealership can be found in Gothenburg. One and a half miles southeast of the Torslanda factory is Bilia Sisjön, which sells around 2,500 Volvo cars per year. The bright and spacious premises create a fantastic atmosphere for both new and used cars on display.
Annelie Sjölin is one of the salespeople who meets customers here.
“I love my job! Here we have free and varied workdays, and I have the opportunity to develop and meet nice people every day,” says Annelie.
“It is also not a disadvantage to work with a car brand that is so successful with completely fantastic products. And then I have the best colleagues you can imagine!
Both sales halls and workshops place high demands on both lighting and ventilation, which naturally account for the largest share of the approximately 50 GWh of energy consumed annually by the Bilia group.
“In our annual energy costs of around SEK 30 million, it is ventilation and lighting that cost the most. And when it comes to electricity supply, low prices and simple administration are the most important factors. Our cooperation with Entelios works very well in that regard. But we have been a customer of theirs since 2008 and have learned a lot about the electricity market over time,” says Johan Svensson, responsible for indirect materials procurement.
“New things are happening all the time within Bilia, and we sign contracts with new dealerships that we buy into our chain at regular intervals. That also means that I am constantly getting new buildings and more measurement points that need to be included in our agreement with Entelios.
“Fortunately, this means minimal work for us. We only provide basic information about the buildings and the unique code for each new electricity meter, and Entelios takes care of the rest. As a customer of Entelios, we can therefore concentrate on what we do best, namely developing the leading car chain in the Nordic region.”
Facts about Bilia:
- Founded in 1967 by AB Volvo, under the name Volvator.
- Was orginally a network for Volvo dealers only.
- They only sell passenger cars, half of which are volvos.
- The Nordics largest car chain.
- Has nearly 100 stores and workshops in Norway and Sweden