UK award for local dealer

Howard Campbell, Sunday Gleaner Writer

Kingston auto dealer Tariq Malik is to receive a Gold Award from the Business Initiative Directives (BID) organisation at its International Quality Crown Convention in London this evening. The ceremony will be held at the Guoman Towers.

The Pakistan-born Malik is managing director of Carland, a dealership he started in 1985. Last week, he told Automotives he first learned of the BID award in October when he was contacted by the company's officials.

"We feel really great because a lot of work has been put into the business. It shows we are doing something right," Malik said.

He said Carland was nominated in the BID Gold category by an anonymous bidder.

Malik moved to Jamaica in 1983, shortly after graduating from Punjab University's College of Engineering and Technology. An auto engineer by profession, he worked at the fledgling Crown Motors in Kingston before leaving to launch Carland.

The company started out as a dealer for high-end European cars such as Mercedes, BMW and Volvo, and later expanded to include popular Japanese brands like the Lexus.

Carland is also the Jamaica dealer for the Jailing motorcycle, a Honda make manufactured in China.

Auto engineer

Malik came to Jamaica at a time when there was not a large Pakistani community. Though he was in unfamiliar territory, he says his professional training quickly earned him the respect of the auto community.

"Being an auto engineer I can fix cars correctly but I have great product knowledge so I can also buy correctly," he explained.

Malik credits the liberalisation of the auto-import market by the Jamaican government during the 1990s, as a turning point for his company.

"That allowed us to import cars in great quantity from Germany, the United States and England. It really helped us," he said.

According to Malik, Carland got off the mark with a handful of cars but currently has over 400 vehicles on its roster.

This year represents the 22nd annual staging of the BID International Quality Crown Covention. Organisers say it is "designed to recognise the prestige of the outstanding companies, organisations, and businessmen in the business world".

The BID awards are used by companies in 178 countries to "endorse their activities in favor of quality culture, creating a bond among clients, suppliers, employees and collaborators".

The ceremony will be attended by companies from 74 countries.