Mel Ball at Toyota celebrates 26 Years of Service to SLM

On the 28th September 2013 Mel Ball, Marketing Manager, at SLM Toyota has been with the company for 26 years. She started her career at SLM Fiat, Churchwood Drive, Hastings, as an assistant Sales Administrator. Then joined the team at SLM Toyota, in Bexhill as their Sales Administrator. Mel has worked with many past staff members who you will remember well, John Wakeford, Brian Wakeford, Ray Barry, Paul Massarella & Gary Barlow just to name a few. Mel quotes “I can’t believe I have been here that length of time, it only seems like yesterday that I started up at Churchwood, as a teenager. ( I wish) I have been very lucky to have been given the opportunity to work with so many lovely colleagues over the years and having worked under Ian Wakeford, MD, for all of my working career at SLM has been a pleasure. In the year 2000 Toyota introduced the job role of “Marketing Manager” which covers many different aspects of the motor trade including press advertising, promotions, website design, outside car displays and customer service and I was kindly asked if I would like to take up the challenge and was delighted to be given the chance. Since then I travel to SLM Toyota Uckfield twice a week to work along side the Sales and After Sales teams. Ian Barlow, Franchise Manager, has supported me fully along with Jason Barlow, General Manager, at SLM Toyota Hastings , I feel that we work really well as a team and hopefully the customers are always kept up-to-date with the latest news and are completely satisfied when they visit our Centres”. Outside of work in my spare time I really enjoy playing squash 3 – 4 times a week, travelling and walking especially in the New Forest when we get the chance to get away. I also have 3 lovely cats which I devote a lot of my time too.