In 1910 Sean McCarthy’s grandfather Justin McCarthy joined Rodway as an accounting clerk. In his quest for success, Justin worked his way up to becoming the General Manager and went on to list McCarthy Rodway on the London Stock Exchange in 1936.
In the early 60s Justin McCarthy was succeeded by his son Brian McCarthy, Sean McCarthy’s father. His tenure saw enormous growth in the motor industry with the McCarthy name becoming the most trusted name in South African motoring and the biggest motor retailer in the Southern Hemisphere.
In 2003 Sean McCarthy broke away from McCarthy Retail Limited with the intent to create his own dealership group and so the SMG story began. Continuing the succession of the McCarthy legacy in South African motor retail, Sean’s son Patrick McCarthy joined SMG after completing his tertiary education in 2014.
The Sean McCarthy Group (SMG) has a network of 27 branches, representing BMW, MINI, Jaguar, Land Rover and Toyota, Chery, Yamaha and 5 Approved Repair Centres situated across KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Western Cape. SMG has grown significantly since 2003, with the initiative and drive from Sean McCarthy, as well as the longstanding history of the McCarthy family name stretching over 100 years in South African motor retail.
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SMG Mission
To ensure that the needs of our customers are exceeded as a result of delivering premium service in order to create the ultimate retail and ownership experience.
SMG inspires staff members by creating an energetic working environment that promotes a driven and enthusiastic team.
A strong emphasis is placed on our partnership with our manufacturers, therefore ensuring that all decisions taken by the SMG team is in alignment with the manufactures strategy.
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