Inchcape formally enters PH market

After acquiring the majority share of CATS Group of Companies early this year, Inchcape has officially announced its entry in the Philippines.

The deal, which led to the establishment of Inchcape Philippines, allowed the global automotive distributor to acquire the controlling stake (60 percent), and the Ang-family led CATS retaining the remaining 40 percent.

Such development allowed the former to further widen its presence in the Asia-Pacific region of over 10 markets. It also bolstered Inchcape’s reach and partnerships with key global OEM brands:  Mercedes-Benz,  Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Jaguar, Ram, Land Rover, as well as Harley-Davidson and Mazda.

According to the company, the newly-formed joint venture pools the two entities’ commercial resources, advanced digital capabilities, global insights, and local market knowledge in their bid to “power better mobility in the Philippines.”

The announcement followed the announcement in January 2023 that the deal will be closed by the second half of the year.

Inchcape South Asia and Pacific Managing Director Alex Hammett will assume responsibility for the business in the Philippines. Inchcape Philippines’ local leadership will be under helm of its chief operating officer, Francis Jonathan Ang.

“We are very excited to officially announce our entry into the Philippine market. This deal is a highlight of our ambition to be the undisputed distribution partner for mobility companies. With a shared ambition for innovation to drive better operational performance and to deliver an exceptional customer experience, we look forward to powering better mobility for the Philippine automotive market,” Hammett said.

“For over 30 years of operating in the Philippines, our core purpose and mission has always been to fulfil our customers’ aspirations of owning the cars of their dreams. Together with Inchcape’s digital leadership and global scale advantage, we can usher in a new era for mobility via Inchcape Philippines,” Ang, for his part, noted.

Relatedly, Inchcape Philippines vowed to bring global market knowledge and processes, leadership in digital and data, and EV expertise to the fast growing and dynamic Philippine market where automotive sales are forecasted to grow to 500,000 in 2026 with the luxury vehicle market expected to grow at an even faster rate.

Photos from Inchcape, CATS Motors Incorporated

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