An East Anglian motor dealership has celebrated a major milestone with a black tie ball at the Athenaeum in Bury St Edmunds.

A year of celebrations to mark Turner Motor Group’s 50th anniversary culminated in a celebration at the venue for more than 120 staff and their partners, as well as organisations the business has worked with, last Saturday.

The company was founded by husband and wife John and Pauline Turner in 1965, when they purchased an old bacon curing factory on the High Street in Needham Market and converted it into a small garage selling used cars.

Today, the multi-million pound turnover business has Hyundai dealerships in Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds, a service station at Tot Hill in Stowmarket, and an extensive property portfolio that extends along the A14 corridor to Cambridge.

Sadly, John died in 2012, but Pauline, together with sons Ian and Glen, who now run the business as joint managing directors, were at the ball with the rest of the Turner family to welcome their guests.

“We wanted to thank our staff and professional advisors by giving them a special night out with a Black Tie ball. They have all worked tirelessly day in day out over the years, to keep our customers safe and happy and they deserve this ‘thank you’ from us,” said Ian.

“We held our 25th anniversary here in 1990, when we were able to invite customers and it would have been lovely to ask them along to celebrate our 50th. But the business has grown to such an extent that there is nowhere big enough in Suffolk to look after them all. So, we have made sure that there are a variety of very special deals to thank them sincerely for their loyalty over the years.”

Glen said the members of the team at Turners were the backbone of the organisation.

“Without them, our business wouldn’t be as successful, and our reputation for customer service based on family values wouldn’t be as strong,” he said.

“We must be doing something right as the average length of service is over 12 years and once people join us, they tend to stay. However, we are always on the look-out for special people to join our team.”

Pauline said: “Never in a million years, did John and I think that the business would have grown to the extent it has and still be operating successfully 50 years later, using the traditional values and approach of treating our staff and customers as though they were members of the family. It is sad that John isn’t here to join in the celebrations as he would have been so proud.”