TAG staff with the children from YEP’s Summer Programme. Photo: Provided

Children from YEP use the Audi Q5 in TAG’s showroom to strike a pose. Photo: Provided

Parts Manager, Tirso Tuppil Jr points out a part at the Car Quest Auto Parts store during the YEP visit. Photo: Provided

The field trip, part of YEP's summer programme, exposed the children to TAG's elegant showroom, the only one of its kind in the Virgin Islands; the modern auto care centre; and the Car Quest Auto Parts store that houses a wide inventory of parts and accessories for all auto brands.

Eagerness filled the eyes of the children as Parts Manager, Tirso Tuppil Jr guided the students through the parts store, providing a synopsis of the operations and the parts inventory.

In the showroom, the top question posed to Gordon U. French, Senior Sales and Marketing Executive, surrounded the cars getting into the showroom.

“How do you get the cars inside?” the question was asked.

“We shrink them with a machine,” replied Mr French. His response was immediately met with shouts of disbelief.

“It is the first question we get because most people have only seen cars in a showroom in other countries and most people are amazed by how simple it is. However, you are correct; we do not use a machine,” he told the students as he relayed truthfully the method used to place the cars in the showroom.

The children were impressed by the Hyundai Veloster, Santa Fe and Tucson. The Audi Q3 and Q5 models also created fascination.  

Timothy Flood, certified Service Advisor, also fielded questions on the tour about TAG’s service centre’s modern tools and machines.

“TAG welcomes the initiative undertaken by YEP and wishes the group well as they help to shape young minds to be productive leaders in our community,” said Managing Director, Patricia M. Romney.

Romney noted that the company is especially pleased that YEP selected TAG as a modern operation to showcase to the children as it helps to open their young minds to the progress being made within the Virgin Islands.

“This is all part of our focus to work with youth in the community,” Romney said.  

In May, YEP, located at Witches Brew, celebrated their eleventh year of providing enriching and engaging programming for the youth of Tortola, with no enrollment fees. Over the past two years, they have seen a growth in the number of children attending from across the Territory, of which they are quite pleased.

TAG started operations in late November, 2015 with the opening of the car sales division and has since added their auto care center, body workshop, wash bay and Car Quest Auto Parts, a subsidiary of Advance Auto Parts.