Inside Golf - New Gear
September 2018 Issue
Led by founder Ian Edwards, MGI Golf is a proudly Melbourne born and bred world leader in the electric golf buggy market, and this year celebrates a milestone 25 years in business.
Like many great success stories, MGI emerged from humble beginnings, when at the request of his father, Ian imported the first electric golf buggy in 1993 from a small trader located in Queensland. To his surprise, the Queenslander was keen to sell the business, so with a young family to support, Ian embraced the opportunity, bought the stock and having smashed the first year’s sales target by a multiple of 5 in the first 12 months of trading, MGI literally hasn’t stopped motoring.
Following a continued weakness of the Australian dollar around 94/95 which affected the import market, Ian made the decision to design and manufacture his own range of electric buggies locally. As a business built on innovation, and with a reputation for the most sophisticated design and technological buggies on the market, MGI’s export market was a natural progression. Whilst the business was forced to move some of the manufacturing off shore by 2003, they remain steadfastly committed to the highest product quality standards and superior customer service, two key pillars Ian attributes to the success of his business.
Today, MGI is an operation that boasts over 90% market share of electric buggies in Australia, employs over 30 staff at its Nunawading headquarters, and runs a dedicated service centre with technicians based at both the office HQ and on the road in service vans, attending to MGI customers at their local golf course. MGI exports to 23 countries including the US and for the past ten years has owned the rights to the Sureshot brand of watches, lasers and handheld GPS units.
People are undoubtedly a cornerstone to MGI’s success – both their own and those of their valued trade partners. Supported by his brother Neil and daughters Carrie and Miranda, all of whom are intimately involved in the day to day management of the MGI Business, 25 years nurturing loyal and genuine trade relationships has been pivotal to business growth.
MGI is also launching a 25th Anniversary Edition of its number 1 selling remote controlled electric buggy, the Zip Navigator, due for release at the end of September. With only 1,000 buggies released to the Australian market, each buggy will feature chrome finishes, include a bonus accessory pack, a personalised nameplate and 25th anniversary plaque. With full directional remote control, golfers can roam freely and play shots under less fatigue, whilst the patented gyroscope straight tracker technology allows players to concentrate more on their game at hand. The new buggy also comes with a three-year warranty, and features a new adjustable top handle and USB port. And in a sport where precision is everything, MGI’s 25 years of innovation in the golf industry is indeed worth celebrating. As Ian nods gently to the next generation of his family to succeed him at MGI, he so too relishes the new-found acceptance of electric golf buggies by younger golfers. Traditionally the domain of the older golfer, demand for electric buggies grew by almost 50% last year in Australia alone, as younger golfers embrace the sleek, sporty design and understand the link between energy conservation and performance - the result being lower scores and handicaps.
25 years of innovation, persistence, precision and determination have propelled MGI golf to this milestone year in operation – the very values demanded by the game of golf that this business so proudly services.
