About Us
MH Cloete, a farmer from Namibia, had come to the Strand for his yearly family holiday since the late 1950’s. He became friends with the then owner of Helderberg Motors, bought a car from him and ended up becoming a 50% shareholder in the business.
He was quite surprised to get a call one morning a short while later, informing him that the company in which he was a shareholder was in liquidation and he was in for some serious financial debts.
Being the proud and good businessman that he was, he consolidated some of his assets and paid the debts and at that time (1962) started a new company, MH Cloete Enterprises trading as Rola Motors, named after his farm in Namibia, which previously belonged to a married couple, Rose and la Cock.
His son-in-law Laurie Claassen, a school teacher at the time, together with the support of his wife Helmine, joined him in April 1963 as a co-owner. Mr Claassen’s only biggest financial asset was a 1961 Zephyr, which he sold to contribute towards his 50% share of the Rola Motors Company, at the time.
Mr Claassen had no previous business experience and under the mentorship of his father-in-law and support of his wife, they worked very hard to lay the sound and solid foundation for a successful company to follow.
Mr Claassen became the sole owner of the then Rola Motors business in 1974 and was later joined by both his sons, Theo in 1986 and Marius seven years later.
Today, 48 years later, the Rola business has evolved into a Group of Companies, steered by different Boards of Executives and Non-Executive Directors. Theo serves as Managing Director for the Rola Group of Companies and Marius as Managing Director for one of the two motor divisions.
Over more than four decades the Rola Group has acquired and traded in different new and pre-owned vehicle brands, endorsing and serving them with the Rola customer experience of excellence and integrity, through which the Group has earned its reputation.
Although the family group has developed and evolved over time into a corporate business enterprise with a diversified business portfolio, the same values, the focus on people development and the principles of strong customer relationships that were instilled by the founder Managing Director, Mr Laurie Claassen, are still pertinent today. It is expected from employees to adopt the family values and conduct themselves in the Rolaway culture and by doing so, become a member of the Rola Family.
Core Values:
- Empowered people
- Professionalism
- Highest integrity
- Mutual respect
- Leadership
Vision
To become a leading national, independent, entrepreneurial, diversified motor and property related group creating sustainable value for its share- and stakeholders.