BRITISH COLUMBIA
NCDA reveals winners of Green Star Dealer Awards
The New Car Dealers Association of BC (NCDA) recently announced the winners of the Green Star Dealer Awards, which are meant to highlight the outstanding work a dealership has done in selling clean energy vehicles in British Columbia.
In a news release, the association said the award recognizes new car dealers that sold the most eligible clean energy vehicles annually, across all brands, and by provincial region. It also recognizes the Most Improved Dealership.
“Despite significant supply chain issues, we continue to make significant strides in ZEV adoption — and that is good for government, good for business and good for the environment,” said Blair Qualey, President and CEO of the NCDA, in a statement.
The Green Star Award recipients for Battery Electric Vehicle Sales (BEV) and Plug-in Electric Hybrid Sales (PHEV) for 2022 sales are:
- Top BEV Sales – Vancouver Island: Victoria Hyundai
- Top PHEV Sales – Vancouver Island: Jim Pattison Toyota Victoria
- Top BEV Sales – Lower Mainland: OpenRoad Hyundai Richmond
- Top PHEV Sales – Lower Mainland: OpenRoad Toyota Richmond
- Top BEV Sales – Interior: Kelowna Hyundai
- Top PHEV Sales – Interior: Orchard Ford Sales Ltd., Kelowna
- Top BEV Sales – North: Northland Hyundai, Prince George
- Top PHEV Sales- North: Prince George Ford
- Most Improved Dealership BEV Sales: Richmond Kia
- Most Improved Dealership PHEV Sales: Orchard Ford Sales, Kelowna
Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Resources, also congratulated the winners for helping to connect consumers with clean transportation options.
“British Columbians are embracing zero-emission vehicles faster than any other jurisdiction in Canada, and we’re helping them choose electric in their daily drives with funding for rebates and charging stations,” said Osborne in a statement.
The NCDA has administered the Clean BC Go Electric Vehicle Rebate Program since 2011, the year it was first implemented. The association said the number of registered light-duty ZEVs has steadily increased over the years, from 5,000 in 2016 to more than 100,000 in 2023.
Adil Ahamed succeeds father as CEO of Destination Auto Group
Forty years after its inception, Destination Auto Group has made a leadership change with Adil Ahamed becoming President and CEO.
He is taking over from his father, Aziz, who founded the British Columbia-based company in 1983. Aziz will become Chairman of the Board and continue to provide guidance and strategic direction.
“I knew I wanted to work with the family at some stage. I love cars,” said Adil in an interview with Canadian auto dealer. “Those things naturally brought me back, but I also knew I wanted to pursue (something) outside to get some experience and cut my teeth and build a network. I had full blessings from my dad to do that.”
Adil had been working as managing director of the business. Both father and son are recipients of the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association Laureate Award for Innovation. Adil was honoured in 2022, and his father in 2019.
He joined Destination Auto Group in 2012 after completing his Masters of Business Administration at Columbia Business School. Previous to that he worked internationally with Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs in New York, as well as the Aga Khan Development Network through its microfinance entities in Switzerland and Tajikistan.
Adil said that neither he nor his brother Azeem were pressured by their father to join the family business. But there was an understanding that graduating with an MBA from an accredited university was a must, along with five years of upper management or board level experience. He said some of the business skills he learned working outside of the company have helped since he joined the family business.
“Those experiences were completely priceless,” said Adil. “You never really know what you’re going to learn until you go out and do that. You come back and 10-15 years later I’m finding I’m using a lot of those skills you need in a dealership environment. To get that from a broader perspective was very useful.”
During his time with the company, Adil has focused on creating a culture of operational excellence driven by strong ethical practices, innovation, communication and capacity building.
“It’s not all about the dollars,” said Adil. “It’s about building a culture, building a team, and having the right certain mindset to do that in a way that preserves our family reputation.”
The leadership transition represents the company’s continued focus on new technologies, customer service, and operational excellence.
ONTARIO
Myers Automotive Group set to expand number of stores
Ottawa’s largest automotive group is about to get bigger.
The company is closing in on a 16th dealership and has begun ground-breaking on its first Subaru dealership that is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2024.
“Since COVID started, we bought out an Infiniti dealership and moved it into one location we already had and we opened a new Volkswagen dealership next door to where the Subaru is going,” said Myers’ Chief Executive Officer Cyril Leeder. “We’re pretty focused on the Ottawa market and expanding here. We’re always looking for opportunities in Ottawa, both open point and existing dealerships.”
Leeder said this will be only the third Subaru dealership in Ottawa.
“We like their cars, we think they really suit the Ottawa winter,” said Leeder. “The manufacturer gets high praise from dealers. They are top of the dealer rankings every year. They are a sister company to Toyota, which we already have a relationship with. We get along famously with the folks at Toyota, so good product, right brand for it. Subaru has made a commitment to only have 100 dealers in Canada and this is number 96. We’re getting in just under the wire.”
The Subaru dealership will be in Barrhaven, which is 17 kilometres southwest of the city’s downtown core. Myers currently has three dealerships in Barrhaven but plans to move a Nissan dealership there. So it will be five once the Subaru dealership is built. Barrhaven has a connection to brothers Harry and Rob Myers, the third-generation owners of the dealership group, who grew up in the area. They bought 25 acres of land a few years ago when it was just a farmer’s field and developed it into an auto park.
“They knew the area well and had the vision to think that one day it will be a great spot for dealerships,” said Leeder.
There are six automotive centres on the land, including Toyota, Hyundai and Volkswagen dealerships that Myers owns and a Carstar Collision Centre that company owns. There are separate owners for Ford and Honda.
“The brothers are really community driven, and we give back a lot to the community,” said Leeder. “They could probably be a bigger group if they expanded outside of Ottawa, but their plan was to keep it local and family-focused here in Ottawa.”
Auto groups back Ontario’s fight against stolen vehicles
A $51 million commitment from the Ford government to combat the rise in auto theft, by identifying and dismantling organized crime networks in the province, was met with the backing of several Canadian automotive industry associations this month. They would like to see a similar approach from the federal government to inspect vehicle shipping containers in the Port of Montreal.
“We collectively call on the federal government to join us in a collaborative dialogue to ensure the levers at their disposal are also deployed to combat vehicle theft,” said Canada’s leading automotive associations.
They are: the Motor Vehicle Retailers of Ontario (MVRO), the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), the Global Automakers of Canada (GAC), the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association (CVMA), and the Canadian Financing and Leasing Association (CFLA).
These associations have been working with the Canadian Automobile Association, the Insurance Bureau of Canada, and police forces across both Ontario and Québec. Their goal is to have similar interventions implemented — such as the ones announced by the Ford government.
“Collaboration between the government, law enforcement, and the automotive industry is vital in addressing this issue. Federal engagement is now needed to stop the export of stolen vehicles,” said the associations in a statement. “The Canadian Border Service Agency must use its existing power to search shipment containers before they leave The Port of Montreal.”
They are also calling for better and more collaborative ways to intercept stolen vehicles before they reach the ports.
QUEBEC
Tag Tracking tackles the Ontario market
Québec tops all other provinces when it comes to vehicle theft, particularly Montréal. But Toronto is moving up the ranks as well; many thieves from La Belle Province now operate out of Ontario, according to Tag Tracking.
In a news release the company, an anti-jamming technology supplier, said the issue is primarily a matter of insurance. They note that insurers are now individually requesting an application from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario to manage risks according to their needs. As a result, Tag Tracking said it is increasing its presence in Ontario.
“For decades, in Ontario, it was like walking into a candy store for thieves. There was no anti-theft protection protecting the vehicles. So it was a quick and easy market for thieves,” said Freddy Marcantonio, Vice-President of Business Development and Distribution at Tag Tracking, in an interview with Canadian auto dealer’s sister magazine Affaires automobiles.
Tag Tracking said the deterrent effect of its system is estimated to be approximately 99.82 per cent. This is because the system gives car thieves a difficult time.
The company describes its technology as a unique prevention and recovery system that uses a multi-layered approach to auto theft prevention. Designed and manufactured in Canada, this anti-theft solution is completely independent of the vehicle’s battery, making it difficult to dismantle.
Tag Tracking’s team is able to find stolen vehicles anywhere in North America. They also work with the police and have helped dismantle several vehicle theft groups.
