TRILLIUM FORD LINCOLN COMBINES SUBURBAN SOPHISTICATION WITH THAT SMALL TOWN, PERSONAL SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
In 1975, Jack Vant Spyker started selling and servicing Ford, Mercury and Lincoln vehicles. Back in the days when gigantic land yachts like LTDs, Marquis, Montegos and Torinos earned Blue Oval retailers the big profits, the enterprising Vant Spyker (who immigrated from the Netherlands and trained as a technician) saw there was a market in the then tiny farming town of Alliston, Ontario. He started out as a sub-dealer for Schomberg, Ont., Don Coffey Ford and in 1981 earned his wings as a franchised retailer. Thus, Trillium Ford Lincoln-Mercury was born.
Jack (left) and Eric Vant Spyker
Vant Spyker and his business partners grew their operation and in 1987, acquired a second dealership, 30 km to the west, in Shelburne, Ont.
Today, more than 25 years later, Alliston has mushroomed from a rural farming community to a regional manufacturing hub, thanks to the presence of Honda Canada Inc. which operates a massive vehicle assembly complex to the east of the town. Additionally, more and more people are choosing to live in the area due to its close proximity to Toronto. “You can be downtown in less than an hour,” says Eric Vant Spyker, Jack’s son who has now taken the reins of the dealership from his father.
SEEING AN OPPORTUNITY
The younger Vant Spyker says it was never a given he would enter the family business, but after graduating from McMaster University in Hamilton and spending several years working in pharmaceutical sales, he saw an opportunity to come home, especially as the Alliston area was growing (according to the 2011 census, the town has seen its population swell by 23 per cent since 2006).
Much like the community it serves, Trillium Ford Lincoln has seen expansion of its own. Today, the dealership sells over 450 new vehicles a year. “Between here and our other location in Shelburne, we’re on track to surpass 1,000 cars and trucks annually,” says Eric Vant Spyker.
And going hand-in-hand with that growth has been modernization. Trillium outgrew its original location in downtown Alliston, moving to the current site, close to Highway 89 in 1993. Twenty years later, this facility has undergone a significant revamp — all in the name of elevating the dealership’s prominence in the community as well as providing a way to serve customers better than ever before.
Opened in May 2013, the new showroom, detail area and service drive-thru adhere to Ford’s Millenium factory imaging standards, with a separate facade and entrance for Lincoln customers.
“The one thing my father and his partner decided on maintaining from the beginning, was the Lincoln franchise,” says Eric Vant Spyker. “We’re the only luxury brand located in [the Township of] New Tecumseth. The nearest similar store is 20-30 minutes away.”
Vant Spyker says that having the Lincoln franchise, especially in what is still considered a fairly rural community is “a bit of a pride peg for us,” and as Ford Motor Company continues to invest in its luxury brand and the local demographic changes, the store is well-positioned to give local vehicle shoppers a premium experience when searching for their next car.
Vant Spyker says that while the new showroom and service drive have definitely helped raise Trillium’s profile, getting to this stage did present some challenges, especially as it wasn’t a clean, green site build. “We were still operating out of here while construction was going on,” he says.
Luckily, local building contractor, Ben Vandermeer Ltd, helped ensure the process went as smoothly as possible. “They worked really well with us,” says Vant Spyker. “They accommodated us with respect to our store and our customers as well as ensuring our service writers had access to the network during the construction phase.”
Vant Spyker says another challenge was dealing with the local municipality. “It was difficult to reach an agreement on many issues,” he says, “whether it was the building itself, the landscaping, and/or meeting Ford’s expectations.” He notes however, that many small and medium-sized business also have to contend with similar issues, so Trillium’s situation was by no means unique.
ELEVATED EXPERIENCE
Now that the work has been completed and the upgraded facilities opened for several months, Vant Spyker says the result has been an entirely different experience both for staff and customers.
The wide open space incorporates a geothermal heating and cooling system and was one of the first dealerships in Eastern Canada to incorporate it. Vant Spyker says that while the upfront investment was substantial, the long-term benefits will far outweigh the initial cost. “There’s a more consistent temperature inside the building,” he says “and it’s more efficient.”
Vant Spyker says the geothermal system is still very much a talking point not only because a rural dealership has chosen to go green and make the investment, but also that it reflects Ford Motor Company’s own strategy, not only in terms of the vehicles it produces, but also Ford’s manufacturing facilities such as the massive Rouge Assembly complex, which regard ecology and sustainability as a major part of their overall operations.
Dedicated detail bay can accommodate up to three vehicles and boasts heated floors
Geothermal heating and cooling also means that the store’s new, fully enclosed service drive through and dedicated vehicle detailing bays provide a new level of comfort and service experience for customers, lending Trillium Ford Lincoln the feel of a sophisticated, big city dealership, albeit one that’s in the heart of an essentially rural community.
It also enables service staff to carry out their tasks in far more civilized conditions than before. “We can now inspect the vehicle and do our walkarounds in shirt sleeves instead of parkas in the winter,” says Ken Sales, fixed operations manager.
Sales, who has been with Trillium for a decade, has seen both the industry and the community change, even in that relatively short period of time. “Customers are definitely more educated,” he says “and the quality of vehicles has improved dramatically.” He says that today, the small niggling issues that used to be common on many cars or trucks, such as squeaks, rattles and wind noise are really a thing of the past. “Today we’re really in the maintenance business.”
Fixed operations manager, Ken Sales, has been with Trillium for over a decade
Adam Crowe, now a sales consultant, started working at Trillium as a co-op student
MORE INFORMED
With extended service intervals, many dealerships are finding it a challenge to get customers in on a regular basis. But in Trillium’s case, Sales says the growth in business hasn’t really affected service operations that much and thanks to the Internet, customers tend to be a lot more informed. “That can prove to be a blessing,” he says. “We’ve seen a huge amount of growth in our winter tire business, especially in view of the dramatic temperature changes common in this area during the winter months.”
Sales notes that while major servicing intervals may have extended, regular wear and tear still means customers come in fairly regularly. “It hasn’t really changed that much, people still need wiper blades, belts, hoses, filters, fluid changes, tires and alignments.”
In smaller communities, word of mouth reputation is hugely important and Trillium can take solace in the fact that it has built a loyal customer base both in New Tecumseth and beyond. Peer a bit more closely and you’ll see the dealership has been a Ford President’s Award winner the last three years running.
The dealership has been a Ford President’s Award winner, three years running
It’s aspects like these and an unwavering commitment to customer service and the future, that make dealerships like Trillium Ford Lincoln stand apart.
It’s one reason why sales consultant Adam Crowe, loves being here. Crowe, who enrolled in the Automotive Business School of Canada’s four-year degree program, has done three co-ops at the dealership. When he’s not studying he’s also working at Trillium in his spare time. “I’ve learned so much,” he says. “I love the environment, dealing with customers and how automotive retailing works, from sales, through to service and parts. My first co-op [at Trillium] really fired me up. I knew then I wanted to work on the retail side and this was the place I wanted to be.”
Looking back over the last three decades, Jack Vant Spyker says he’s proud of what Trillium Ford Lincoln has accomplished and he’s even more optimistic about the future, now that son Eric has taken over. “The business is in very good hands,” he says. “I’m excited about what my son and Len Rice and his team in Shelburne are doing. They have a very promising future ahead of them and I’m looking forward to see both our business and the community continue to grow.”
