Twenty years after moving north from downtown Toronto, Audi Uptown Markham is on the move again, albeit only a few kilometres east, due to an issue in which the current location has been rezoned for homes.
Canadian auto dealer attended the dealership’s groundbreaking ceremony for its new location on Wednesday, damped by rain but otherwise a day full of optimism and pride for the DFC Auto Group, owned by Dealer Principal/CEO Helen Ching-Kircher. DFC also owns Downtown Porsche in Toronto.
General Manager Fred Marmugi told the assembled crowd there were a lot of doubters when Ching-Kircher and husband, Dr. Peter Kircher, made the move from Toronto to Markham in 2005.
“Quite honestly, I was one of the doubters, too, and I have to say I couldn’t have been more wrong,” said Marmugi. “Operating a dealership such as this in such a vibrant community, we’re just a small but colourful piece of the beautiful mosaic that Markham is.”
He said the dealership sold approximately 500 new and used cars at its downtown location and now sells more than 2,000 new and used cars, which is a testament to the growth of the brand.
Audi Canada President Vito Paladino told Canadian auto dealer Audi Uptown Markham has annually been battling to be the brand’s top dealership in sales in the Greater Toronto Area in sales and has had the top spot in the past. He said it currently ranks among the top three in Canada.
Fred Marmugi
Marmugi said the dealership was informed three years ago about the rezoning and worked with Audi Canada on a new location and plans. The dealership also has a small satellite location near the new location. Marmugi said the ownership wanted a location near the current one because it’s on a highway that is a major artery of Markham, and Audi Canada supported it. The current store has 27,000 square feet (2,500 metres), while the new one will be more than 50,000 square feet (4,645 metres). He said the expansion is due to the growing community.
“The market here just has an appetite for dynamic mobility, it loves German cars, and they’re affluent,” said Marmugi. “They have the means to buy these cars and they see the value in it.”
Marmugi is hoping the new dealership can be built in 18 months.
Paladino said the announcement of the new dealership is significant for the brand and the ownership.
“For us, it means this is the next chapter in our journey in Markham and with our partners,” said Paladino. “To see the opportunity of Audi grow, that’s really a testament that what we’re building in Canada is working and it’s pretty special to the partners that see the full potential. It’s really great when you can see the growth of the brand, growth of the community and growth of the partnership. This is something that should be a great experience and that’s exactly what has happened here.”
He said Audi Uptown Markham is successful because every top dealership in Canada has a certain set of criteria requirements, such as prioritizing the customer, which is important, and represents the brand to its identity.
“It’s a whole recipe of how you treat your customers, how you treat your employees, and really creating the brand,” said Paladino. “They’ve done a great job of capturing what Audi is here on a daily basis.”
