Photo: CNW Group/Mercedes-Benz Newmarket
The renovation of the Newmarket Mercedes-Benz dealership is more than just converting a 25-year-old rooftop into a modern-day, state-of-the-art complex. It is a dream come true for Managing Partner Brian Fulton, the onetime Mercedes-Benz Canada president.
The dealership had once been a corporate retail store for Mercedes-Benz but was sold in 2015 to Ryan Finch of the Finch Auto Group. When Fulton was hired as president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada that year, one of the first network topics he had to address was the fact the dealership had begun to show its age. He suggested to Finch that he either find another piece of land to build a new dealership or renovate the existing one.
“Be careful what you ask for because you may end up being on the other side of the fence,” said Fulton with a laugh in an interview with Canadian auto dealer.
Fulton left Mercedes-Benz Canada in 2020 and became managing partner of the dealership when it was purchased by Joe Zanchin, founder and chairman of the Zanchin Group, the biggest one in the Greater Toronto Area.
“Part of the letter of intent when Joe bought the dealership was that he needed to do exactly what I wanted Ryan Finch to do, so I ended up with Joe having to execute the construction of a new dealership here,” said Fulton.
The new dealership, which opened for business on May 21 and has its official launch on Oct. 1, is 32,100 square feet, an expansion from the old footprint of 20,000. It has a barista bar and customer lounge, 200 parking spaces — collectively almost double the old dealership — 18 service bays, up from 14, and two new delivery salons to allow customers to pick up their cars inside at any time of the year. Moreover, it is among the first in Canada designed around the MAR20X global retail concept and includes an AMG Performance Centre.
It took 14 months to complete the renovation and Fulton said it is almost 95 per cent done. The showroom is complete, as is the second level for administrative offices. It is dramatically different from what Fulton had ever imagined when he first talked to Finch about renovating the existing dealership.
Fulton said it is deeply meaningful to him because of his connection to Mercedes-Benz and his role as managing partner.
“Absolutely,” said Fulton. “It’s one thing to be on the corporate side and try to develop your network, it’s something much more personal when you’re involved in day-to-day operations and you’re working with a gentleman like Joe Zanchin. It’s your responsibility to try to create a retail space that’s approved by the brand, designed by Mercedes in Stuttgart, and bring it to life and deliver it to a market like Newmarket and York Region.”
The plan is to use the dealership for private events, AMG-focused programming, community initiatives and curated ownership experiences to introduce guests to the facility.
It’s all part of the Mercedes-Benz global Welcome Home theme.
“If you look at the design, you look at the colours, the architecture inside, it’s just a really welcoming, cool place,” said Fulton. “You’ve got the new Toronto Queensway Mercedes-Benz dealership and it’s large with a gigantic main floor and a staircase for all their deliveries. When you walk in here you’ve got that same look and feel but it’s more of a boutique kind of feel for the brand.”
