The Motor Dealers’ Association of Alberta (MDA) has announced the 2018 Alberta Dealer of Excellence winners: Bruce Kirkland of Lexus of Edmonton and Charles Longmate of Windsor Ford (in Grande Prairie) have received the distinguished awards.
“There are a lot of outstanding dealers in Alberta,” said Longmate. “To be selected as one for this award is an honour and a humbling experience.”
The award is offered to one metro dealer from Calgary or Edmonton, and one non-metro dealer from the rest of the province. Candidates are nominated by their peers and their applications are examined by a panel of past award recipients, who then decide who the two winners will be. They review criteria such as business acumen, community involvement, and also the dealer’s association and industry involvement.
“I learned a lot of things from my father, but the one thing that stands out is that he told me that your employees are your greatest asset, so get the best ones you can,” said Longmate, who also has a firm belief of “treat every customer and employee the way you would like to be treated.”
His store is the number one Ford dealer in its market. It has earned Ford Motor Company’s President’s Award 33 times and President’s Diamond Award three times. The dealership has also been named the City of Grande Prairie’s Entrepreneur of the Century.
As for Kirkland, he also believes in the importance of teamwork. “It is the team that makes your store successful. Anyone can have a nice building; it’s the people inside that count,” said Kirkland. “Acknowledgement from my peers for our team’s accomplishments is what makes it (this award) the most special.”
Kirkland’s Lexus dealership has earned the brand’s Pursuit of Excellence Award every year since the store opened in 2005 — a store that now includes 130 employees. He is also overseeing the development of the first free-standing Lexus dealership in Alberta, according to MDA. Furthermore, four major expansions are expected to follow, one of which includes a separate luxury pre-owned vehicle centre.
For more information about the winners, click here.
