Organized criminals want your cars. Are you using all the available tools to pretext them? Canada has one of the highest rates of car thefts in the world, with about 300 cars being stolen each day, according to Statistics Canada. …
Auto industry analyst Richard Cooper visited auto shows in Brazil, Canada and the United States and found some fascinating connections. In this article, he examines the differences and similarities between the North American and Brazilian markets. I had the good …
Jim Bell’s 5 “must-have” worksheets Our best practices worksheets are a hot item. Here’s a recap of five of them you can download from the Canadian auto dealer website and why you need them. Both James and I started our …
After 29 years, super association executive director Shirley Canty gears down Sitting down with Shirley Canty for an interview to talk about her illustrious career, you get the sense that this whirlwind force doesn’t much like sitting down at all. …
Many dealers are finding that bringing cars to auction is proving increasingly profitable The car business presents both some unique challenges and opportunities. The Great Recession of 2008-09 saw many changes. Perhaps the biggest news was the bankruptcy and subsequent …
Are you ready for the next generation? There’s a lot of interest in issues like succession planning, the lack of a solid bench strength for our industry, and questions about where the future leaders of Canada’s automotive retail industry are …
Short sighted policies hamper our economic performance I recently had the pleasure of attending a very interesting presentation. Professor Christopher Ragan of McGill University – a renowned economist with a world class resume – gave a talk entitled A Complex …
Web 2.0 guru Jared Hamilton makes the complex seem obvious As a magazine editor, I sit through a lot of speeches and presentations. Because it’s my job to be there, I always try to listen intently. My natural curiosity usually …
Brandtford dealer Forbes Bros celebrate milestone anniversary How do you measure success? For Bob and Jim Forbes, brothers and dealer principals of Forbes Bros Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac, it’s easy to measure success in decades — nine to be exact. …
The outlook brightens, but forecast remains cloudy With a nod to the pop band The Cars with their 1979 hit, is there a case to be made today for “letting the good times roll” in the Canadian automotive industry? According …
There are great managers and great leaders. Which are you? Over my 25 years as an observer and advisor to the automotive retail industry, the partnership between automotive vehicle brand owners (VBO) and their independent dealers has amazed me. From …
After setting a new SAAR (Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate) high for the year in June, new-vehicle sales in Canada plunged again in July continuing the topsy-turvy ride that has characterized the year to date. That’s no surprise to those in …
