Striking a balance
I was interviewed by the CBC recently for a story focused on what might seem to be competing goals: On the one hand, protecting domestic automotive manufacturing in Canada; on the other hand, supporting the drive to go green and …
Category: Opinion
Just communicate better with customers!
As an editor who covers the auto industry, sometimes I have an experience with a dealership that reminds me what it’s like being a typical consumer. Sadly, sometimes, the experience isn’t that great, and it reminds me our industry still …
Community building
I’ve worked as an editor in the business press for a while. Ok, a long while, like 25+ years, and have worked in many different markets. One of the things all magazine publishing teams will try to do is build …
Remembering Ron Porter
I received some sad news on May 15. As many of you will now know, Ron E. Porter, former SVP Automotive Finance at Scotiabank died at age 71. Ron was a true automotive guy. He spent over 30 years at …
What to do about AI?
I was having lunch a couple of weeks ago with the head of a dealer group whose company I very much enjoy, and whose views I very much respect. We have lunches like this every so often, just to trade notes on what’s going …
The event you really can’t miss
CADA Summit is the can’t miss calendar event for dealers, and increasingly for OEMs and suppliers who want to know what the auto retail industry is really going through. I’ve been to every CADA Summit and have always had an …
One for the ages
I’ve been attending the CADA Summit ever since there’s been a CADA Summit. That’s been a while, as the first one was held February 13, 2013. Now, of course there’s a recency bias in everything we do. Some say Patrick Mahomes is …
Full circle
Funny thing about time, it marches on regardless, and sometimes you find yourself in a dèja vu moment. I had the opportunity to do a video interview recently with a really dynamic young industry leader, Shannon Willsher, the General Manager …
Absorbing CES and Autovate
I’m finally back in the office. It feels like I’ve been travelling since the beginning of December — simply because I have been. But it’s been worth it, and I thought I’d share a few key takeaways that may have relevance …
Nice guys can finish first
Every year since 2006, the national association representing car dealers, the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association, has awarded three CADA Laureate Awards to dealers in three distinct categories: ambassadorship, retail operations and innovation. By my simple math that means there are …
A tale of two cities, sort of…
Ok, I’ll say it right up front: I would not call Lake Louise, Alberta, a city. It is, however, a great spot for a dealer conference. A significant chunk of the dealer community clearly agrees, based on the record attendance …
Canada Night Eh’ is back!
As of press time, it was full steam ahead for the return of Canada Night at NADA. This event, initially sparked a few years ago by Alan Bird and his colleagues over at SCI Marketview, now taq Automotive Intelligence, was …
