Will the dealers get their share?
There have been plenty of airplane rides for me in the past few weeks. This time of year holds a number of important industry events, and the Canadian auto dealer team makes sure we cover off our fair share. I …
Category: Publisher’s letter
Remembering Marchionne
Marchionne. It’s a name that will live on as a legend in the automotive industry. The news that Sergio Marchionne died suddenly at 66 rocked the business world and in particular the automotive industry. Tributes poured in from all around …
Millennial wisdom on display
Although I’m not overly fond of the way we too easily pin labels on generations and then ascribe a lot of stereotypical behaviours to them, there’s no doubt that the next generation of young people entering the workforce have some …
Electrical adventures in Ottawa
As I write this I’m in Ottawa attending the National Electric Vehicle Conference & Trade Show, put on by Electric Mobility Canada (EMC). I’m here because I need to better understand the growing market, expanding infrastructure and developing regulatory environment …
CADA Summit musings
It’s always a privilege for me to get an up close and personal view of the CADA Summit. Starting about a year before the event, our organizing committee meets regularly and we engage in discussions around topics, speakers and how …
Sharing a laugh with Kathy Ward
The automotive industry calendar is particularly busy at this time of year. I look forward to the auto shows in Montreal, Toronto and Detroit and industry events like the CADA Summit. For the most part, these events are a lot …
Digital F&I transparency
Many Canadian dealerships have made great strides in boosting transparency, as you will discover from the feature story in this issue. But although steady progress has been made in sales and service, it hasn’t yet fully made it to most …
Electric adventures
It’s one thing to have someone describe swimming to me, but it’s another thing entirely to jump in. And I figured it was time to make that jump and assess the electric vehicle experience. To do this, the gang at …
Bringing digital media into your store
It’s well known at this point that consumers spend time online before they step into your store. New research also proves that millennials will be attracted to digital displays in your dealership. While not surprising, there are few dealerships yet …
Remembering a great man
I flew out to Victoria to visit Tom Harris, just two weeks before he died. I wanted to run some ideas by him. I wanted to pick his remarkable brain. And I was looking forward to the time together. Tom’s …
Mark your calendars
One of the real pleasures of my role in the industry is the opportunity to assist in the planning of a number of important industry events. Often, I get to participate directly as a conference speaker or panel moderator. I …
Adventures in Halifax
The Canadian auto dealer team recently returned from a successful CADEX conference in Halifax. CADEX is the annual conference put on by the Nova Scotia Automobile Dealers Association (NSADA) with the goal of bringing leading national figures to the Maritimes …
