The big get bigger
Dealer groups continue to grow. What does this mean for you? The trend towards large dealer groups is spreading from coast to coast. Beyond the synergies and the economies of scales, what’s behind this? And is there such a thing …
News
Bodyshop Benchmark
How Budds’ Oakville, Ontario, Collision Centre is taking front and center stage in the industry “It’s all about Six Sigma,” says Budds’ Collision Vice President and General Manager Sam Piercey, as he draws a little diagram on a piece of …
The weakest link
Chaos in Japan underlies fragility of global supply chain As I write this article, about one month after the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit the northeastern coast of Japan, the extent to which the Japa- nese, and indeed …
LAR expands on all horizons
Purchasing co-operative now servicing Ontario dealers Leader Auto Resources, more commonly known as LAR, is well known to dealers in eastern Canada. Now it is expanding its reach further into Ontario, with a focus on Toronto area dealers.To that end, …
Catch a rising star
Dynamic entrepreneur Mike Trotman shares recipe for success When we last caught up with B.C. auto dealer Mike Trotman, he had just been named to the prestigious Top Forty under 40 list by Business in Vancouver magazine. In the course …
NADAguides reveals best-in-segment in annual report
NADAguides has just released its NADAguides Annual Best Car Buys for 2011. The report is based on an in-depth scoring system developed by NADAguides using criteria that matters most to consumers including price, first-year depreciation value, fuel efficiency, warranty coverage, …
Patent board recognizes GM as innovator
The U.S. Patent Board has crowned General Motors number one in its quarterly report. The report outlined GM as the number one innovator of the 182 companies in the Board’s report. The parameters for the report were based on measurements …
High-risk customers get buzzed
A loud buzzing noise may be the key to coaxing high-risk customers into payments. For dealers who want to track poor credit customers who default or make late-payment fees, the new Payment Reminder Buzzer, by Rocky Mountain Tracking, may help. …
Saab story takes another turn
Last week, Saab appeared to have found a saviour in the Chinese car company, Hawtai, but that deal quickly went sour. This week, another Chinese white knight promises a reprieve for the long-suffering Swedish automaker. But is it enough to …
DealerTrack Canada Adds TransUnion as Credit Resource
DealerTrack Canada, a provider of on-demand software and data solutions for the Canadian automotive retail industry, announced an agreement with TransUnion credit. The agreement gives DealerTrack the ability to offer TransUnion credit solutions through DealerTrack Canada’s Credit Application Network. DealerTrack …
Hyundai slashes Accent pricing
Hyundai Canada announced this week that the base MSRP for the all-new 2012 Accent has been reduced by $1,100 from the outgoing model, while content and technology have been significantly increased. Pricing for the 2012 Accent begins at $13,199 for …
AutoTrader report shows consumers want efficiency
As gas prices soar, reaching over $4.00 per gallon in the U.S., consumers are shifting their focus towards more fuel-efficient cars. According to Autotrader.com’s monthly Trend Engine report, fuel-efficient vehicles like the Ford Focus and Hyundai Sonata made big gains …
