Automotive News Canada - December 2021 - 16

16
* DECEMBER 2021
2021ALL-STARS
IF 2020 WAS SPENT LIVING FROM ONE
COVID-19 crisis to the next, then 2021
was about finding normalcy, even if it
was unfamiliar.
The 2021 Automotive News Canada All-Stars
appeared to be unwilling to settle for normal. In fact,
many were selected because they were integral to
the biggest auto-industry stories of the year, from
U.S. retail giant Lithia Motors and Driveway acquiring
Canada's Pfaff Automotive, to the revival of the Oshawa
Assembly Plant to build Silverado pickups.
There were many other bold business moves -
literally - such as relocating a dealership into the
West Edmonton Mall, and vehicle shipments from
China that swapped Canadian coasts to slash weeks
off delivery times.
Other All-Stars set out to strengthen their companies
by diversifying their portfolios: One dealership
group now has electric-vehicle stores and another is
focused on an expansive strategy for used vehicles,
which have become critical since the pandemic-related
microchip shortage has impacted new-vehicle
production.
Fewer available microchips led automakers to cut
production of certain vehicles, and information and
communication regarding production and inventory
became daily reading for stakeholders in the industry.
Automotive News Canada has an All Star for that,
too.
Others made strides environmentally or focused
on diversity in their workplaces. It should be no surprise
that that's also beneficial for the bottom line.
The auto industry is famously known for giving
back to the communities that help it thrive, and that
took many forms in 2021, most notably with regard
to the wildfires and the flooding in British Columbia.
The list goes on.
It's not possible to honour the countless All-Stars
from coast to coast, but Automotive News Canada is
pleased to recognize a handful who led the way.
- ANC
SEISMIC SHIFT IN RETAIL
BRYAN DeBOER
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
LITHIA AND DRIVEWAY
n August, Bryan DeBoer, CEO of Oregonbased
Lithia and Driveway, launched himself
into the industry's All-Stars conversation
through his company's acquisition of Torontobased
Pfaff Automotive Partners. The deal adds
12 Pfaff locations to Lithia's 264 U.S. dealerships.
In November, Lithia acquired Pfaff HarleyDavidson
of Toronto. With 2020 revenues of US
$13.1 billion and net income of US $438 million,
Lithia is one of America's largest publicly traded
dealership groups. DeBoer has said that buyI
used
cars sold annually. "
He joined Lithia, founded by his father Sidney
DeBoer, in 1989 and has been CEO since 2012.
OPPORTUNITY ALL-STAR
SWAMY KOTAGIRI
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
MAGNA INTERNATIONAL
n his first year leading North America's
biggest auto parts supplier, after Don
Walker retired, Magna International CEO
Swamy Kotagiri was in the news for inking
at least one billion-dollar deal, but also for a
big one that got away.
Kotagiri's push to grow Magna's
advanced driver-assistance systems business
hit a wall when a deal to buy Sweden's
Veoneer for about US $3.8 billion succumbed
to a higher bid from Qualcomm and New
York investment fund SSW Partners.
Undeterred, Kotagiri is not wavering
from his goal to establish the Aurora,
Ont.-based company as a global player in
the development of electric vehicles and
self-driving technology.
" If there's an opportunity to augment
scale, our geographic footprint or the customer
base, we'll do what is necessary within
the realm of the financial hurdles that
make sense for us, " said Kotagiri, 53.
In February, Magna announced plans to
invest up to US $70.1 million over five years
to build an EV battery-component plant in
Michigan.
In June, Magna finalized a long-term
agreement with U.S. startup Fisker. As part
of the deal, Magna Steyr, the supplier's contract
assembly plant in Austria, will build
Fisker's electric Ocean SUV, in addition to
the models it produces for manufacturers,
such as BMW and Jaguar.
The following month, Magna closed a US
$1-billion deal with South Korea-based LG
Electronics to build electric motors, inverters
and onboard charges for customers.
In Canada, Magna joined Ontario's
University of Waterloo for a $1.6-million
project designed to enhance safety and
cybersecurity of autonomous vehicles.
I
SUPPLY-CHAIN TRAILBLAZER
JEANINE LASSALINE-BERGLUND
PRESIDENT, CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF MOLD MAKERS, AUTOMATE CANADA
ention " JLB " and most everyone in the
Windsor, Ont., supplier scene will know that
refers to Jeanine Lassaline-Berglund, president
of the Canadian Association of Mold Makers
and its high-tech offshoot, Automate Canada.
Lassaline-Berglund made her mark as a passionate
and articulate advocate for re-opening
the U.S.-Canada border, attracting more young
people to the industry and translating Canada's
research-and-development strengths into commercial
opportunities.
Lassaline-Berglund, 54, draws from experience
not just as a tool-and-die worker after university
but from a remarkable range of other roles,
from economic development commissioner in
Leamington, Ont., to executive in the cannabis
industry. Automate Canada called her a trailblazM
er
for her leadership
roles in manufacturing
fields in which
women were historically
far less prevalent.
Given
her unfailingly
positive outlook,
it's no surprise
she sees the great
disruption of COVID19
as an opportunity for her industry to look to its
future.
" Throughout its history, " Lassaline-Berglund
wrote recently, " advanced manufacturing has
learned some indelible lessons in innovation and
resilience, including the ability to pivot on a dime. "
AUTOMAKER LEADER
SCOTT BELL
PRESIDENT, GENERAL MOTORS CANADA
S
cott Bell has a reputation for
making things happen - fast.
As president of General
Motors Canada since September 2019,
his bridge-building with labour and
strategic thinking has led to investments
in two Canadian plants valued
at up to $2.3 billion.
When GM committed to reviving
the Oshawa Assembly Plant, east of
Toronto, to build Chevrolet pickups, he
oversaw the rapid-fire 12-month retooling.
The conversion, which included
the addition of a new body shop, was
one of the fastest plant launches in company
history, and restores nearly 1,800
jobs lost when the plant was partially
shuttered in 2019.
Bell and Unifor also sped up contract
negotiations at GM's CAMI plant
in Ingersoll, Ont., so the company
could bid to produce the new EV600
electric commercial van there. Bell
said at the time he triggered early
talks to ensure " that opportunity
[didn't] pass us by. " CAMI will shift
from producing the Chevy Equinox
crossover to the EV600 next year.
Bell, 55, also pushed for a more
inclusive workplace - half of new production
hires at the Oshawa plant are
women, according to GM.
ing Pfaff adds US
$1 billion in revenues
and provides a
foothold for further
expansion into the
Canadian market.
Canada, said
DeBoer, " has
been our top target
for growth outside
of the United
States with its similar
business practices
and a market
opportunity of five
million new and
Automotive News Canada - December 2021

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