Automotive News Canada - January 2023 - 3

* JANUARY 2023
3
SECOND FRONT
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Canada Congress returns,
live and in person, with a
deep bench of insightful execs
By JEFF MELNYCHUK
EDIT OR-IN-CHIEF
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN
three years, on Feb. 16, top
automotive executives will
take to the stage with journalists
from Automotive
News Canada to address
key industry issues.
As before, the Automotive
News Canada
Congress will be held
at the Metro Toronto
Convention Centre,
timed with the Canadian
International AutoShow
(CIAS).
The last in-person
Canada Congress took
place in
February
2020, only a
few weeks
before
SCAN TO SEE
THE AGENDA
AND TO
REGISTER
COVID-19
forced the
shutdown
of in-person
events,
including
CIAS in 2021 and 2022.
For those years, Canada
Congress was held virtually.
The
return of the in-person
afternoon event features
several keynote
speakers, including
Jeremie Papin, senior
vice-president, Nissan
Motors; and Eric Lascelles,
chief economist, RBC
Global Assets. RBC is the
lead sponsor of the event.
A buy-sell panel features
five industry executives
to discuss consolidation,
cross-border acquisitions
and valuations, among
Steve
Chipman
Claudia
Sciama
other topics. Panelists
include John Chisholm,
vice-president of sales,
Dealer Solutions Mergers
and Acquisitions; Peter
Heasty, a partner with
accounting firm Baker
Tilley; Ted Lancaster, executive
vice-president, mergers
and acquisitions, 401
Auto Group; Chris Pfaff,
CEO, Pfaff Automotive
Partners; and Landon
Robertson, senior partner,
corporate strategy
and business development,
Templeton Marsh.
Laura
Zanchin
Ted
Lancaster
Steve
Milette
John
Chisholm
An EV readiness panel
will address the topic of
Canada's new zero-emission
vehicle-sales mandate
and how automakers
and dealers can navigate
that path. Panelists
include Don Romano, CEO,
Hyundai Canada; Laura
Zanchin, dealer principal,
Zanchin Automotive
Group; Steve Chipman,
president, Birchwood
Automotive Group; and
Steve Milette, president,
Nissan Canada.
Don
Romano
Chris Pfaff
An omnichannel marketing
panel features
Linda Frey, vice-president,
marketing, Policaro
Group; Brent Marshall,
CEO, Omni Auto; Kevin
O'Rourke, country manager,
Canada, Dealers United;
and Claudia Sciama, managing
director for automotive,
consumer goods
and telco, Google Canada.
Panelists will discuss best
practices and key steps in
deploying the right omnichannel
digital strategy.
Registration for the
Automotive News Canada
Congress is $199 per person
plus HST and includes
admission to CIAS. An
early registration rate of
$99 plus HST is offered
through Jan. 27.
For the full agenda and
to register, visit
canada.autonews.com,
under the header of
Events, Webinars &
Awards. -ANC
TRANS-CANADA NEWS 5,000 KILOMETRES
OF STORIES
Martinrea adds
economic firepower
CANADIAN AUTOsupply
giant Martinrea
International has
retained Export
Former EDC
Chief Economist
Peter Hall will
serve as a
senior adviser to
Martinrea.
PHOTO: MARTINREA
Development Canada's
(EDC) former chief economist
as a senior adviser.
Peter Hall officially
began his role on Dec. 8.
Martinrea said in a statement
that Hall " will provide
regular commentary
on a wide range of issues
impacting Canadian market
conditions, global economic
issues, and market-specific
categories
important to Martinrea
and its key stakeholders. "
Hall has more than 30
years experience in economic
analysis and forecasting.
He spent nearly 14
years with EDC, where he
was responsible for overseeing
the Crown-owned
credit agency's economic
analysis, country risk
assessments and corporate
research groups.
- Greg Layson
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New boss for Subaru Canada
By STEVE MERTL
VANCOUVER CORRESPONDENT
TOMOHIRO KUBOTA
has been appointed as
chairman, president and
CEO of Subaru Canada.
Kubota, 52, who
replaced Yasushi Enami
on Dec. 1, joined Subaru
Corp. in 1994, first working
in retail sales at the
dealership level, then
managerial roles in sales
and marketing, including
as president of Subaru
Deutschland GmbH.
In taking over the top
Canadian post, Kubota
thanked Enami, who is
returning to Subaru Corp.
in Japan, for his work
over a five-year term.
" Subaru Canada
remains uncommon in
its approach to navigating
challenging roads in
this current industrywide
automotive landscape, "
Kubota said in
a news release. " I'm
excited to build on this
strong foundation. "
Subaru has 95 authorized
dealers in Canada.
In 2022, the company
recorded sales of 44,009
vehicles, a 22.6-percent
decrease compared
with 2021, according
to the Automotive
News Research & Data
Center. But December
sales of 3,514 units were
up 17 per cent from the
same month in 2021.
-ANC
03
01.23
Kubota: Subaru has built
a " strong foundation " as
the company navigates
industrywide challenges.
SUPPLIED PHOTO
Ontario optimism: EV efforts
are just getting started
Industry Minister
Fedeli says
another major
battery facility
is a sure bet for
the province
By GRACE MACALUSO
MANAGING EDITOR
Fedeli: " I'll be
darned if those
[lithium] rocks
get up and leave.
They should
be processed
in Northern
Ontario. "
FILE PHOTO
Lion Electric has
power for its vehicles
MONTREAL - LITHIUM
ion battery production is
under way at Lion Electric
Co.'s new manufacturing
plant in Mirabel, Que.
The medium- and
heavy-duty commercial-vehicle
maker said Dec. 21
it had completed assembly
of its first battery pack
at the facility and expects
to ramp up production
throughout 2023. The initial
batteries will power
the Lion5 truck and Lion
Ambulance, which are also
scheduled to enter production
in 2023.
ONTARIO WILL CONTINUE
its winning streak in attracting
multibillion-dollar investments
in its electric-vehicle
supply chain this year, with
a second battery plant " absolutely "
destined for the province,
said Industry Minister
Vic Fedeli.
" I suspect that you're
going to hear good news
Yannick Poulin, the
company's COO, said the
milestone is an " important
step " for Lion Electric that
should " bring with it a new
level of optimization for
product design and production
efficiency. " - David
Kennedy
Nissan awards its
top Canadian retailers
TORONTO - ONTARIO'S
Zanchin Automotive stood
tall in the Nissan 2021-22
dealer excellence awards.
Three of its Nissan dealerships
in the Greater
Toronto Area - Alta Nissan
Woodbridge, Alta Nissan
coming out of Ontario in
the near future about all of
these, whether it's parts, the
battery parts or all of the
above, " Fedeli said during
the Jan. 6 Automotive News
Canada podcast.
Although he would
not identify the companies
involved, the minister
and Ontario Premier
Doug Ford have held recent
meetings with Volkswagen
Group and its subsidiary
PowerCo, which are seeking
a Canadian site for the
German-based automaker's
first North American battery-cell
plant.
While Quebec also is considered
a contender for the
plant, Ontario is generally
SEE ONTARIO PAGE 11
Richmond Hill and Maple
Nissan - each won the
national Nissan Award of
Excellence. It was the second
year in a row for Richmond
Hill and the first time three
dealerships from the same
group have won.
Of Nissan Canada's
210 dealers, 20 receive
the award. Alta Nissan
Woodbridge and Maple
Nissan were also among 10
Canadian dealers that qualified
for the Nissan Global
Award.
" These 10 dealers represent
the top five per cent of
SEE TRANS-CANADA PAGE 27
http://canada.autonews.com
Automotive News Canada - January 2023

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