Automotive News Canada - August 2023 - 3

* AUGUST 2023
3
SECOND FRONT
24/7 DIGITAL
HEADQUARTERS
By JOHN IRWIN
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
SUPPLIERS ALREADY JUGGLING HIGHER
costs and choppy vehicle assembly schedules
want more insight into automakers' longterm
electrification plans so they can create
efficient strategies of their own, according to
Plante Moran's survey of automaker-supplier
relationships.
" During COVID, a war room approach was
adopted to quickly resolve critical issues, "
SCAN AND SIGN UP TO GET EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS ON YOUR MOBILE
BREAKINGNEWS ALERTS | DAILY NEWS ROUNDUP
WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS | PODCASTS AND MORE
Parts makers want more insight into EV plans
Automaker-supplier relations
survey shows improvements
for Stellantis and Nissan,
and a big drop for Ford
said Dave Andrea, principal in Michiganbased
Plante Moran's automotive and mobility
consulting practice. " That approach is
what auto manufacturers need to maintain
during the transition to EV technologies. The
industry needs that level of collaboration,
Andrea: Collaborative
methods that solved issues
during the COVID-19
pandemic should also be
used to aid the transition
to EVs. SUPPLIED PHOTO
even without the pressure of a crisis. "
The 2023 North American Automotive
OEM-Supplier Working Relations Index
SEE CONFUSION PAGE 26
A new Ford home on native land
The relocated store straddles
the line between corporate
identity and Tsuut'ina culture
By HARRY PEGG
CALGARY CORRESPONDENT
FORD CANADA AND METRO FORD IN
Calgary marked a series of firsts with
the recent grand opening of the automaker's
inaugural franchised dealership on
Indigenous land.
The 80,000-squarefoot
(7,400-square-metre)
" Signature " design structure,
built on 8.5 acres (3.5
hectares), is an anchor
for the Taza Park business
development within
the Tsuut'ina nation
on Calgary's western outskirts.
The groundbreaking
took place in August
2021 with Metro Ford
relocating from its longtime
location in central
Calgary.
Pattemore:
Metro Ford
enrolled in
the Model E
Certified Elite
program and
" is prepared
for expansion
of Ford's
electric fleet. "
PHOTO:
HARRY PEGG
At the July 15 grand
opening, Ford Canada
President Bev Goodman
said it's the first Ford
dealership on native land
in Canada and, " to my
knowledge, " currently the
largest Ford dealership in the country.
Metro Ford is the first Model E Certified
Elite dealership in Calgary, and it was also
The second annual
retail salary survey:
How do you stack up?
DEALERSHIP STAFF AND
managers from across the
country are urged to take part
in the 2023 Automotive News
Canada Retail Salary Survey,
intended to compare and contrast
compensation in all
departments and at all levels
of retail.
Responses are anonymous
and confidential, and any
reporting or references to
results will be presented in
aggregate form only.
" Anonymity for dealerships
and their staff removes
the obstacles to take part.
The greater the participation,
the richer and more detailed
the picture we can paint for
the second year of the survey, "
said Automotive News
Canada Editor-in-Chief Jeff
Melnychuk.
Select findings, key trends
and in-depth analysis of the
challenges facing the industry
will be published in the
January edition of Automotive
News Canada and at
automotivenews.ca.
Tsuut'ina artist Keegan Starlight designed the " Thunderbird " logo and painted a mural
in the customer waiting area that pays homage to Ford, Indigenous people and nature.
PHOTO: HARRY PEGG
awarded a Super Duty F-650 and F-750 franchise,
said dealer principal Reg Pattemore.
The 44-bay service area has six heavy-duty
hoists for large trucks, 26 hoists rated at
12,000 pounds' capacity and four in-ground
hoists for electric-vehicle service. The store
also has seven wash bays.
The dealership " is prepared for expansion
of Ford's electric fleet, " said Pattemore. For
TRANS-CANADA NEWS 5,000 KILOMETRES
OF STORIES
Tesla plans B.C. delivery
centre for up to 650 cars
PORT COQUITLAM, B.C. -
Tesla Canada and partner
Bosa Properties are seeking
approval from the city council
of Vancouver suburb Port
Coquitlam for a 60,000-squarefoot
(5,600-square-metre)
delivery centre, according to
the local publication TriCity
News.
If approved, the facility
would become the primary
repository for vehicles arriving
from the United States
and China, providing space
for up to 650 vehicles before
they are delivered to buyers
in Vancouver and surrounding
cities. It would also carry
out some sales operations,
handle parts distribution and
serve as a hub for Tesla's service
operation, according to
the report.
The site along the Lougheed
Highway, a major local thoroughfare,
requires rezoning
before construction can proceed.
- Steve Mertl
Mazda store purchase
'complements' group
GUELPH, ONT. - THE
Queenston Automotive Group
added a fifth new-vehicle store to
its growing portfolio.
The group said it closed on the
purchase of Guelph City Mazda
on July 1. Terms of the deal were
not disclosed. The dealership is
located in a large auto mall on the
western edge of Guelph, about 100
kilometres west of Toronto.
The acquisition raises
Queenston Automotive's store
count in the city to three. The
company also owns Guelph
Nissan and Guelph Infiniti,
which share a rooftop near the
Mazda location.
existing dealerships, the Model E Certified
Elite program requires electrification infrastructure
upgrades costing up to $1.3 million.
About 90 per cent of the investment is
charging infrastructure, including DC fast
chargers, Ford said.
The 5,000-square-foot (460-square-metre)
SEE 80,000 PAGE 26
Last year's survey revealed
that automotive retail can be
a lucrative career: the average
annual pay was $131,200.
" A key survey outcome is
to help dealership staff gauge
how they stack up to their
peers from across the country, "
Melnychuk said.
" We think every employee
will want to know that, but
they also need
to participate to
help paint that
picture.
SCAN TO TAKE
THE SURVEY
" For the second
year of the
survey, " he said,
" we'll be able to
compare data
and look for trends. For example,
is employee pay keeping
up with inflation? "
To participate, visit
canada.autonews.com/salarysurvey
or scan the QR code.
and truly enhances and complements
our existing operations " in
Guelph.
Queenston Automotive Group
acquired Guelph City Mazda on
July 1. Former dealer principal
Mohsen Kharian stayed on as
general manager.
FILE PHOTO
Company CEO Gordon Albini
said the store is " an excellent
addition to our organization
Queenston Automotive
Group, Founded in 1968, is based
in Hamilton, where it owns
Queenston Chevrolet-Buick-GMC
and Image Honda. The company
also owns a used-vehicle dealership
in nearby Burlington.
The deal for Guelph City
Mazda, which opened in 1987,
was brokered by the Tim Lamb
Group.
Queenston Automotive said
that Mohsen Kharian, the store's
former dealer principal, has
stayed on as general manager.
- David Kennedy
SEE TRANS-CANADA PAGE 24
03
08.23
http://www.automotivenews.ca http://canada.autonews.com/salarysurvey http://canada.autonews.com/salarysurvey
Automotive News Canada - August 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive News Canada - August 2023
