Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 14

13

* JANUARY 2021

OCTOBER 2020 | VOL. 4, NO. 10 | AUTOMOTIVENEWS.CA FOR BREAKING NEWS AND DIGITAL EDITION

AUGUST 2020 | VOL. 4, NO. 8 | AUTOMOTIVENEWS.CA FOR BREAKING NEWS AND DIGITAL EDITION

tomers

] as a free service
r, " Stoneley said in
interview with the
ber of Commerce in
going forward, that
arily need to be a
hese are the kinds of
to talk through.
ney, and people will
ience. So, this could

SEE DEALERS PAGE 20

By STEPHANIE WALLCRAFT

Mazda has pulled out of the live Toronto show;
Hyundai is planning alternative product reveals

ORGANIZERS OF THE
Canadian International AutoShow
(CIAS) have until early fall to
decide whether the country's largest consumer trade show will proceed as a live event during the pandemic or move entirely online.

" We will have an event in 2021, "
said David McClean, CIAS director of marketing. " The technology exists today to build a virtual
platform that allows [the public]
to experience the manufacturers'
brands in a virtual environment.

TORONTO CORRESPONDENT

2021, McClean said. The development is taking place while assessing the viability of the show's traditional format, he said.
An in-person Toronto show will
hinge on the ability to balance visitor safety, government-imposed
gathering limits and distancing
requirements with cost reductions

This ... could further be connected
to a physical experience, either concurrently or later on. "
CIAS was developing digital
options before COVID-19 and will
be ready to host a virtual event on
the scheduled dates of Feb. 12-21,

SEE A CIAS PAGE 25

P12-13

2020 SALES REBOUND?

Retail shrugs
off pandemic

Meet leaders
and innovators
from all walks
of the auto
industry

he United
spotlight
ness

Optimism grows
as pent-up demand
is greater than
expected; fleet
pain will continue

ROMANO
enior manage-

o look anything
k more like what
t a bunch of old

By GREG LAYSON

stamp out raceries of measures,
e, to weed out

D I G I TA L A N D M O B I L E E D I T O R

NEW-VEHICLE SALES IN
July were so much stronger than expected that
Scotiabank Economics adjusted its 2020 forecast upward.
Consensus is also growing
that automakers might be
able to curb incentive spending in the latter half of the
year.
Sales fell an estimated 4.9 per cent in July to
about 165,000 vehicles, compared with the same period
a year ago, according to estimates by both Scotiabank
and DesRosiers Automotive
Consultants.
But those losses might
have been concentrated in
the fleet segment, not retail.

une 3 companyeed to combat

INNOVATION
MOBILITY
RETAIL
ALTERNATIVE FUELS
THE SUPPLY CHAIN
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
AND MORE

hasized employh its efforts even

ai's 227
company plans
won't be setting
ndai Canada's
ch a target, she
decision-making.

Canadian Centre
ich, as a first
conscious bias.

P15-21

REMOVES PAGE 12

mir
van

TUESDAYS * 2 PM

COM

is connecting
s who are
r health

USO

NADA

G TOWARD A
d sales
oads in
y the

na of
nswick,
her
digBulmer:
the
truck, Expects
permanent
d up
shift to a
ing its contactless
s for
sales
environment.
ended P H O T O V I A
es shy W E N D Y B U L M E R
rget
in April, compared
month, said Bulmer.
still " want to come in

Sales numbers don't make
the distinction.
Scotiabank called the figures " remarkable given preliminary estimates suggest
fleet sales remain significantly negative, " it said in its
Global Auto Economics Auto
News Flash on Aug. 4.
Monthly sales are estimates now that a majority of
automakers
have turned
to quarterly
reporting.
" The
momentum
is forwards, "
industry analyst Dennis
DesRosiers:
DesRosiers
" Momentum
said in a
is forwards. "
statement.
FILE PHOTO
" After the
brutal sales collapse seen in
April, the market had leapt
back in May and then June, "
DesRosiers said. " July saw
another step forward. "
The latest figures rank
July 2020 as the seventh-best

e on the
wouldn't say
ebrate yet'

SEE P. 26

SEPTEMBER 2020 | VOL. 4, NO. 9 | AUTOMOTIVENEWS.CA FOR BREAKING NEWS AND DIGITAL EDITION

&A
M
EVOLUTION

*

ES ARE TRACKING
redictions made in
rn against popping
gne any time soon.
an estimated 44 per
Scotiabank's initial
. The bank's now
nt drop for June,

SEE SALES PAGE 14

mir
avan

PARTNER

.COM

d
ts
once
nds
ms
hree
the
achto
e-

the
nt be
everal
auto-

n
D-19
h as
ry,
passIt's
ith
g to
allhe
he
ns to
ng to
th
ns

o the
e
es
ysts
orewn
t
led
ly
h in
re-

Are current image programs obsolete?
By STEPHANIE WALLCRAFT
TORONTO CORRESPONDENT

Buying closer to home
Groups team up for new stores
Will technology gap force
single points to merge?

SPECIAL REPORT/P22-P23

THE CANADIAN AUTOMOBILE
Dealers Association (CADA) wants
automakers to consider putting
image programs on hold as retailers claw their way back from the
financial fallout of COVID-19.
CADA Chief Executive Tim

Inventory
scramble
WINNIPEG CORRESPONDENT

DEALERS ACROSS CANADA
are scrambling to meet a surprising surge in demand for
vehicles as new-car assembly
lines across North America
continue to ramp up and used
vehicles remain in short
supply.

Winnipeg dealer Dan
Murray: " If a carrier is
offloading five or six
vehicles, we're delivering
four of them the next day. "

SIGNS CANADA
IS
LAGGING
AS A TECHNOLOGY
POWERHOUSE

SEE REUSS PAGE 20

Reuss: Car
dealers need
a break.

Ford is committed to EVs, and the $1.8-billion investment
could signal a seismic shift for the Canadian auto industry
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS CANADA

FORD MOTOR CO.'S
planned $1.8-billion investment in its Oakville, Ont.,
plant to build five electric
vehicles by 2027 has the
potential to transform both
the company's Canadian
operations and the country's supply chain, according to industry executives
and experts.
" It's encouraging for
the future of
the sector, "
said Brian
Kingston,
CEO of the
Canadian
Vehicle
ManuKingston:
facturers'
Ford
Association,
investment
which rephas " huge " resents the
spinoff
Canadian
benefits for operations
the supply
of Ford,
chain.
General
FILE PHOTO
Motors and
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
" Auto assembly has
a massive supply chain,
and when an investment
like this is made, it has a
huge spinoff benefit that
helps companies of all sizes

market fueled by
pent-up demand
and government
programs that
have more than
replaced lost
wages, economists say.
Young:
But as the fall Unemploysets in, the surge ment will
could sputter,
impact
with " traditionauto sales.
al factors, such
FILE PHOTO

D I G I TA L A N D M O B I L E E D I T O R

NEW-VEHICLE SALES
staged an " unbelievable
rebound " this summer in a

 

 

 

 

 

  

SEE OAKVILLE'S PAGE 12

as unemployment, weighing on
auto sales and less of these very
enthusiastic purchasing patterns that we're seeing over the
summer, " said Rebekah Young,
Scotiabank Economics director of fiscal and provincial economics.
While sales fell nine per
cent in August compared with
the same period last year, some

SEE SALES PAGE 25

 
          
             
       
 
                                                   

SEPTEMBER

D I G I TA L A N D M O B I L E E D I T O R

THE 2.4-PER-CENT SALES
increase for September - the first
monthly gain since the pandemic
began - looks
SALES ANALYSIS rosy on the surface, but it masks
an ongoing inventory challenge
that's hurting some brands.
Low supply - from pickups to
compact cars - has
yet to recover from
emergency auto-plant
shutdowns during
the early weeks of the
COVID-19 pandemic. The shortage isn't
expected to ease until
Karwel:
the end of the first
There will
quarter next year,
be no 2020
said Robert Karwel,
clearout
senior manager of
because
J.D. Power Canada's
" those cars
Power Information
are gone. "
Network.
FILE PHOTO
The supply issues
are nationwide, he said. " The two

By JOHN IRWIN

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS CANADA

PICKUPS, UTILITY VEHICLES AND
vans are on track to make up 80 per
cent of new-vehicle sales in Canada
this year, propping up prices and

HAT TRICK

$4.9 billion in investments from GM,
Ford and FCA signal a new future
By JOHN IRWIN

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS CANADA

GENERAL MOTORS' PLAN TO
revive its idled Oshawa, Ont.,
assembly plant marks a triple win
for Unifor's Detroit Three 2020 contract talks and could stem a 20-year
decline in Canada's auto industry.
" This is real, sustainable, exciting change " for the Canadian

30 years' experience 

Summer meetings between
Ford, Unifor and the
Ontario and federal governments pay off. The
Oakville assembly plant
gets a new lease on life as
the company announces a
$1.8-billion investment to
build five electric vehicles
in Oakville by 2027. The
deal, facilitated by a $590
million investment split
between the federal and
Ontario governments, sets

auto industry, said Flavio Volpe,
president of the Automotive Parts
Manufacturers' Association.
In total, Unifor secured up to $4.9
billion in investments from GM,
Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler
during 2020 bargaining, far outpacing the roughly $1.6 billion netted in
2016 talks. The new spending is contingent upon funding from the federal and Ontario governments, which
have already contributed $590 million
to Ford's plan for its Oakville plant.
(Government investments for the FCA
and GM projects were not secured as
of press time.)
Since 1999, Canada has fallen from
the world's fifth-largest auto producer by vehicles assembled to 12th as
the bulk of auto investment in North
America flowed to Mexico or the U.S.
South, according to the International
Organization of Motor Vehicle
Manufacturers.
To be sure, question marks hover
over the Canadian industry.

SEE OSHAWA PAGE 29

www.LACLTD.ca 

Car dealers are scrambling to satisfy a surprising
surge in demand for new
and used vehicles. Buyers
are storming back while
assembly lines struggle to
resume full operation and
replenish inventory after
the government-mandated
COVID-19 shutdowns. ■ ■ ■
Retailers are also facing a
margin crunch on used cars
amid a shortage caused by
rental companies delaying
the turnover of their fleets,
which has hampered supply and increased wholesale
pricing. ■ ■ ■ The pandemic is pushing first-time buyers into the market as more
Canadians shy away from
the COVID-19 risks of mass
transit.

gross revenue for dealerships.
Through the first nine months of
2020, light trucks accounted for 79
per cent of all new-vehicle sales compared with 74 per cent a year earlier,
according to the Automotive News
Data Center in Detroit.
But the pace has accelerated. Of

Unifor President Jerry Dias
delivers the news Nov. 5 that
General Motors will build
Chevrolet and GMC pickups at
Oshawa Assembly. The plant
has been idle since the end of
2019. P H O T O : U N I F O R

BEST DEALERS

LEADING
WOMEN

I N A N E W ECO N O M Y

SPECIAL SECTION/P18-P25

all new vehicles sold during August,
September and October, 80 per cent
were light trucks, according to J.D.
Power Canada. In October, light-truck
sales rose to 82 per cent, leaving just
18 per cent of the market to passenger cars.
" As we go deeper into the year,

SEE TRANSACTION PAGE 4

FORD OAKVILLE
CRISIS AVERTED
FROM FEAR OF CLOSURE
TO NEARLY $2 BILLION
TO BUILD EVs

THE PLAYERS AND
THE TURNAROUND/P8-9

Does PSA figure
into FCA's plans
for Windsor?

Connecting the dots
on the needs of
both companies as
they prepare to merge
By JOHN IRWIN

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS CANADA

FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILES'
commitment to spend up to $1.5 billion on its Windsor, Ont., assembly
plant for green-vehicle production
could
offer a
preview
of what's
to come after its merger with French
automaker PSA Group.
As part of a new three-year contract with Unifor, FCA said it would
build battery-electric " and/or " plugin hybrid vehicles on a new platform
beginning in 2024. The plant currently assembles minivans including the

SEE FCA PAGE 28

MOBILITY AT A CROSSROADS

By PERRY LEFKO

General Motors' restart
of the Oshawa Assembly
Plant to build Chevrolet
Silverado and GMC Sierra
pickups, will pump $3 billion worth of business
into Ontario's parts sector
per year and create thousands of jobs, stakeholders
say. It's a lifeline for some,
including AGS Automotive
Systems in Oshawa, which
expects to win the additional business building bumpers for the trucks. ■ ■ ■ The
second wave of COVID-19
appears to be dealing another blow to vehicle sales as
some provinces reintroduce
restrictions. Analysts and
dealers forecast the fallout to extend into the first
quarter of 2021 as new lockdowns dampen consumer
confidence. ■ ■ ■ Panelists at
Automotive News Canada's
second annual Leading
Women Roundtable -
now online due to COVID19 - say despite efforts to
enforce diversity in the
auto sector, the gender gap
is widening. A survey by
Deloitte and sibling publication Automotive News
points to a conundrum:
a majority of women shy
away from work environments where there are few
women. ■ ■ ■ Automotive
News Canada releases its
list of 2020 All-Stars, recognizing those who went
above and beyond in an
industry largely reshaped
by COVID-19. Among the
many notables were Unifor
President Jerry Dias,
APMA President Flavio
Volpe and Magna's Don
Walker for lifetime achievement. - ANC

EXCLUSIVE LEAD SPONSORS

Dealers reap higher margins in hot truck market
October sales were 82 per cent light trucks, says
J.D. Power, and demand appears to be accelerating

The auto-industry
icon 'always valued
people' and the
handshake that
was his bond

DECEMBER

NOVEMBER 2020 | VOL. 4, NO. 11 | AUTOMOTIVENEWS.CA FOR BREAKING NEWS AND DIGITAL EDITION

30+ Years Experience 

OCTOBER

By GREG LAYSON

HOW A BIDEN PRESIDENCY COULD AFFECT AUTO/P4

 

                   

lnventory won't be
restored until 2021,
says J.D. Power, and
that could hamper the
current sales charge

the pattern for bargaining
between the Detroit Three
in Canada and Unifor. Next
to the table is Fiat Chrysler
Automobiles and then
General Motors. Industry
stakeholders say the deal
has the potential to serve
as a catalyst for further EV
investment in Canada. ■ ■ ■
The inventory crunch continues, with analysts saying
it may not be until well into
2021 before dealer lots fill
up. ■ ■ ■ Organizers of the
Montreal and the Toronto
auto shows cancel their
in-person 2021 events due to
COVID-19 and say they plan
to move entirely online.
Support from automakers is
unclear, however.

RETIRING

          Buy Sell Dealership Expertise  
       30+ Years' Experience 
        www.LACLTD.CA         647.223.3855  LEWICKI   M&A Advisory 

 
 
 
 

INVESTMENT AN 'ANCHOR'

Industry stakeholders
who spoke to Automotive
News Canada were bullish
about the plans.
Brendan Sweeney,
managing director for
the Trillium Network for
Advanced Manufacturing
in London, Ont., said Ford's
massive expenditure could
serve as an " anchor " in
attracting further EV production investments in the

Conference

P13/14

Fall sales could be frosty

 
 

SPECIAL REPORT/P12-16

LEADING WOMEN

WALKER

P14/15

 

What could be built at Oakville?
* What hurdles await suppliers?
* Will Canadian startups rise up?
* What about hydrogen?

*

across the province and
across Canada. "
The investment commitment, set to take place
in 2024 with $590 million in
combined financial assistance from the federal and
Ontario governments -
announced Oct. 8 - is the
centrepiece of a new contract between Unifor and
Ford. The three-year deal
was ratified by 81 per cent
of union members in late
September. Under the plan,
Ford would begin producing battery-electric vehicles
at the Oakville plant in 2026,
with five models being built
there by 2027. It would be the
first factory in Canada dedicated to EV production.

Dealers
running
out of
vehicles

SEE NO STOCK PAGE 27

DON

Sell a used car now and a new one later?
* Streamlining intake for greater margins
* Addressing inventory pressures

By GREG LAYSON

?

By JOHN IRWIN

A virtual CIAS will replicate Toronto's
convention centre. P H O T O : C I A S

FILE PHOTO

*

SEE DEALERS PAGE 20

P13

accommodate changing consumer behaviour, all while trying to
navigate difficult and uncertain
financial times.
" We're in such a state of flux as
we wait to see what consumer attitudes will be coming out the other
side of this pandemic that perhaps
all image programs or other dic-

The pandemic is pushing transit riders
into vehicle ownership, and dealerships
are adapting and profiting.

Economic factors
loom large after
a stronger-thanexpected summer

SEE ONLINE-SHOW PAGE 26

Oakville, plugged in

NEW LIFE FROM

" If you drive through a
dealer's lot today, you're
going to see a lot of asphalt
- 2020 has been a very challenging year for product, "
said Dan Murray, dealer principal at Murray Chevrolet
in Winnipeg and one of four
principal shareholders of the
Murray Automotive Group,
with dealerships across
Canada.
The shortages " are pretty
much across our entire lineup " but are especially acute
on full-size trucks, he said.
After assembly plants
shut down for two months in
spring, most are now operating at or near pre-pandemic levels, said Sam Fiorani,
an analyst at AutoForecast
Solutions.
Factors such as model-year
changeovers are also hampering production, while the pandemic has pinched dealers'
ability to restock lots in other
ways, he said.
In its September COVID19 market update, Canadian
Black Book (CBB) said the
pandemic also halted lease
returns and trade-ins and limited the number of repossessions as customers who lost
their jobs were granted time

P H O T O V I A D A N M U R R AY

Reuss said dealers' investment
priorities are currently focused
on online purchasing and digital communication platforms to

USED CARS

'If you drive through a dealer's lot today,
you're going to see a lot of asphalt'

By KELLY TAYLOR

Dealers are questioning
the need to spend big
money on big buildings
in light of the pandemic

make sure it doesn't just feel like
a website, " David McClean, marketing director for the Canadian
International AutoShow (CIAS) in

REGISTER TODAY: autonews.com/leadingwomen BONUS: Meet our 2020 honorees! See p. 21

CVMA'S NEW CEO: WHAT DRIVES BRIAN KINGSTON/P17

*

cally different type of immersive experience.
" The challenge with a traditional
auto show is making sure it doesn't
feel like an auto hall. The challenge with the digital platform is to

automotivenews.ca/retailforum

EDT

liminary estimates suggest
fleet sales remain significantly negative. " ■ ■ ■ The
Canadian International
AutoShow promises that
one way or another, it will
have an event in 2021, possibly virtual. ■ ■ ■ Automotive
News Canada releases its
list of 2020 Canadians to
Watch. It's a particularly
inspiring group as the individuals are risings stars in
their fields while dealing
with the challenges brought
on by COVID-19.

*

DITOR

Creating a virtual world that emulates an in-person
experience is the challenge. The industry knows it

CANADA'S BIGGEST AUTOMOTIVE
consumer events are moving online
in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and although it will be impossible to have the sights and sounds of
a live event, they're attempting a radi-

EXCLUSIVE
LEAD
SPONSOR:

CONTACTLESS PAGE 17

ecast
but it
for pain

By JOHN IRWIN

SEE SALES PAGE 29

NAVIGATING A
NEW NORMAL

ARTNER

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS CANADA

FILE PHOTO

WORKING FROM
SEE DEALERSHOME
PAGE 20

TY

lean in
l tools
andemic

Campbell:
Decision
based on
what is " right. "

PROS AND CONS TO

E
VE
R

l for
of a
ales
numforeent

Toronto, Montreal shows will be online, but how?

Virtual CIAS is a go as the in-person event is weighed

Foss grew his business
on a foundation of integrity

Automotive industry icon Don Walker,
who as CEO of Magna
International took the company " to another planet, "
according to Automotive
Parts Manufacturers'
Association (APMA)
President Flavio Volpe,
retires effective Jan. 1. He is
replaced by company veteran Swamy Kotagiri.

■■■

INSIDE DOWNTOWN AUTO GROUP'S $100M COMPLEX/P18

NEW PRODUCT: FORD BRONCO/P4, 2021 GRAND CARAVAN/P24

IN ASSOCIATION
WITH:

Tuesday * December 8 * 11 AM EST
autonews.com/anshift

NOVEMBER

TORONTO CORRESPONDENT

TO THOSE WHO KNEW HIM
as a friend or businessman, Roy
Foss was more than just a successful Toronto-area auto dealer.
He was a visionary known for
his business savvy, pioneering
automobile retailing and commercial leasing in Canada, mentoring others and sealing the deal
with an old-fashioned handshake.
Foss died Oct. 3 at the age of 90.
Many tributes followed, highlighting the impact he made
when he opened his first General
Motors dealership in 1962. He
subsequently turned Roy Foss
Motors Ltd. into one of the biggest GM dealerships in Canada.
Foss was an " icon " in the
automotive industry and highly regarded by General Motors of
Canada, said Jerry Daniel, general director of sales, service and
marketing for GM Canada.
" He was a deeply respected
dealer that received almost every
award GM presented, and his
input was sought on all aspects of
the business through the numerous advisory boards he participated in.
" Roy was a pillar in our network. His knowledge, leadership
and love for his community was
legendary, and he will be greatly
missed. "
NewRoads Automotive Group
founder Noel Croxon, a onetime
GM competitor and later a longtime partner of Foss's, cited his
skill for recruiting the right person for the job.

FIND THE BEST PEOPLE

Predictions in January
of a market driven 80 per
cent by light trucks come
true, and dealers are reaping the rewards as the
higher-margin segment
drives up profits. Their
NISSAN'S NE
W VIDEO AP
bottom line is also benPROACH TO
TARGET MARK
ETING/P6
efiting from a rollback
of automaker incenLockdown
tives. J.D. Power anaon sales exp
ected to dri
lyst Robert Karwel
ft well into
the new ye
said the move to
ar
crossovers and
trucks is likely to
MEET
increase going forOSHAWA AS
OUR
SEMBLY RE
TOOL
ward.
2
0
2
0
■ ■ ■ Unifor pulls
AL
off a hat trick,
STARL
S
securing through
Why GM
P20-23
flipped
negotiations $4.9
the switch
billion in new
investments at
THE
Ford, General
GENDER
Motors and
GAP IS
FCA plants
WIDENING
LE
ADING WOME
in Canada,
N
PANELS DIS
THE REGRESCUSS
most notably
SION
P12-14
kickstarting
a reboot of
GM's shutTHE FU
TU
tered Oshawa
GET UP RE OF MOBILIT
TO SPEE
Y:
D
Assembly.
DEC EMB ER

By GR EG

DIGIT

202 0 | VOL
. 4, NO. 12
| AUT OMO
TIVE

NEW S.CA

FOR BRE AKI
NG

NEW S AND
DIG ITAL EDIT
ION

LAY

SO N
AL AN
D MO
BILE

EDITO

Falling
confide consumer
new stance on top of
y-at-hom
e orders

R

CANADIA
N NE
are tak
ing a hit W-VEHICLE
the spread
intense
SALES
of the dea
wave of from a second
of those
social and
, more
dly
COVID
showro requires dealers virus. One
being ado economic res-19 and the
om and
just 15 per
service to limit
into the
country pted in some trictions
capacit
first qua
to
par
be in pla cent. The new
downs and
y to
rter of
Analyst combat the sur ts of the
ce
s and
dence kee waning con 2021 as lockge.
But the until at leas rules will
casting
sumer con
p people
a winter dealers are fore
the bigges capacity cap t Jan. 3.
of
sho
at
fifallout
wro
home and
om
extendi Wood, pre t concern for is not even
out
On Dec s.
ng
Dealers sident of the Gerald
Kenney . 7, Alberta
' Ass
Pre
Mo
impose
Wood:
d restric mier Jason
" The big ociation of Albtor
Lockdo
tions to
ger
erta
challen
curb impact that
ge is the .
impact wns
these
will hav
consum
e on con overall mea
sumer con sures
confide er
fidence
nce.

and how
from-ho people manag
messag me mandates e worke
and a
ed contactof maintainin
g limit, " Wood
" Our
said
an exceptmembers hav .
e done
ing to a ional job at rea
tion wortouchless-tran ctsac
ld,
but
home, it
if people continu will be toughe stay
e to driv
r to
e busine
ss. "

Up to 10,000
supply-chain
jobs
FILE P
HOT

O

SEE THE FUT
URE PAGE

Building
Sierra picSilverado an
a mass kups will invd
Canadiaive expansion olve
of
n supp
lier base the
By
DA NA FLA
VEL LE
NTO C

TORO

ORRE

SPON

DENT

GENERA
decision L MOTORS'
at its shuto restart vehSURPRISE
will pum ttered Oshawaicle production
Assemb
of busine p more than
ly pla
$3
year and ss into Ontario billion worth nt
it, indust create thousa 's parts sector
nds of jobs
ry
a
The mo stakeholder
within
a long-te ve secures s say.
for com rm future
panies

such as
System AGS Automotiv
s,
manufactuwhich operate e
sa
ring pla
the GM
nt nea
Tucker factory, said Lis r
counsel Boulton, genera a
the Tor at the J2 Group,l
onto-ba
of AGS
sed own
and Tie
er
rco
" We're
n Cor
ed. This just so excit- p.
into our breathes new
life
Oshawa
FILE P
whose futu
HOTO
facility
,
re was
tain. "
uncerexpects
As a
business,to win the add GM supplier,
AGS
itional
she said
. The com Canadian
pany, forBoulton
Oshawa :
reopen
will ma ing
AGS moke,
viable. re

SEE 1,400-1
,700 PAGE

26

The pla
dead, it nt wasn't
hibernatiwas in
a new-pr on awaiting
mandate oduct
about by brought
of COVID the effects
-19

By JOH
N IRW IN
M

AUTO

OTIVE

NEWS

CANA

DA

FUTUR
E VEHIC
production
LE
at Genera
Oshawa
l
was nev , Ont., assemb Motors'
even afteer taken off thely plant
2019, but r the plant clos table,
vided the the pandemic ed in
say the ultimate imp proetus,
Motors presidents of Gen
Can
ada
union Uni
and lab eral
our
for.
GM's
resume $1-billion pla
n
Oshawa vehicle produc to
tion in
in 2022
say.
proves
it, they
" We
Oshawanever gave up
on
, "
Preside GM Canada
Automo nt Scott Bell said
tive New
s Canadain
's

SEE GM OSH
AWA PAGE

Januar

y 14 * 1:00

-5:00 PM

EST

autonew

s.com/sh

iftces

A CES PART
PROGRA NER
M

26

29

" Roy was always a very, very
good dealer, " Croxon said, " and
he always valued people and
could always recognize people
who were doing a good job, and
that's the ones he wanted all the
time. That was how he built his
regime. "
Gino Caletti worked
for Foss for 30 years before
leaving to open Erin Park
Toyota in Mississauga, Ont.,
in 1987.
" He always said to me,
'Surround yourself with the
best people, because they will
make your business great, and
they will make you look brilliant.' "
Foss's grandson, James
Ricci, president of Roy Foss Ltd.,
said his grandfather navigated
the world through cars.
" Not only would he remember a customer's name and the
vehicle they bought but also what
they traded in from 20, 30, 40
years ago, " Ricci said. " He had a
photographic memory. "
When Croxon bought a large
parcel of land north of Toronto
in Woodbridge in the 1970s and
had problems with his initial
partners, Foss approached him
with a plan to become equal part-

Roy Foss built Roy Foss
Motors into one of the biggest
GM dealerships, and friends
and colleagues remember
him as an honorable man
who valued relationships.
FILE PHOTO

ners. That was the catalyst for the
development of an auto centre
that opened in 1981 as one of the
first auto complexes in Canada.
" We did everything on a handshake, " Croxon said. " We didn't
write any documents. He was an
absolute excellent partner. "

LED WAY IN LEASING
Foss became one of the first
dealers in Canada to embrace
leasing, creating Roy Foss
Leasing in 1966. It morphed into
Foss National Leasing when he
augmented retail auto leasing
with commercial leasing. Foss
National Leasing is Canada's
largest privately owned fleet management company.
Foss was a visionary in the
leasing evolution, Caletti said.
" There were virtually no daily
rentals and no leasing operations attached to a dealership and
no manufacturers leasing at all.
They did financing but didn't do
leasing. They didn't even know
how to spell leasing. "
Foss " saw the future and the
advantage for the consumer paying for the use of the vehicle
rather than the whole vehicle. It
opened up a whole new world.
There were guys that had leasing
operations, but nowhere near the
level he had. "
Foss took leasing to a higher
level, said Jim Matthews, who 30
years ago started LeaseBusters,
which transfers contracts
between lessees.
" Other GM dealerships started in-house leasing, but nothing
the size of Roy Foss, " Matthews
said. " He used his in-house leasing company to become the leasing company for other dealers -
and not necessarily GM dealers,
who didn't have their own leasing
companies. "
Foss took a big risk expanding
into commercial leasing, Caletti
said.
" You go from being a local
operation and all your clientele is
within a 20-mile radius to all of a
sudden dealing across the country. You have to deliver them,
take them off the road and dispose of them, deal with different
jurisdictions and different insurance propositions and liabilities.
This becomes a huge jump. "
Caletti said Foss shaped his
business ethics and development
as a dealer.
" I never had a contract with
the man, never signed a piece of
paper, " Caletti said. " His word
was absolutely gold. " - ANC


http://www.AUTOMOTIVENEWS.CA http://www.AUTOMOTIVENEWS.CA http://www.autonews.com/leadingwomen http://www.automotivenews.ca/retailforum http://www.AUTOMOTIVENEWS.CA http://www.AUTOMOTIVENEWS.CA http://www.LACLTD.CA http://www.LACLTD.ca http://www.autonews.com/anshift http://www.AUTOMOTIVENEWS.CA http://www.autonews.com/shiftces

Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2

Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 1
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 2
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 3
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 4
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 5
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 6
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 7
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 8
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 9
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 10
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 11
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 12
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 13
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 14
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 15
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 16
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 17
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 18
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 19
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 20
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 21
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 22
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 23
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 24
Automotive News Canada - January 2021- v2 - 25
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202403_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202402_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202401_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202312_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202311_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202310_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202309_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202308_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202307_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202306_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202305_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202304_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202303_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202302_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202301_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202212_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202211_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202210_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202209_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202208_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202207_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202206_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202205_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202204_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202203_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202202_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202201_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202112_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202111_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202110_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202109_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202108_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202107_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202106_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202105_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202104_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202103_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202102_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202101_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202012_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202011_ifm
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202011_acg
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202011_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202010_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202009_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202008_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202007_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202006_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202005_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202004_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202003_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_202001_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201912_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201911_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201910_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201909_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201907_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201906_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201904_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201903_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201902_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201901_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201812_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201811_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201810_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201809_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201808_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201807_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201806_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201805_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201804_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201803_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201802_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201801_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201712_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201710_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201709_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201708_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201707_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201706_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201705_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201704_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201701_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201612_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201611_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201610_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201609_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201608_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/canada_201607_v2
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com