Remembering a great man
I flew out to Victoria to visit Tom Harris, just two weeks before he died. I wanted to run some ideas by him. I wanted to pick his remarkable brain. And I was looking forward to the time together. Tom’s …
Category: Publisher’s letter
Mark your calendars
One of the real pleasures of my role in the industry is the opportunity to assist in the planning of a number of important industry events. Often, I get to participate directly as a conference speaker or panel moderator. I …
Adventures in Halifax
The Canadian auto dealer team recently returned from a successful CADEX conference in Halifax. CADEX is the annual conference put on by the Nova Scotia Automobile Dealers Association (NSADA) with the goal of bringing leading national figures to the Maritimes …
On the right track
This year marked the fifth time that I have taken to the stage as one of the moderators at the CADA Summit. As I looked out over the crowd, I saw many familiar faces. The attendees that return each year …
The more things change
The more things change, the less they actually do look the same. The funny thing about change, is it doesn’t tend to tap you on the shoulder. It comes in increments. Some small, some massive. But they add up. When …
The end of an era?
A recent announcement from Ford yesterday took me right back to my earliest automotive memories, and produced decidedly mixed feelings for me. My father worked for a pharmaceutical company and drove a company car. GM products, always GM products. I …
A party for the ages
Mark January 25, 2017 on your calendars — you are invited to the dealer party of the year! The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) is throwing a party in New Orleans to celebrate the association’s 75th anniversary with its dealer …
I think Colonel Sam would be proud
It was my great pleasure to be part of the Canadian Automobile Dealer Association’s (CADA) 10th anniversary celebration of their Laureate program. As part of the 10th anniversary celebrations, CADA invited all the past Laureate winners to a multi-day event …
Heading into the future
I’m going to be hitting the road shortly to see first hand what many are describing as the near future of the automotive purchase experience. Specifically, I want to play around in some of the new digital showrooms that are …
Stretching my perspective
As part of my role of moderator, I have had the privilege of speaking directly with many of the presenters and panel participants for the CADA Summit. We use those discussions to ensure they understand the overall theme of the …
A winning tradition
There is a giant slogan emblazoned across the wall of the hospital in Newmarket, Ont. “Tradition is cherished, change is welcomed.” Apart from being a good philosophy, it also nicely sums up the way that J. Clark and Son Ltd. …
It’s about the people
Ten years ago, when I drove down the QEW to meet with the leaders of the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), all I had with me were the seeds for a conversation. I had a vision for creating the first …
