President's Update

Does anyone know what happened to October?  With Alberta enjoying some great weather during the early stages of the month, it seems the cold weather has accelerated time.  Here at the MDA Office, it’s full-court press with the upcoming Western Canadian Dealer Summit just a few weeks away.  Through the mayhem, it was nice to see the September sales report come from DesRosiers, showing a 27.7% growth for the month, only behind PEI and Nova Scotia in year over year increases.  Year to date, we’re up 11.5%, neck and neck with Ontario, for the best growth in the country.  Keep pushing, its going to be a great year!

It appears we’re getting to the end of contract negotiations with the UAW, Unifor and the domestic manufacturers.  Some consistency will be a welcome change, let’s hope they can hold it together for a bit and get production smoothed out.

We’re dealing with the fine details for Lake Louise as we prepare to welcome a record crowd to the Summit.  Our host, Jay Radke is working with his line-up of speakers to ensure we deliver outstanding content that will make you think.  The return of the Dealer Panel is exciting – there’s just something about hearing from your peers about changes in the business.  Keep an eye out for various invitations to Hospitality Suites and our Friday night party.  I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag before our official announcement, but you’re going to want to polish up those cowboy boots!  Yee Haw!!

Stay tuned for a communication on AMVIC’s inspection activities this past year.  It’s been a bit of a grind but we’ve pulled together some great information and we’ll provide some recommendations that will help protect your business over the long term.

As always, good selling and I hope to see you in Lake Louise.

Gerald

AMVIC Quick Hits

Early Payment Provision for Fixed Credit Loans in Alberta

In Alberta, the Consumer Protection Act and Cost of Credit Disclosure Regulation contains a provision that allows any consumer (except in the case of a mortgage) the right to pay off a portion, or the loan in full, without penalty.

We have seen a recent run of AMVIC Director’s Orders where dealers have been found to include a clause in the purchase or finance agreement prohibiting the consumer from pre-paying a loan for a specific period of time or giving inducements (lower rates) if the consumer agrees to maintain the loan for a specified period of time. 

The law in Alberta prohibits this activity, regardless of the customer’s agreement.

If you have questions about this topic or any other AMVIC question, please call the MDA Office.

How Managed IT Services Can Transform your Dealership Operations

Courtesy of MNP

Whether they’re routine or unexpected, your IT needs shouldn’t disrupt your ability to close deals. With Managed IT you can relax knowing you have the support you need.

Businesses of all sizes and across all industries know the benefits of IT support. But sometimes, behind the scenes operations can rank low on the list of priorities when you have one, or multiple, dealerships to manage.

If you’ve been tackling IT challenges on your own up to now, you’ll understand the work that goes into ensuring things run smoothly in this increasingly digital business environment. The burden of shouldering the responsibility and keeping up to date on the latest technology can impact efficiency and productivity.

MNP’s Managed IT services create a solid foundation for dealership clients to get the most out of the technology they have and ensure investing in and implementing new initiatives goes as smoothly as possible. Managed IT services cater to each dealership’s needs – from full-scale, in-house technicians to on call support teams, there’s a solution for every situation.

Common IT challenges among dealerships

While each dealership will face its own set of unique challenges when it comes to IT support, here are a few common concerns among dealerships:

• Unified plans between dealerships
  • Without having a set of standards or a standard set of programs across dealerships, getting the information you need at the speed you need it, can be a difficult task.
• Real-time support
  • When your salespeople are in the middle of an appointment and their technology fails them, getting put on hold for IT support while your customers wait, isn’t ideal.
• Cyber security
  • Dealerships are full of highly sensitive customer information that facilitates a strong and robust cyber security plan. Without it, dealerships open themselves up to hackers, putting added pressure on owners to make reactive choices instead of proactive ones.

Your focus should be on selling cars, not on worrying about how you’ll manage to ensure your dealership’s tech systems are hiccup free. With the help of an expert, MNP’s Managed IT service takes the guess work out of the behind-the-scenes operations so you can get back to work.  

Services offered with Managed IT

Depending on the size and scale of your operations, an MNP advisor will work closely with you to determine how to keep your business safe, efficient, and profitable.

Here are a few of the many services MNP provides with Managed IT:

• On-site help desk
  • At your busiest times, eliminating unwanted stress might mean having a technician at your dealership to keep things running smoothly. Working with your MNP advisor, you can decide if that level of real-time support is needed and when.
• Implementation support
  • If you’re changing systems and working to get everyone up to speed, MNP’s implementation support can help you through the process to streamline the transition, make a plan to stay on track, and measure your project’s success down the road.
• Hardware and software
  • Depending on your needs, MNP’s procurement team can take care of all the hardware and software that your dealership might need. With extensive experience in hardware and software purchasing, our team can get the product to you at the best possible price with advisor support throughout the process.
• Long-term planning
  • Like most business owners, you likely spend a lot of time thinking about the future. When it comes to your dealership’s technology, it can be difficult to plan for what you might need when your needs, and advances in tech, can change so quickly. MNP’s team will ensure you’re prepared for anything and can look towards your goals with the confidence and support to reach them.

 Above and beyond

Outside of the traditional IT needs, MNP’s team can assist dealerships with challenges in all aspects of the business.

If you’ve been thinking about technological transformation for some time, consider how grants and funding can help secure your spot ahead of your competition. With the Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP), successful applicants can receive a $15,000 grant and an interest free loan of up to $100,000 to transform their operations.

For help with challenges outside of IT, MNP’s team can help you assess you needs and refer you to other teams, like tax, corporate finance, or succession, who will listen to your needs and help you identify opportunities for sustainability and growth.

Let MNP’s team act as your IT department and help set you up for success. To learn more about MNP’s Managed IT services, contact Chris Schaufele, National Leader, Dealerships at chris.schaufele@mnp.ca or John McLaughlin, Partner, at john.mclaughlin@mnp.ca

Radius Security Crime Corner

Uncover, Educate, Protect

Source: Quarterly Statistical Report Q2_2023, Corporate Data & Analytics Bureau of Service & Community Support, Calgary Police Service

Among all types of property crime in Calgary, vehicle theft stands out with the lowest percent of crimes cleared, at just 5.8%. In comparison, other types of property crime are in the double digits. This emphasizes the need to prioritize vehicle theft prevention and deter property crime before it occurs, as it's evident that recovering stolen vehicles is often an uphill battle.

Unlike other provinces and regions in Canada, where newer luxury vehicles are the primary targets for export overseas by organized crime groups, thieves in Calgary are opting to mainly strip them for valuable parts, such as catalytic converters, which contain precious metals like platinum, palladium, and rhodium.

Officials add that vehicles that are most frequently targeted in Calgary are larger pickup trucks like the Ford F-350, Ram 1500, Ford F-150, Honda Civic, and Chevrolet Silverado 1500.

To protect your vehicles, we strongly recommend implementing preventive measures which include:

• always remembering to keep your car doors and windows locked
• never leaving keys or key fobs inside vehicles
• avoid starting vehicles remotely, especially as winter approaches (defrosting).
• consider using Faraday boxes to block signals from key fob to vehicles

If you're concerned about protecting your property, assets, or business, visit radiussecurity.com/automotive-dealerships to explore comprehensive security solutions that can help you not only capture suspects on camera but also prevent incidents in real-time.

CADA Workforce Study Returns

Dealer Registration will open in December

Automotivaters: Sales Training

Professional Sales Course for Performance Improvement

MDA Education Foundation Update

Scholarships Awarded

On behalf of Ken Zender, Chairman of the MDA Education Foundation, we would like to congratulate the following people from member dealerships on their recent receipt of scholarships from the MDA Education Foundation.

Colin Ross & Jared Dubois, Palliser Chevrolet	Justice Speight, Rainbow Ford
Jerick Odulio, Kipp Scott GMC Buick	Mario Gomes, Adams Chevrolet Buick GMC
Alex Del Degan, Platinum Mitsubishi	Cary Wise, South Trail Nissan
Cagri Karakas, Jaguar Land Rover Royal Oak

CADA Summit - Registration Open

February 14, 2024

Register Here

Property Maintenance Tips

Courtesy of Federated Insurance

As fall begins, you may want to perform a property maintenance check to help ensure your business is prepared for the cooler season and upcoming winter. In doing so, it can potentially save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

With temperatures dropping, rodents look for warm and cozy locations to construct nests. Did you know rodents can cause major battery-related fires by chewing through the wiring of vehicles stored inside or near buildings? 

That’s why Federated Insurance has developed risk management resources on how to help you prevent property damage and business interruptions:

• Fall property maintenance: Roof inspection time!
• Key tips to help protect your business against rodents

CADA360: HR Automation