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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Gerry Gordon: Canada's longest-serving Mazda dealer

By: Myron Love

Posted: 07/27/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

FROM LEFT: Mazda Canada reps Scot Rasmussen and David Klan, executive vice-president Korey Koreeda, dealer principal Gerry Gordon, used car manager Rod Gordon, general sales manager Ken Dunkley, general manager Pat McAvoy, sales rep Colton Lemieux, lease and finance manager Rick Petroff, sales rep Drew Walls, controller Sandi Spence and sales rep Dave Hallock.

The late 1970s was an era of champions.

Pierre Trudeau was at the mid-point of his long run as prime minister of Canada.

The Edmonton Eskimos and Montreal Alouettes -- both perennial winners -- met each other in the Grey Cup three years in a row -- 1977-1979 -- with Montreal winning the first encounter and Edmonton the next two.

From 1976 to 1979, the Montreal Canadiens won four Stanley Cups in a row. In that same period, major league baseball was dominated by the New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies, with the Yankees defeating the Dodgers to win the World Series in both 1976 and 1977.

Perhaps of more interest to Gerry Gordon, in 1977, Niki Lauda won the World Formula 1 Grand Prix Championship, Cale Yarborough won both the Daytona 500 and NASCAR Winston Cup Championships, and A.J. Foyt won the Indy 500.

It was also in 1977 that Gordon, a relatively young mechanic and race car enthusiast from Northern Ireland, joined the ranks of winners when he was awarded one of Mazda Canada's first Mazda dealerships -- operating under the Gerry Gordon Mazda banner.

Thirty-five years later, he remains the only original Mazda Canada dealer principal still in business. On July 18, Mazda Canada executive vice-president Shusuke (Kory) Koreeda, David Klan (senior director, sales, marketing and regional operations) and Scot Rasmussen (regional manager) were in Winnipeg to present Gordon with a plaque commemorating Gordon's 35th anniversary in business.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 27, 2012 E6

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