Porsche Centre Winnipeg breaks ground

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/10/2018 (2851 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On Oct. 2, Porsche Centre Winnipeg broke ground at the site of its new facility at the southwest corner of Kenaston Boulevard and Sterling Lyon Parkway. About 25 dignitaries, media and friends of the dealership gathered for the groundbreaking at the new location right next door to the new Audi store and across the street from Ikea.

Over the past six years — since Porsche Centre Winnipeg and its sister store, AutoHaus Volkswagen, both on Pembina Highway, were acquired by Regina-based Knight Auto Group —sales have grown exponentially.

“In 2012, we sold 30 cars,” Braeden Mueller, Porsche Centre Winnipeg’s general manager, said at the groundbreaking. “This year, we are anticipating sales of about 350.”

In addressing those in attendance, Marc Ouayoun, Porsche Cars Canada’s president and CEO, noted Porsche Centre Winnipeg’s growth is outpacing the company’s growth in Canada as a whole. He reported that just over 8,000 Porsches were sold last year across Canada with this year’s total expected to be close to 9,000. “The new Porsche Centre Winnipeg is going to be a fantastic facility,” he said.

Mueller noted that, at 30,000 square feet and on two acres, the new dealership will be more than three times larger than the current Porsche store. The new facility will have a 12-car showroom, 10 service bays, a drive-thru service centre, car wash bay and detailing bay.

“Our new building will have the infrastructure we are going to require to service electric vehicles going forward,” Mueller said. “We are going to have fast-charging stations to provide for the Taycan that is coming next year.”

The new Porsche Centre Winnipeg is expected to be open for business by the end of 2019.

ADESA Winnipeg receives award

For the third year in a row, ADESA Winnipeg has been recognized with the National Auto Auction Association’s Auto Auction of the Year Award for Excellence in Community Service.

On Oct. 11, just prior to the opening of the weekly auction, Gregg Maidment, general manager of ADESA Winnipeg and senior vice-president of Canadian operations, acknowledged the achievement.

“Here at ADESA, we are fuelled by passion for people,” he said. “We believe strongly in giving back to the community. With our charity auctions, we support large organizations and individual families.”

This year alone, he said, ADESA Winnipeg has participated in 51 charity auctions and raised more than $6 million to date for the community. In its 31-year history, the auction house on Highway 7 north of Winnipeg has raised close to $100 million.

“We were all rooting for ADESA Winnipeg,” current NAAA President (and ADESA Buffalo general manager) Warren Clauss said. “This is a very special place.”

“In November, we support the United Way,” Maidment said. “We will also be pledging to match donations we raise at auction for Children’s Variety, the Health Sciences Centre Foundation and Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation, among others.”

New GM at McNaught Cadillac Buick GMC

Industry veteran Don Saranchuk is the new general manager at McNaught Cadillac Buick GMC. Saranchuk assumed his new position at the beginning of July, taking over from Gord McNaught Jr.

The GM dealership was founded in the late 1970s by Gord McNaught Sr. AutoCanada acquired the company in April 2014.

Saranchuk has been in auto sales for 23 years, mostly in management positions. He has worked largely with dealer groups.

“My coming here happened very quickly,” he said. “I got a phone call asking me how I felt about taking charge of a large domestic store. I had been working mainly with Asian imports. Two weeks later, I was here. This is a great opportunity. It is a little different market for me, but I have a great staff and we have a fantastic facility.”

He said McNaught stocks about 500 new and used models and has a staff of 120.

He and his team are excited about the 2019 GMC Sierra trucks, which have just started coming in, and are also looking forward to the arrival of the 2019 Cadillac XT4 crossover in a couple of weeks.

Joining Saranchuk in management at McNaught is new general sales manager Dave Alsop, who brings with him 35 years of experience in auto sales. Alsop just recently moved back to Winnipeg after being away for the past five years. He spent three years in New Zealand facilitating training for Toyota and two years in Vancouver as vice-president of fixed operations for the Applewood Auto Group where he was reunited with Glen Daman, former president of the Crown Auto Group and current president of the Applewood Group.

New director of sales for Audi Winnipeg

Roger Man is the new director of sales for Audi Winnipeg. Man started in his new role at Audi Winnipeg after 12 years in management at another luxury car dealership.

“I am excited to be part of the AutoCanada team,” he said. “I also appreciate the opportunity to work with (Audi Winnipeg general manager) Gerald Boiteau. We used to compete against each other, so we have a lot of respect for each other.”

Man said he is also looking forward to the new Audi models, which should start arriving at the dealership in a couple of weeks.

“On Monday, Oct. 29, in the evening, we will be formally introducing some of our new models, vehicles such as the Q8, the A8, the A7 and the A6. We are inviting people to come and see Audi’s new cutting-edge technology which supports our models’ sporty look and sophisticated styling.”

Murray Hyundai expansion near completion

Murray Hyundai general manager Richard Eccleston reports the Waverley Auto Mall dealership’s expansion is almost completed.

“Construction is still ongoing on our expanded parts department and new mezzanine, which will house offices and storage space,” he said. “Our new showroom will be ready is a couple of weeks and the back end is scheduled to be finished by the beginning of December.”

The expansion adds 6,000 square feet to the service area and 1,800 square feet to the showroom. The new showroom will be able to showcase seven vehicles. There will also be a totally new customer lounge.

In the back area, there will be 10 new service bays, bringing the total number to 17. Eccleston adds the area occupied by three of the current service bays will be part of a larger parts department.

He notes the new look — the brown exterior and blue accents, the bronze signature entrance and new ceiling tiles and accent lighting inside — is intended to give the brand a more sophisticated and upscale look.

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