A family tradition

Transcona

When it comes to selling vehicles, Ryan Buffie aims to do something a little different.

After working in the automotive industry for over 10 years, Buffie, 35, felt he could bring something new to the vehicle buying experience.

“When you walk into a car dealership, you’re going to deal with the sales guy, the sales manager, the finance manager — three different people,” Buffie said. “When you’re buying a vehicle through me, it’s just one guy.”

This summer, Buffie opened Modern Motors (2071 Plessis Rd.) with the aim of being a one-stop shop for those in the market for a new vehicle while providing a “really, true, good customer experience.”

“You can see that customers often go through the grinder when they’re trying to buy a new car. They hate it,” Buffie said. “But everyone has to have one, right? I saw that, and that it could be a better, more niche, more boutique experience. So that’s what I wanted to provide when I went out on my own. If we can help you, we will. If we can’t, we’ll tell you where you can go to get what you’re looking for. We have a lot of connections that will help people save money, and grief, and time, in buying a car. That’s all we’re trying to do, help make it a little easier.”

While Modern Motors has an eclectic mix of pre-owned vehicles, from trucks and cars to motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles, they tend to be high end.

“For something over $30,000, most people will want to do financing, or trade-in, which can be hard for private people to do,” Buffie said. “Most of my inventory are trade-ins, from when they’re buying a new vehicle or whatever the case may be. We’ll negotiate that deal for the customer and for ourselves, as well, so we can get those trade-ins. We’ll sometimes do consignment deals if someone is looking to sell their vehicle. It’s not very easy as a private seller to do that if you have an expensive vehicle.”

A large part of Buffie’s business comes from clients in northern communities, both in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. His clients lets him know what they’re looking for, and he does the legwork to find a suitable fit.

“We’ll help them do those deals, and get it delivered up to their house,” he said. “That’s probably 50 per cent of our business. You need a bit of a different-style vehicle up there, with all-terrain tires and a bit of a lift. The roads are bad.”

Modern Motors is run by Buffie and his wife, Lindsay, who handles bookkeeping and managerial duties. The two were married in early September and got right back to work.

“We’ve been open since July, and it’s been a whirlwind,” Buffie said. “It’s a family operation. I’m trying to get some part-time employees, students who might want to work nights, and probably a full-time employee soon to help with traffic.”

Even the name of the operation, Modern Motors, is a nod to family history.

“My grandpa used to own a body shop, Modern Body Works, in Selkirk,” Buffie said. “The name is an homage to him.”

While Modern Motors is still a relatively new endeavour, Buffie already has an eye on the future.

“My goal in two years is to have our own standalone location, where we have a service department in house, with a big lot that we own,” he said. “(Until then) we’ll keep on doing what we’re doing in our little niche. We’ll grow. I’m confident in that.”

For more information, visit modern-motors.ca or call 204-899-4557.