Right on Track

Expansion and a dedicated staff have Wolfe Auto Group on the road to success

When Gordon Wolfe and Mike Hacquard started Wolfe Auto Group in 1989 there was just the one Mazda dealership in Langley and 12 employees. Today, the company operates three additional locations—Wolfe Chilliwack Mazda, Wolfe Subaru and Wolfe Mitsubishi—and is experiencing tremendous success.

“That first Langley franchise has been the top selling Mazda dealership in B.C. for four years running now,” says Hacquard, Wolfe Auto Group vice president. The company’s Wolfe Langley Subaru outsold all rivals in the province last year, and its Mitsubishi dealership in Langley is also recording strong sales figures. With stability and a flourishing business, Wolfe Auto Group was able to be very deliberate when it came to further expansion.

Chilliwack is now home to Wolfe’s other Mazda outlet, and is a new market for the Group. “It’s a small dealership, but we invested heavily in it because the area is growing thanks to population overflows from Greater Vancouver,” says Hacquard. “It’s become a bedroom community as people move out into the Fraser Valley seeking more affordable housing. We’re also seeing a lot of people moving to Chilliwack from the Surrey/Langley area for the same reason,” he adds.

With a position on Mazda’s National Marketing Team, Hacquard is well aware of the evolution the brand’s fleet of cars is going through, making it the ideal dealership for Chilliwack residents who are commuting to Surrey or Langley for work. “People who buy Mazda do so because they are fun to drive and performance oriented,” he says. Rather than go the electric vehicle/hybrid route, Mazda has found a way to maximize fuel economy in gasoline-powered engines. These changes are all part of the company’s new Skyactiv technology—a breakthrough for the automaker.

Most auto manufacturers make constant upgrades, but they usually introduce them one step at a time. “With Skyactiv every aspect of the vehicle is upgraded— engine and transmission, suspension, body stiffness, quietness and comfort,” says Hacquard. Almost all Mazda automobiles now feature Skyactiv technology, and in time, the benefits will be incorporated into every model in the lineup. Among the new vehicles that are soon to arrive are two models with diesel power, offering remarkable refinement, fuel economy, range and durability. Also on the way is the new 2014 Mazda3—one of the most popular compact cars in Canada. “This new Mazda3 should give the model a major boost in the Canadian market and it should continue to be among the automaker’s strongest sellers,” says Hacquard.

Unlike Mazda, Mitsubishi is relatively new to Canada; and even though many buyers don’t know the reputation the automaker has in its home market and in many parts of the world, Hacquard has nothing but positive things to say about the Tokyo-based automaker. “Mitsubishi is a phenomenal product and is the only manufacturer that offers a 10-year warranty,” he says. Like the Mazda group, there have been some exciting new products added to the Mitsubishi fleet recently, including an all-new Outlander compact SUV that should compete very strongly with other Japanese automakers. “I can’t say enough for the Mitsubishi product,” Hacquard adds.
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As soon as next year Subaru will become an even bigger part of Wolfe Auto Group with a new location opening in Burnaby. This will “bring the Wolfe family name and the Wolfe heritage and reputation back to Vancouver, and this will be one of our key marketing angles when the store opens,” explains Hacquard. The Langley and Chilliwack stores often welcome visitors who bought cars from Wolfe businesses in Vancouver 30 or 40 years ago. “The name means a lot to B.C. auto buyers,” Hacquard says.

Not to mention, Subaru is one of the most intriguing automakers as it’s a company staffed by original thinkers. The result of these innovative designers is the creation of vehicles that are unlike any other. Subaru’s famous horizontally opposed engines are prime examples of the company’s “we’ll do it our way” philosophy—only Porsche still builds engines in this configuration. Subaru also has what many believe is the world’s best all-wheel drive system. As chair of the Subaru Dealer Council in Canada Hacquard points to one factor that accounts for the automaker’s success: “Subaru is really dominated by engineers at every level and they are a niche marketer rather than a mainstream player. They know where they are going and what they’re doing, and are happy with their role in the business.

Needless to say, Subaru is growing fast and outselling some very prestigious nameplates in Canada. Hacquard says that many buyers previously loyal to makers like Mercedes-Benz and BMW are migrating to Subaru to cut their operating costs. New to Subaru is the compact Crosstrek SUV and also the BRZ sports coupe—a class Subaru hasn’t tackled for many years. The Crosstrek is a particularly strong seller and the market it competes in is growing rapidly. “Subaru is riding a very positive wavelength right now,” states Hacquard.

As vital as an attractive and dynamic fleet of automobiles is to the success of any car dealership, Hacquard attributes the growth and prosperity of Wolfe Auto Group to its loyal and experienced staff—many with 20 or more years of service. He believes having the right mix of personnel is key to any successful business, especially one as competitive as auto retail. “We have to elevate our game and build a team that can sell our products to our clients,” he says.

Wolfe Auto Group is thriving and growing, a reflection of the great job the staff is doing of keeping the day-to-day operations moving smoothly, which in turn ensures that its clients are taken care of and become the repeat customers that any business would covet. In addition to be proud of Wolfe Auto Group’s dedicated staff, Hacquard is also very enthusiastic about attracting more women and younger staff to the industry for both management and sales careers—people who can grow with the business.

Wolfe Auto Group’s CFO and group controller is a woman, as is the lead business manager for all the dealerships. Another female staff member is the top Subaru salesperson in western Canada. The Group has built a solid reputation with company president Gordon Wolfe and Mike Hacquard at the helm, but Hacquard insists that it’s the people who have been the major factor. Adding to the company’s great reputation is the work it does in the community.

Most recently, Wolfe Auto Group was a major sponsor of the Fourth Annual RBC GranFondo Whistler—a demanding and successful 122 km mass-participation cycling event from Vancouver to Whistler that took place on September 7th. Wolfe Auto Group provided all the vehicles for the event and Hacquard—a keen cyclist himself—rode the event, along with 10 Wolfe employees. Other staff participated as event volunteers. GranFondo participants were offered a $500 rebate on a new car purchase from Wolfe Auto Group, so expect to see even more bike-rack-equipped Mazdas, Subarus and Mitsubishis on B.C. roads this fall.

The Wolfe Auto Group is interesting in that it specializes in Japanese vehicles, but with the success and growth it is enjoying, there’s no telling what the future may hold for the company. Nonetheless, Hacquard notes that his company is very loyal to its three brands because the brands have been very loyal to Wolfe.