From small beginnings comes an award-winning dealership
You’ll often hear about how dealerships and the people who work there started off small and grew into something noteworthy, but there’s perhaps no more extreme an example of that rise than Subaru of Brampton. Founded four years ago, the dealership was at first literally working out of a trailer in the Brampton Auto Mall in order to serve its increasing clientele. Subaru wanted to create a lot and building from scratch in order to suit its needs and anticipated growth in the area at the same time as preemptive sales and service deals were already being arranged, so the trailer was brought in and local advertising bought to announce that Subaru of Brampton was open for business. The plan went off without a hitch: once the lot and building were finished, the dealership was able to open its doors officially, but it had already hit the ground running because of the hard work and dedication that led up to that moment.
“As soon as we opened the door, we had a record month for Subaru, then a record year,” recalls Russell Osborne, the General Manager of Subaru of Brampton. “We were the fastest growing dealership in the country back then.”
Since those early days, the dealership has won just about every reward Subaru offers — from sales to servicing to customer satisfaction – as well as being written up in many magazine articles for those same achievements. “We pride ourselves on our service,” Russell says. “When you start off in a trailer, with no showroom or bells and whistles to offer anyone, service is the only thing you can offer to people, and we still keep that in mind.”
Subaru of Brampton also helps support those in need, one of its mandates being to help out Victim Services of Peel. Among various other charitable events, the dealership is the lead sponsor for the annual Charity Golf Classic, which raised $124,000 this year for victims of crime and tragedy.
As the only Subaru dealership in Peel Region, the Brampton Auto Mall location gets clients from Headwater, Orangeville, Bolton, and beyond. Subaru of Brampton sells new cars as well as quality used cars with an emphasis on Subarus, though Russell admits they’re not always easy to get, since used Subarus are often either kept by the owners or passed on to friends and family; a testament to their quality. Subaru of Brampton actively seeks out used Subarus being sold by other companies and buys them in order to fix them properly and sell them to clients seeking the best in the market. “A lot of manufacturers and dealerships don’t understand the Boxter engine,” Russell explains. “These are speciality cars; a very unique brand and very unique people who are purchasing them. Once you try a Subaru, it’s hard to go back to anything else.”
And it seems that the demographic of those who are trying out Subarus is expanding. “Before, the people who were buying Subarus were always the moms and dads,” Russell says. “But now that the price has come down on cars like the Impreza and BRZ who understand the importance of all-wheel drive and overall quality.”
The other key element that Russell chalks up to Subaru of Brampton’s quick and continuing success is the atmosphere the dealership has. “It’s like a family here,” he says. “When people come in, they stay and talk to the staff, they bring in cakes and cookies. It’s not like a traditional dealership, it’s like coming into someone’s home. You come in, you stay for a coffee, you put up your feet… it’s a nice feeling.”
Written by Reay Jespersen
