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Driving the Mercedes-Benz brand in Winnipeg


Brian Lowes has been a car guy for as long as he can remember. As a child, his favourite colouring book was the Auto-Trader. Perhaps becoming the owner of a car dealership was in the cards for Brian early on, but leaving his hometown to become the president and GM of the only Mercedes-Benz dealership in Winnipeg required a lot of determination.


It was serendipitous how Brian began working at a local dealership in his home city of Edmonton. With


no job openings available, he volunteered his time instead. His determination did lead to a paid position with the company and over time Brian worked his way through every department, acquiring a mechanics licence and business degree in the process.


In 2007, his persistence in the industry and education were rewarded. He became the general manager


of Webber Edmonton, a Mercedes-Benz dealership. One year later, on Nov. 15, 2008, he made the decision to move east to become the president and general manager of Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg.


“The brand has changed a lot since 2007. It has adapted to its growing demographic,” he says. The


introduction of the new C Class in 2008 kicked off some major changes for Mercedes, opening up the brand to a new clientele. In Winnipeg, the brand expansion happened to coincide with citywide growth and led to an increase in sales for Mercedes-Benz.


Mercedes has always been a brand people aspired to own as a symbol of their status. While the luxury


status of the line has not changed, affordability has. The CLA, released in Oct. 2013 starts at $34,500 while the GLA, released this past Oct. 2014 starts at $37,200. These vehicles really push the boundaries, making the brand even more affordable to get into. Customers can still expect the same service, safety, reliability and luxury - values they count on from the Mercedes brand but at a lower entry price.


Commercial vehicle growth is also expanding. The new Sprinter 4x4 van is a welcome addition to the Canadian marketplace and is already proving to be of great interest to Winnipeg companies. Sprinter may lead the way for more commercial vehicles being introduced to our market in the future.


The opening of the new Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg flagship location on 23 Rothwell Road is an exciting and much needed expansion. “The brand stature is accessible and now we need a building to meet those same needs. The new location will decrease wait times and increase our hours of operation. It is an op- portunity to invest further in both our customers and employees,” explains Brian. “It will offer more space for training and be more easily reached by our family of customers.”


38 • Winter 2014


The Hub


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