What a great team we have here!

Jon, Shaun, Rob and Brad stayed after shift just to make sure that the tire and tool room for the shop got all cleaned up. Amazing work guys. So glad you are part of our Family here at Steve Marshall Ford Lincoln.

While they might moonlight as shop cleaners, they are excellent technicians!

We are so excited to try this out. Can’t wait for the new Ford Escape to arrive!!

Bryan says, “People that aren’t driving Ford are missing out, everyone should own one!”

If you missed the Employee Pricing in July and August, you are certainly in luck. Ford has extended the Employee Pricing into September. So you now have until September 30th to take advantage of the pricing meant only for Family!

So here we are a few months later giving it our “go”.

Have you ever scanned a QR Code?

People browse inventory here at the dealership at times we are not here, Sundays or evenings after we’ve left. While we love the visits and are pleased you’ve thought of us when you had a minute; we can certainly see that standing around outside a dealership all alone searching for information on your phone could be kind of a bust.

We want consumers not to miss any of the unique advantages of our Ford products. Most of our scanned codes would direct you to a short (15-30 Seconds) YouTube video describing the feature (here’s the 2012 Taurus keyless trunk) and what it does! Other codes share our third party dealership reviews or a direct link to that vehicle online, or even other inventory like the vehicle you are looking at. All the codes are labeled so that you have a general idea what you’re scanning!

We are still figuring out what information you, our browsing guests, want.
Do you have suggestions?

The QR Code is our attempt to minimize the effort and time required to search and find information on a phone…especially considering the buttons on the blackberry and the sometimes tricky screen keyboards on the Androids and iPhones!

We did advertise, including a QR Code, for the first time in June. In our future we can see QR Codes helping you quickly find more information, pictures or video about a specific vehicle, or even book an appointment for the advertised service special. All quickly and on the go!

Other places that have QR Codes in use regularly in Nanaimo are the VIU Library, Garage Clothing, and even The Source has tried using QR Codes in their ads.

Let us know if you like the idea of QR Codes, what you’d like to see the codes give you and if you’ve ever scanned a QR Code!

As seen in the Nanaimo Daily News:

Nanaimo’s Steve Marshall Ford raised more than $1,800 for the Woodlands Secondary School’s senior girls basketball team in a unique fundraiser held last weekend.

The “Drive 1 4ur School” fundraiser saw the car company give $20 to the basketball team for every test drive that was taken in their cars during the event.

Carl MacDonald, coach of the basketball team, said there were 91 test drives taken and he really appreciates Steve Marshall Ford and the company’s contribution to the team.

Sherdan White, the company’s promotions manager, said the idea was to put more people behind the wheels of Ford vehicles in the hopes they will buy.

Click on any image to be taken to the larger detail photo. Email karenann@stevemarshallford.com to contact the seller

Updated with new video the morning of Thursday, April 28th.

We wanted to show our incomparable support for the Canucks, find a way to help our local food bank, and have some fun during the play offs that are happening right now…  Steve Marshall Ford Lincoln acquired 100 Canuck jerseys!

We are giving away a Canucks jersey (no purchase necessary) to anyone who brings in a non-perishable food item or a monetary donation for the Salvation Army and test drives a new Ford or Lincoln vehicle on April 28th or 29th.

That’s it! So easy (and rewarding) to Make a Difference in Nanaimo! Get your FREE Canucks jersey:

1. Bring a non-perishable food item, or a monetary donation, for the Salvation Army
2. Test drive a new Ford or Lincoln vehicle
3. There are only 100 jerseys

Limit: One per household. Must be 19 or older.

Some Old Ford from Ben Pender-Cudlip on Vimeo.

Via filmmaker Ben Pender-Cudlip

You do need a fairly big pot, it does use the hearty winter vegetables, and it is one of my favourites. So let me know if you make it, and your address. ;)

I’m on Twitter: @FordandLincoln.

NB: Another Pot is used as a Noun.
NB.2: All amounts are mostly suggestions, I like to add one extra beet and half a head of green cabbage with the full head of red. I’ve also added parsnip a time or two.
NB.3: I love a blob of sour cream in your bowl of borscht.

The oddly formated recipe above was caused by a running joke about my handwriting, so geek that I am, voila – messy computer generated recipe, an exact replica of the hand written borscht recipe. That’s not to say my handwriting is bad, just bad compared to Heidi, Shannon, and Michelle’s (actually all of accounting has some ridiculously awesome writing).

My printing compared to their elegant cursive is called chicken scrawl. The Oatmeal assures me this is caused by the keyboard.

Because this is a Ford Blog, not a Food Blog… I guess I should also tell you that the Custom Car event through Ford is on right now.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, the all-important role that cars play in modern romance can’t be overlooked. And it’s not just the make and model of a car that matter. The features inside your ride can have a considerable impact on the setting and mood.

and not with this Ford American Idol commercial

Cramping My Style

Take interior space, for example. Cramped, tight spaces can really put a damper on a comfortable “car date.” But you don’t have to have a big car to get some elbow room.

The all-new Focus from Ford brings small car interior space to a new level, rivaling larger vehicles. It offers more shoulder room than an Audi A4 and more front headroom than a Toyota Camry. In the spacious second row, the new Focus provides more hip room than the Audi or Toyota.

Sweet sounds

There’s nothing like good tunes to spice things up. Music is essential on a date. Wouldn’t it be even better if you could simply ask your car to select the song your date wants to hear from your custom playlist on an iPod or MP3 player?

Ford’s next-generation voice control can interpret a single voice command, such “USB, play artist, Lifehouse” to change a song if the mood calls for something soft and slow. Connectivity for portable devices and media players, are available through two USB ports, three RCA jacks (video, right and left audio) and SD card reader.

The setting gets even better when the songs are played on a premium Sony® 10-speaker audio system with subwoofer found on most Ford models.

Careful component matching and tuning for the vehicle has ensured that the premium sound system delivers outstanding sound quality. System performance is enhanced by the center speaker, which provides highly authentic staging, while the subwoofer ensures that bass sounds have a full, rich quality.

Mood Lighting

Almost as important as mood music is mood lighting.

Ford’s advanced ambient lighting system uses LED technology to provide precise pools of illumination in the foot wells, cup holders, door handle releases and map pockets. The driver can choose between seven different accent colors and set the brightness level to suit his or her mood.

A search mode can also be activated, switching the lighting to a bright white color, helping occupants to find misplaced objects within the car.

The right kind of lighting, such as Ford’s new LED Crystal Blue interior lighting, ensures consistent levels of color and brightness are delivered in the right places and at the right times to set the right mood.

Roof with a view

If gazing at the stars is your idea of a romantic car date, you can while staying warm, dry and bug free while viewing from the inside of your car. Several of Ford’s crossover and sports utility models can be equipped with the panoramic Vista Roof. The large glass moon roof provides a grand view of the sky.

The roof features a large glass panel. The oversized front panel provides open-air touring. Close the forward roof and the enormous skylights allow natural light to flood the cabin while protecting it, and you, from the elements. Or sky-gazing on a hot, sunny day? Twin power-operated cloth shades can be closed simultaneously to block nearly 100 percent of ultra-violet rays.

Chillin’

Need to keep beverages chilled? Ford’s Flex cross-over vehicle boasts a class-exclusive refrigerated console that is mounted between the second-row captain’s chairs. The available refrigerator can cool up to seven 12-ounce cans, four half-liter bottles or two 20-ounce bottles from room temperature to 41 degrees in a little more than two-and-a-half hours – 40 percent faster than a standard home refrigerator.

Intimate Interiors

Attention to detail, including the look, touch, feel and operation of all controls, features and surfaces also help define the setting. Materials that feel luxurious to the touch, comfortable seats and a welcoming interior contribute to the appeal and allure of any interior space, including a car.

For example, Ford uses authentic chrome plating on the interior trim parts, such as door handle release, rather than painted coatings to improve the look and feel of its car interiors. Optimizing the softness and feel of key customer touch points, such as the steering wheel, door armrests and center console, also provides an overall feeling of comfort and style.

Peace and Tranquillity

An ideal date night is one without distractions or disruptions from noise generated by the external environment, such as traffic noise, pedestrian chatter, and other business taking place outside of the car.

Soundproofing cars to shut out distracting outside noises offers both privacy and tranquillity inside.

Windshields with a special acoustic layer and thicker side and rear glass on Ford cars and trucks significantly reduce high-frequency noises. Sound-absorbing carpets and self-expanding foams also help absorb sound, as well as help maintain a more consistent sound level distribution inside the vehicle.

So while your Ford car can help set a mood, it can’t guarantee a second date.

If you’d like to get a head start on your vehicle purchase process, you can get preapproved financing before arriving at the dealership here, or you can search through our online inventory here, or if you are just looking for some more videos, try our YouTube.com channel, or our list of videos in our blog here.

Ann Marie Ebdrup has put together a team of leaders that have taken on both a sense of ownership and sense of family at one of the most reputable dealerships in the country. From the technicians in the garage to the sales representatives on the floor, her crew has made a name for themselves in an industry that has struggled during the world’s greatest recession in decades.

Ford Motor Company of Canada was the only company to see positive sales in the past few years, while GM and Chrysler were forced into bankruptcy protection. Ford Motor Company continued its climb this year and has fared better than most with its best September
sales since 1978, jumping a whopping 63.7%. August was similar with sales reaching highs not seeen since 1990, keeping the company in the leading sales spot in the country. Analysts speculate that Ford could overtake General Motors in the Canadian sales race for the first time in 2010.

Ford’s financial stability stems from the financial foresight and the steps taken by senior management, under the direction of chairman Alan Mulally, more than four years ago. But the reputation of the company as one of the leading automotive dealers in the country, comes largely from the faces at the door.

“All you need is good people. The car industry has had such a bad reputation in recent years, but with a team like ours, the customers can’t go wrong by walking in here,” said Ebdrup.

Steve Marshall Ford in Nanaimo has gone through some changes in the past few months and those improvements have created a family environment that cannot be beat by any of the competitors.

There’s a simple philosophy behind many of the changes. Instead of managers running their departments from a topdown approach, Ebdrup has created leadership positions.

The concept came from Dale Griffis, or “Doogie” as he is more affectionately known around the shop. He introduced the idea of having leaders set examples for all staff. Ebdrup embraced the idea and so, rather than becoming the sales manager, Griffis now has
an elaborate business card that identifies him as a sales leader.

“I just loved the idea right away, so we ran with it,” Ebdrup said. “It makes so much sense because we want to continue our reputation as leaders in the industry and I want our team to lead our crew. Instead of managers telling people what to do, I have
mentors for people to look up to.”

The changes made in the past few months have fostered a family atmosphere at Steve Marshall Ford. This sense of ownership becomes clear as soon as people walk in the door.

Customers don’t feel like they are talking to a sales person at Steve Marshall Ford. It feels like you’re talking to a friend or a family member, who are looking to get you in the best vehicle for your needs and for the best price, Ebdrup explained.

Every month, her leaders, who consider themselves family, get together for an evening of food and celebration. The tight crew has truly bonded in the past few months in ways never seen before.

But the family concept has been around the shop for years. Some of the team leaders started out in the garage cleaning cars. They
have grown into new positions and their experience and familiarity with Ebdrup’s philosophies make them the perfect mentors for any of the newcomers.

The family approach to her business comes from her personal experience. Ebdrup has been in the industry her entire life. She was
practically raised in her father’s dealership in Campbell River. At age nine, she was working the switchboard and regularly graduating
to new responsibilities.

Eventually, in 2000, she had the offer to take over the Nanaimo dealership, which her father bought in 1997. It was the best option for her. Growing up in Campbell River, she wasn’t comfortable running a dealership where everyone knew her connection to the owner.
She may be daddy’s girl at home, but she is far from the boss’ daughter around the dealership.

“Hello Mr. Marshall,” she said answering the telephone. This professional salutation was an idea her father came up with when she first joined the family business. It was agreed, from the start, she would never refer to him as Dad at work.

Depending on what they are talking about, Ebdrup switches from “Mr. Marshall” to “Dad,” depending on the topic of conversation and whether it’s personal or business related.

This family/business dynamic shines through in her approach to running her own dealership. Her staff are an extended family. They collectively critique each other, making suggestions about how to improve the overall service in the shop.

With a sales team eager to help, backed by some of the best overall quality vehicles on the market, it’s no wonder why more buyers are turning to Steve Marshall for their cars, trucks and SUVs. In Nanaimo, Ebdrup is confident she has the best team on the ground. It’s a team she can trust.

Seriously, we needed a test! We thought Tom’s “Will it Blend” failure agains the Fiesta’s Boron steel proved that it was strong!! ;)

(Can you spot all the cell’s our staff are taking pictures with?)