Fact: Karen Fehr is a fast walker, and she’s hilarious. We love her!
Fact: Not everyone can pull off a wink, Karen sure can!
Fact: Shawn Hildebrandt almost fell while running backwards in Phoenix Kitchesn & Designs.
Fact: Ryan Fife was great.
Fact: Karen Ann laughed too much while watching the outtakes.
Fact: Cheryl said, “It’s not THAT funny”.
Fact: Karen Ann’s favourite outtake got cut. :(

Press Release

Speaking of family, David and his wife Anita are the proud parents of four girls and two boys, a dog and a cat. He enjoys astronomy through his homemade reflector telescope, sailing, swimming and is active in fitness and health.

When it comes to meeting his customers vehicle needs David does so in a professional and courteous manner without any hype or gimmicks. He’ll provide you with a free consultation by dropping in or calling to speak with at Steve Marshall Ford. If the vehicle you want is not on the lot, he’ll find it for you!

David sincerely appreciates your business and trusts that he’ll exceed your expectations. In return for you appreciated support, David is pleased to provide you with a referral cash fee of $100 when a friend or family member takes delivery of a vehicle purchased from him. Come and visit David today and see how easy it is to be driving a new or pre-owned vehicle that’s affordable and perfect for you!

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

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.

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.

We were greeted on the lot by Rob Willoughby who bent over backwards to show us around and allowed us to test drive different models. Rob’s salesmanship, of no pressure, information on past history of cars and patience while we debated on what model to buy is much appreciated.

We ended up with a super buy of a Ford Taurus Limited and I can’t believe I own such a luxury car. Please tell Rob I have a smile on my face every time I click the button on my key pad and the car automatically becomes personally mine.

I’m looking forward to driving in luxury thanks to Rob and Steve Marshall.

Sincerely,
Gerda Tomm

“I’m really proud to be a Ford dealer. Under the guidance of Chairman Alan Mulally, the company has not only secured financial stability, it has continued to maintain and improve overall quality and bring forward great new models. We have perhaps the best model lineup of any company right now with award winning passenger cars, SUVs and trucks that meet customer needs. At Steve Marshall Ford, we did notice a slowdown earlier in the year but we have such a loyal owner base that we weathered the worst of it. We are seeing many more positives now. In fact I have to hire more sales staff, technicians and parts people.”

The Ford Motor Company led June sales in North America, pulling ahead of Honda, Toyota, General Motors and Chrysler. While the competition is still looking for a rebound, Ford is gathering momentum month by month and increasing market share in the process. While current models like the Fusion, Flex and the F-150 pickup are driving the surge in sales, there is a quiet confidence building in expectation of some exciting new models in the wings. The European designed Ford Fiesta, a stylish compact with exceptional fuel efficiency, is the first of Ford’s global family of small cars. It will be joined next year, by the slightly larger “next generation” Focus – also designed in Europe – to meet the needs of a market that is increasingly concerned about the cost of fuel and emissions levels.

Ann Marie is the third generation of Marshalls in the car business. She grew up in her father Steve’s dealership, in Campbell River washing cars when she was very young, helping in the office on school holidays and generally getting her hands dirty learning every aspect of the business. It was vital experience that prepared her for her success as a business owner in her own right.

In what is essentially a man’s business, Ann Marie is the exception to the rule and as the only woman Dealer Principal in Nanaimo, she brings a unique perspective to the business. “Quite early on I realized the car business isn’t really about cars, it’s about people…and I love people. I don’t pretend to know all the details of every Ford vehicle – I have great guys and gals who do know that – but I love the interaction with our customers.”

“Buying a car, having it serviced or repaired are stressful moments in a person’s life. But they don’t have to be. The whole team here is committed to making people feel comfortable whatever their needs are. It’s all about fairness and respect. It’s about treating every customer the way you would want to be treated. After all we don’t want to sell you a car. We want to sell you one today, but then we want to sell your sons and daughters, your friends and your neighbours. And if we treat you well, what goes around comes around.”

The philosophy works. Steve Marshall Ford is one of the top performing dealerships in Canada with a reputation for integrity and fairness second to none. The people who work at Steve Marshall Ford feel they are part of a family and every customer who comes through the doors automatically becomes a part of that family too. As Ann Marie says: “We only have one life to live and it should be fun. If we can do something a little different to make customers feel at home and bring a little fun into the process, then we have done our job.”