Marigold anticipates $500,000 expansion It has been less than three years since Jim Souch and his sons took over Glen- wood Lincoln Mercury, but in those few short years the turn around in sales at the Ford dealership has been as startling ac the huge orange Marigold sign that now spans the entire front of the family's showroom. This year Mr. Souch estimates that Marigold sales In new cars and trucks will surpass the 600 mark. When he purchased Glen- wood in June of 1983 the dealership was suffering substantial losses and had barely managed to crack 180 new vehicle sales for all of 1982. The numbers were less than auspicious but Mr. Souch had a hunch that they didn't reflect the dealer- ship's real potential. It was a hunch that has since paid off in spades. 'It looked like a hell of a challenge," admits Mr. Souch who was looking for a new venture after retiring in 1981 as a partner in Oshawa's Ontarlo Motor Sales. "But the auto industry was on its way back, Ford was coming out with some good vehicle lines and I always thought they built the best truck - and l'm a truck person - so we decided to go with Ford." Part of Glenwood's problem, according to Marigold's president, was that It was operated by Ford and nobody ln the dealership had a personal stake in its success or fallure. With the kind of drive and ambition that only personal owner- ship confers, he belleved the situation could be turned around. Another reason for Marigold's success is that it is a family business. When he purchased the dealer- ship, Mr. Souch brought in his two youngest sons. Peter, 28 and a licensed mechanic, - heads up Marigold's parts and service department and Terry, 30, who graduated with a B.A. in auto marketing from the Northwood institute in Midland, Michigan, is the company's secretary treasurer. A third son, David, 34 and also a Northwood graduate, joined the com- pany last fall and now heads up Marigold's six member sales staff. Once they were in the door, Mr. Souch maintains it was just a matter of working the market, talkIng to people, getting involved in the community and just plain hustllng. "We try and talk to everyone who comes in, whether they're here to buy a car or for service, we try and say hello and make them feel welcome. You're never going to satisfy all your customers but we're sure going to try and keep the door open," says Mr. Souch. Part of that personal ser- vice reaches out beyond the confines of the dealership itself and into the com- munity as a whole. A great believer in community in- volvement, Mr. Souch is a past president of the Oshawa Chamber of Com- merce, the Oshawa Kiwanis Club, Flying Club and Ski Club and this year was elec- ted president of the Whitby Chamber of Commerce. Now that Marigold Lincoln Mercury has proven itself, It is quickly outgrowIng Its current sales and service capacity and the Souch family are now planning the next phase of the company's growth - a $500,000 to $600,000 expansion. With a little luck, Mr. Souch says construction could begin as early as this summer. Since Jim Souch and his sons opened their operation under the banner Marigold Lincoln Mercury, the business has grown by leaps and bounds and this summer Jim is hoping to launch a $500,000 expansion of the Dundas Street dealership. He is seen here with sons Peter, David and Terry. Fireplace shop a plus for Whitby The Fireplace Plus first opened its doors in 1975 as the fIrst fireplace specialty shop to serve Durham Region. It started off with about 1,800 square feet of warehouse and showroom space. Today, the company has been expanded and in addition to fireplaces, offers a full selection of woodstoves, prefa- bricated chimneys, glass doors, chim- ney brushes and ail related ac- cessories, plus their new extended line of leasure living products, ranging from patio furniture to park benches, gas barbeques and part replacement, all stored In warehouse and showroom space. Fireplaces have always been popular and are now made more ef- ficient using glass doors, return hot air duct and outside combustion air. The most popular type of fireplace is the "factory built" zero clearance. Fire- place Plus specializes in SEE PG. 5 INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL & INVESTMENT SERVICES Left to Rlght Rick Siwek, Director of Finance; John Smegal, Harry Hayes, General Manager; Steve Sylvester, Joe Bosco, R.P.A.; Tim O'Connor seated s Walter Frank, President. W. Frank Real Estate Limited is pleased to present the 1.C.1. Division. This team of skilled and knowledgeable individuals deal exclusively in Industrial, Commercial & lnvestment real estate and offer a comprehensive list of Services including: •Property Sale & Acquisition •Business Sale Acquisition *Leasing (Office, Retall & Industrial) •Property Management *Feasibility Studies & Market Research FRED WILLIAMS S.I.R. C.C.I.M. TOP SALESMAN FOR 1985 l.C.l. Department The i.C.i. Division have extensive listings of investment, development and industrial properties throughout the Durham Region (including Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Bowmanville, Oshawa). All enquiries are treated with the strictest of confidence. The I.C.I. Division operates out of Head Office at OSHAWALINE 115 Simcoe Street South, TORONTOLINE 576-4111 Oshawa, Ontario 683-9250 PROGRESSING WITH WHITBY Manufacturers of SCLAIR POLYETHYLENE FILM, DARTEK NYLON FILM, and VEXAR PLASTIC NETTING WHITBY SITE WHITBY, ONTARIO PAGE 2. WEI)NVSDAY. MARCUI 19.1986 WI-ITTBY r- REE PRÉ SS. I'ROGRE SS EDITION - -- 1