Arrive at Applewood a prospective customer, and drive away part of a luxury community.
Every city, town, and rural outpost has its share of car dealerships lining the roads coming into and out of town. So what has made Applewood Cadillac thrive for some 65 years serving Mississauga and the surrounding areas, including Oakville, Toronto, Burlington, and Brampton?
The company’s record is not only one of endurance, but a testament to its commitment to its clients, its community – and of course, some of history’s most iconic automotive brands.
In putting drivers in cars for nearly seven decades, Applewood has become something of an icon itself. Founded in 1958, the company’s mission was to provide a different car-buying experience, a commitment to “not just treat our customers like people, but to treat them like friends.”
What makes Applewood different? Vince Paradiso, Applewood’s financial services manager, points to its methodology and commitment to technological evolution. Adds sales representative Tony Carvalho, “We’ve become more inclusive, and made sure we are on the pulse of the community in every aspect, to serve them with pride and confidence.” For Kerry Wood, “It is about retaining our fundamental values of treating every customer as a friend. This is what has made us successful for seven decades.”
Product specialist Nabil Hamade lists just a few of the company’s accolades in recent years. “In the last ten years, we went from a dealership to a flagship store,” he says. “Number one in the city of Toronto consistently; number one in Canada for the past five years; and winning the GM Presidents Club Award three times in the past ten years.”
Of course, the company’s clientele has evolved over the past seven decades, right alongside Applewood and the vehicles it offers. Today, as Wood notes, “Our customers have all the vehicle information available to them at their fingertips. The customer has done their homework before they’ve walked through our door. Our product specialist must stay up to date and be educated on all aspects of the industry.”
Hamade agrees. “Today’s car buyer is well educated and won’t settle for anything less than the utmost in full disclosure and fair dealing.” He emphasizes that the Applewood team’s philosophy of complete transparency, honesty and respect towards customers has played a
large role in developing and maintaining the trust they’ve earned over the years. And the proof is there in a long history of repeat and referral business, sometimes spanning two or more generations. As Hamade points out, “Customers have the confidence to continue to buy from us, and refer their friends, family, and colleagues to Applewood.”
The latest news from the company is a brand-new building; a standalone Cadillac dealership. The new dealership will be dedicated exclusively to showcasing Cadillac vehicles, scheduled to be completed fall 2024/winter 2025. According to Wood, “It will be a state-of-the-art facility that will offer luxury customer service, before and after the delivery of their new Cadillac.”
Hamade says, “In the past, every luxurious advertisement wanted to be like Cadillac: the Cadillac of watches, the Cadillac of literally everything. A Cadillac driver is on a mission to find authenticity and a natural environment, while connected to the driving exuberance a Cadillac delivers.”
Sure, we’ve all heard that phrase. But what exactly sets the Cadillac driver apart from other luxury automobile aficionados? According to Carvalho, “Clients feel they, like the purchase, deserve a standard above the other brands.” As he sees it, the new Applewood Cadillac dealership serves as an opportunity for the bricks-and-mortar reality to match the elevated level of the buyer.
The entire Applewood team feels strongly about their place in their community, and are proud of how that manifests in the day-to-day life of the dealership. “We ensure everyone who walks into our store is treated to a satisfying auto shopping experience,” says Wood. “We feel this is what has made us the number-one GM volume dealer in Canada.”
From its tradition of offering a trustworthy, no-pressure sales experience, to its luxurious new surroundings, to its longstanding commitment to top-notch service to customers and its community, Applewood continues to stand out.
In short, you might say, it’s the Cadillac of Ontario automotive dealerships.
