The most important provincial new-vehicle sellers affiliation in Canada has a brand new identify and new president.

The Trillium Car Sellers Affiliation (TADA) is now referred to as the Motor Automobile Retailers of Ontario. Its new president is Jim Williamson, vendor principal and normal supervisor of Williamson Chrysler of Uxbridge, Ont.

TADA fashioned in 2012 when the Toronto Car Sellers Affiliation and the Ontario Car Sellers Affiliation merged. Frank Notte, director of presidency relations on the Motor Automobile Retailers of Ontario, mentioned that as a way to preserve issues easy, the 2 associations modified Toronto to Trillium — the official flower of Ontario — and a brand new identify was born.

Nonetheless, when the COVID-19 struck and finally lingered for 2 years, the affiliation observed it was interacting with companies it had not up to now. Due to well being and security and authorized issues the pandemic introduced ahead, TADA was coping with the Ontario Ministry of Well being and Solicitor Normal. Notte mentioned some have been confused by the phrase “Trillium,” considering it may be associated to a provincial ministry or well being company, such because the Trillium Well being Community in Mississauga or the Trillium Present of Life Community, which advocates for organ donation.

“We thought, ‘as soon as the pandemic storm passes, we’ll reassess [the name],’” Notte mentioned. “We thought it was time to check out what occurred throughout the pandemic as a complete, and that was one of many issues that stood out.”

So, in early 2022, TADA fashioned a activity pressure of board members and previous presidents to provide you with a brand new identify to be voted on on the 2022 annual normal assembly. 

Notte mentioned identified that the majority different provincial vendor associations — and state associations in America — have their province’s or state’s identify within the title.

“You may inform by the title what their jurisdiction is. Trillium didn’t try this as clearly because it possibly ought to have,” Notte mentioned.

Motor Automobile Retailers of Ontario was the eventual winner and it handed unanimously. 

Notte mentioned the phrases matter and have been fastidiously chosen. 

The duty pressure thought “motorcar” is all-encompassing and doesn’t simply characterize the internal-combustion engine, however electrical motors — and leisure and all-terrain autos — as effectively. And, Notte mentioned, members discovered that automakers of their vendor service and gross sales agreements with dealerships referring to them as “retailers” as a result of they promote extra than simply autos and repair them, too. 

Based mostly out of Markham, Ont., the group works with the Ontario authorities on the behalf of new-vehicle sellers. It represents greater than 1,100 franchised sellers within the province.

Williamson is the primary president of the affiliation beneath its new identify. 

A 3rd-generation vendor, he adopted his father and grandfather across the dealership when he was a child.

At 13 he began washing automobiles and altering oil. He later bought new and used autos, and finally labored his means as much as normal gross sales supervisor. In June 2012, he purchased the dealership, changing into vendor principal of Williamson Chrysler.

He was not instantly accessible for remark. Nor was government director Todd Bourgon.