User:Xpapax/sandbox
 | |
| Industry | Automotive retail |
|---|---|
Key people | Clair Murray (Chairman) Doug Murray (CEO) Arthur Fast (CFO) |
Number of employees | 800+ |
| Divisions | Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, GMC, Hyundai |
| Website | Murray Automotive Group |
In 1926 A.A (Andy) Murray began to sell Star, Essex and Hudson cars from his agricultural implements business in Souris Manitoba. By 1934 Andy had expanded his operation to include the General Motors line, which was to become one of the world’s largest automobile manufacturers. Over the decades the business has continued to grow and has now evolved into a group that consists of 20 Canadian dealerships from coast to coast. Today, The Murray Automotive Group is empowered with over 1000 employees and sells nearly 15,000 vehicles each year making it one of Canada’s leading automotive groups.
The Early Years (20s - 40s)
A.A(Andy) Murray opened the first Murray’s dealership in 1926 in the Souris, Manitoba. The dealership sold Star, Essex, and Hudson cars, later (1934) taking on the General Motors line of vehicles. Along with the dealership was a garage which on Saturday nights would be kept open till midnight or later. This would allow farmers who would come in Saturday nights to do their weekly shopping as well as railroaders, and other passer-by a chance to visit the garage, as well as a chance to view the latest automobiles.
1940 - 1960
During the war almost all of Canada’s resources were directed towards the war effort. If you wanted to purchase a new car there was a waiting list and chrome was not offered. At the conclusion of the Second World War two of Andy’s three sons Claire and Ewart were among those coming back to Canada. They joined their father at the auto dealership, while Andy and his third son Del operated a Murray’s Farm Equipment out of the same building.
60s - 70s
1960 – Murray’s Garage expands to Brandon. Clair Murray becomes president and general manager of Brandon Automobiles Ltd. For the next decade the Brandon store carried Pontiac, Buick, and Vauxhall cars, together with GMC trucks.
1971 – Clair Murray founds Murray Chev-Olds-Cadillac Ltd, in Brandon Manitoba. He sells Brandon Automobiles Ltd to his brother Ewart Murray. Ewart would run this dealership until his death in 1981.
1974 – Murray Chev-Olds-Cadillac Brandon moves from its previously rented property to a new building on Richmond Avenue in Brandon, Manitoba.
1979 – Clair Murray’s eldest son Doug Murray is the first of the third generation Murrays to make a career in the automobile business. By 1987 Clair’s three other sons; Paul, Danny, and Chris would also enter into the automobile business.
80s - Present
1986 – Central Plains Pontiac Buick GMC Ltd in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba is purchased. Craig Dunn, a former sales manager for Murrays Chev-Olds-Cadillac in Brandon takes over and the dealership is renamed Craig Dunn Motor City, Portage la Prairie.
1988 – Wiens Chevrolet Oldsmobile Ltd in Oak Bluff, Manitoba is purchased; Dan Murray becomes the dealer at Dan Murray Chevrolet Oldsmobile, Oak Bluff.
1992 – Bill Thompson Chevrolet Oldsmobile Cadillac Ltd in Medicine Hat, Alberta is purchased by the Murray Auto Group. Paul Murray becomes the new dealer at Murray Chevrolet Oldsmobile, Medicine Hat.
Edmonton Chevrolet Oldsmobile Ltd in Portage la Prairie is bought by the Murray Group. Craig Dunn becomes the new dealer for Craig Dunn Motor City.
1994 – Carter Motors Ltd on Portage Ave. Winnipeg, Manitoba is purchased. Dan Murray takes over this dealership as Dan Murray Chevrolet Oldsmobile. Chris Murray takes over Dan Murray Chevrolet Oldsmobile in Oak Bluff, Manitoba.
1995 – Martin Motors Ltd in Dauphin, Manitoba is bought by the Murray Group. Dean Cooley, a sales manager at the Brandon dealership becomes the dealer at Dean Cooley Motors in Dauphin.
1996 – The original Murray dealership in Souris is destroyed by fire on August 17. The local Ford dealership is purchased; the satellite office that has been running in Brandon since 1990 moves into the new dealership.
Bow Island, Alberta is added to the Murray Automotive Group as a satellite of the Medicine Hat dealership. Dwight Kurtz is the manager of this new outlet.
1997 – Band City Chevrolet Oldsmobile Cadillac Ltd in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan is purchased and rebranded as Murray Chevrolet Oldsmobile. Charles VandenBroek a former sales manager at the Murray Auto Groups location in Medicine Hat takes over this new location.
The Murray Auto Group purchases twenty-two acres of land in Winnipeg at the intersection of Waverly St. and Bishop Grandin Ave. This would later become the location of the “Auto Mall of Manitoba”
1998 – Patterson Motors Ltd in Moose Jaw is bought by the Murray Auto Group.
Craig Dunn Motor City opens a new building in Portage la Prairie. They expand to four GM product lines.
1999 – Murray Chevrolet Oldsmobile opens in the Auto Mall of Manitoba to replace the current location on Portage Ave. Due to the proximity of the new dealership to the Oak Bank, Manitoba location the Oak Bank store is closed.
Ward Chevrolet Oldsmobile Pontiac Buick GMC Ltd in Fort St. John, BC is purchased and rebranded as Murray Chevrolet Oldsmobile Pontiac Buick GMC. Clark Lang, a sales manager at Murray’s Brandon relocates to run the new dealership.
Beny Chevrolet Oldsmobile Cadillac Ltd in Lethbridge, Alberta is purchased by the Murray Auto Group. Chris Murray leaves Oak Bluff when the dealership closes, and becomes the dealer at Murray Chevrolet Oldsmobile Cadillac in Lethbridge.
2000 – Carroll Motors Ltd in The Pas, Manitoba is sold to the Murray Auto Group. Guy Bordian, a sales manager at Dean Cooley Motors in Dauphin becomes manager of Dean Cooley Motors in The Pas. The new dealership carries four GM lines.
2001 – The Murray Auto Group purchases sixteen acres known as the Chiulli Triangle, in Fort St. John, B.C. This new property lies between the Alaska Highway and 100 Ave, and will become the future home of Murray Chevrolet Oldsmobile Pontiac Buick GMC, as well as other commercial outlets.
2002 – The GM dealership in Estevan, Saskatchewan along with its satellite location in Oxbow is purchased by the Murray Auto Group. Herb Padwick is the manager of these locations.
The Pontiac Buick GMC dealership located in downtown Abbotsford, B.C is purchased with Rob Taylor as its manager.
2004 – The Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan location moves into a new building, and expands to include five GM lines.
A major addition to the shop portion of the Fort St John facility is complete.
2005 – The dealership in Medicine Hat undergoes a major renovation to accommodate the expansion of the dealership’s volume.
The Dauphin store relocates to a newly constructed building and begins to carry four GM lines.
2006 – The GM dealership in Merrit, B.C is purchased by the Murray Auto Group; Scott Robertson becomes the new manager.
The Murray Group purchases the interest of Don Glascock Chevrolet in Maple Creek, Alberta. Doug Glasrock remains with the dealership as manager. At the same time as purchase the dealership was also awarded the franchise for Pontiac, Buick, and GMC.
2007 – Murrays opens its first non-GM dealership since the 1920s; the new Murray Hyundai store opens in the Manitoba Auto Mall next door to the existing Murray Chevrolet Hummer. Former sales manager from the Chevrolet Hummer store, Damian Mannion, takes over operations at Murray Hyundai.
The Chevrolet Cadillac dealership located in the Abbotsford Automall is purchased with intentions of amalgamating it with the existing Pontiac store, under the leadership of Rob Taylor.
The GM store in Nipawin, Saskatchewan is purchased together with operating partners Lyall Cook, and Craig Dunn. 2008 – The Murray Auto Group purchases its first set of Eastern Canadian GM dealerships, in both Yarmouth and its satellite location in Barrington, Nova Scotia. Operating partner Jeff Little takes over operations of both locations.
Along with operating partners Craig Dunn and Ryan McLaughlin the GM dealership in Neepawa, Manitoba is purchased.
The Chevrolet store in Leduc, Alberta is purchased along with operating partner Dwight Kurtz.
A large expansion is completed to the Chevrolet Cadillac dealership in the Abbotsford Automall. This new expansion allows for the downtown Pontiac store to move its operations, and also allows for an expansion of the lines carried to five.