A special celebration will take place this Thursday, July 10, in honour of Peter Morrison, a long-standing employee of Huntsville Honda.
Past, present, and future clients are invited to drop by any time from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to say hello.
Morrison has witnessed numerous technological changes in the business during his 40-year sales career. He has also made long-lasting friendships and served generations of families with their vehicle needs.
“When you say 40 years, you think, ‘has it really been that long? It sure doesn’t seem like it,” says Morrison. “I can remember starting out when the most advanced piece of technology was an electric typewriter, well before the days of the internet and computers, when everything was done by hand… It’s been quite a change over the years.”
Morrison said he’s spent a lifetime at Huntsville Honda because he believes in the product. “Yes, they’re big in automotive, but they are in so many different markets globally. They’re very concerned about how they do things with their plans being as environmentally friendly as possible.
“They build a superior product no matter what they make, from lawnmowers to weedwhackers to automobiles and motorcycles,” he adds.
Morrison has not only worked at two different locations but also with three different owners, from Mike Stevens to Jason Armstrong, and now Performance Auto. He says he has no complaints and has immense respect for the previous owners. “But again, it’s a different chapter now,” he said of Performance Auto Group, which he described as incredible in the way they look after their staff.
Asked what one of the main highlights of his career has been. Morrison says there have been many. He recalls a client who picked up a vehicle and got into an accident on the way home, resulting in the vehicle being written off. He’s also had a client buy a vehicle from overseas, sight unseen, and wanted the vehicle ready when they landed.
“I think, if I had to put my finger on one of the most memorable, it would be the Logan family who used to own Tasty Creem.” Morrison recalls, “Mrs. Logan senior wanted to buy a car for her daughter, and this would be the late 80s… it was a dark blue 1988 Honda Accord LX and back then we were just getting into doing the financing at the dealership level rather than sending people to the bank.” He asked if she wanted him to look after the financing, and she said no, that she would pay cash. Back in those days, that meant either a personal cheque (if you knew them) or a certified cheque. “She meant cash. She came in with a brown paper grocery bag. I think the total with taxes was just over $18,000. I can’t remember the exact amount, but the largest denomination bill was a $50 bill… it took me like an hour just to count the money,” he laughed.
Morrison began his career at Huntsville Honda as service manager. After about four years, he went to work for Honda Canada in Toronto. He did not stay in the city for long and returned to Huntsville Honda, where he would spend the next 40 years in various sales positions.
Morrison’s son, Sean, also worked at the dealership for about 10 years, until he started his own business. Morrison said that was also one of his highlights, working alongside his son. He also recalled the time they both won a national sales award, which was a particularly special moment.
Morrison noted that being in the vehicle sales and leasing business means many long hours and some late nights. He was grateful to his wife, Dee, and his two sons for their support. And just in case you were wondering, Morrison has no plans to retire yet.
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