Get To Know Us!
Did you know that we employ over 230 people on the Heffner property? There are so many important people that make your Heffner experience possible, from our Service Advisors, to Accounting, to Sales (both new and used!), and Customer Service. Each month, we’ll showcase new members of our team so that you get the opportunity to know them better, and what better way to begin than with the Heffners themselves! We asked the Heffners 5 questions – keep reading to see how they answered!
From left to right: Steve, Nick, Willy, John.
1988 Toyota Supra
Is there any vehicle Heffner used to sell that you wish you could drive again?
Steve: 1962 Toyota 2000gt in British Racing Green – or my old 2011 Scion tC in Nautical Blue Metalic!
Nick: 1986-92 Supra in white.
Willy: I miss the older Toyota’s Supras. Late 80’s and early 90’s… I remember particularly a 1987 Supra that was white – that was probably my favourite one. My second favourite may be a surprise. I think it was a 1987 Toyota Corolla hatchback. Those were such simple cars – today’s vehicles are so much more superior in every single way — but they were fun! I was able to do some accessorizing of the vehicles myself – installing radios, cassette decks, speakers, doing my own striping… I think working on those vehicles made it feel like my own.
John: 1982 Toyota Supra GTS in Terra Cotta. This car was so distinctive when it was released, when I drove it down the streets of KW, I felt like I was driving a Lamborghini!
If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you bring with you?
Steve: Water, my golf clubs (so I can practice my bunker shots), and sunscreen.
Nick: Good books, fishing gear, and lots of sunscreen!
Willy: Only three things? Simple – my wife, a motorboat, lots of gasoline (that way we could have a really nice boat ride getting back from wherever the island is to here!)
John: Power generator, TV with a built-in DVD player, and a lifetime supply of Sci-Fi DVDs!
What’s your favourite recipe to cook for others?
Steve: Spicy Chicken Chili or Palatschinken (a thin crêpe-like variety of pancake).
Nick: Anything on the BBQ!
Willy: That’s so easy – BREAD! I have developed a real love of baking bread – and I don’t mean the kind of bread you buy at the grocery store. I mean REAL BREAD. Whole grain sourdough bread, baked like they used to bake it before they had baker’s yeast.
John: Cedar plank Coho Salmon. Coho Salmon has a stronger flavour, but when you do it on a cedar plank, the cedar smoke tempers the strength of the Coho salmon.
If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be?
Steve: Colonel Chris Hadfield or Elon Musk.
Nick: Ben Franklin, Abraham Lincoln or Andrew Carnegie.
Willy: Einstein as a young teenager – say about 16 years old. I think it would be interesting to ask him what he wants to do ‘when he grows up’. Some sourdough think crust pizza, a glass of red wine, and some fascinating conversation.
John: Sir Patrick Stewart. Having been a fan of the original Star Trek, I had my worries about an actor whose history at the time was primarily Shakespearean acting. I quickly became a Huge fan, although not all of his credits were a success… like the movie Dune. But, watch him in A Christmas Carol as Scrooge… amazing!!
What innovations do you hope to will exist in dealerships in 10 years?
Steve: An infallible system for internal recon of vehicles that would ensure the constant and steady throughput of vehicles untouched by our normal retail service demands.
Nick: Increased integration of systems and data allowing dealers to be more responsive and adaptive to guest needs.
Willy: I think the innovations will all be driven from the current trend in technology, and the drive to autonomous vehicles. The inter-connectivity between the vehicle, the dealership / manufacturer, and the consumer will be very helpful in terms of maintaining a well-running vehicle. Personally, I am not a fan of the autonomous vehicle – I’m all for putting in assists for the driver, and providing a 2nd set of eyes (the vehicle radar) and any additional information and monitoring that the vehicle can assist the driver with. However, I will never be in a vehicle where there isn’t a human driver – I don’t have any faith that the autonomous vehicle is a possible solution over the next 10 years – especially with the winter conditions in our country.
John: Infallible diagnostic equipment to help fix today’s cars. Cars have so many computers in them these days, and as we all have experienced, fixing computer problems can be very complicated. A magic piece of equipment that can easily tell you which item is wrong without spending hours to figure it out would be terrific – today’s diagnostic tools are not there yet.
Want to learn more about the people that keep Heffner working like a well-oiled machine? Check back every month to learn about different Heffner Team Members!