Discovery Ford of Humboldt hosted a community celebration on September 18 to mark the opening of its new facility.
The event featured music, food, and vehicle displays, along with visits from Robbie Malinoski, originally from Humboldt, the Snocross racer who was the World PowerSports Association's 2006 Pro Open and Pro Stock champion, and Kevin Therres with Prairieland Motorsports, with the world's first biodiesel-powered jet car.
Also on hand were Scott Chychul of LeRoy who performed stunts on his Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle and Humboldt's own Barley Boys who performed music for the large crowd that gathered for the event.
Owner Steve Dillabough thanked everyone who helped make the expansion of the business a reality, including the staff and customers, his partners Gordon Lees and Ernie Moisan, their creditors, and his wife Leanne.
E.G. (Gerald) Wood, the general manager, western region for Ford, was on hand to congratulate Discovery on its expansion. He also presented the owners with the Ford Golden Shovel award in recognition of Discovery providing leading edge facilities.
Also on hand was Humboldt Mayor Malcolm Eaton, who congratulated the owners and staff of Discovery on behalf of city council and the community.
The expansion of Discovery Ford is a reflection of the strength of the business, as well as the growing economy in the Humboldt region and the province, Eaton said.
Dillabough called the grand opening an exciting day for the dealership.
The move into the new buildings on Humboldt's west end means more space for customers and staff, as well as more parking and a larger vehicle display area, Dillabough noted. It also means that the dealership will be able to offer expanded services, employ more staff, and offer customers a state of the art facility, he added.
Discovery Ford first opened its doors in 1993 on Main St. in Humboldt, with Dillabough as a partner. Since then, Lees and Moisan have joined as minority partners.
The dealership's previous location was a good one for many years, but over the years, increased traffic and more display vehicles caused the business to outgrow the downtown location, Dillabough said.
"We've struggled both with providing enough parking for our customers and with having enough space to display our vehicles," he said. "In this new facility, we have lots of space for customer parking and a great area to display our vehicles. The extra room will really help us to expand services to our customers."
