In all of Southern Ontario there is arguably no other car dealership that carries as rich a history as Heaslip Ford in Hagersville.
“If we go back in history, a Ford franchise was first granted in Hagersville in 1910,” said Vice President and General Manager Rob Phillips. “As the story goes Henry Ford was traveling through from Dearborn to Oakville on a train and the train broke down in Hagersville. So while they were fixing the train Henry Ford walked down King Street and (this was prior to Heaslip’s owning it) Mr. Head had a bicycle shop. Well Henry Ford loved bicycles, so he wandered in, was chatting with Mr. Head and before he left Mr. Head was a Ford dealer. That was October of 1910.”
The Head Brothers moved their Ford dealership to the current location in the 1920‘s and unfortunately it burned down in 1948. They rebuilt and in 1955 Clayton Heaslip bought the dealership from the Head family. Heaslip’s son, Ken Heaslip is still the dealer principle today. Phillips said, “I am second generation employee myself. My father was in the service department before me and he still helps out going to the auction with us.”
Heaslip Ford has since grown and is now a full service dealership in the centre of the town of Hagersville offering New and Used vehicles as well as a Parts/Service Department and a Full Body Repair Shop with Hagersville AutoBody – all while carrying a history of over 100 years of quality care and service.
Phillips told the Two Row Times that in 2006 Ford restructured their business – and having the foresight to see the upcoming financial crash in the automotive industry – managed to avoid the bankruptcy endured by other automotive manufacturers such as GM and Chrysler. This earned the respect of the buying public who in turn have brought their business over to the Ford brand and straight to Heaslip Motors.
In turn, the company then had the power to re-invest into the Ford brand and fund innovative change, bringing them to the head of the industry in technology and fuel economy for all makes and models. “We’ve got the freshest showroom in the industry,” said Phillips. He says that means in the next four years all makes and models of Ford vehicles are set to be refreshed and new models introduced.
Additionally, now the brand boasts an impressive victory: namely, the top selling brand in North America for the last five years as well bragging rights for the top selling vehicle in North America – the iconic Ford F-150 pickup – for the last 48 years.
Heaslip Ford also goes above and beyond for what they provide to used car customers. “Customer service is a big thing. Customers come here because they know they are going to be recognized, they know they are going to be remembered and they know they are going to be taken care of.”
Phillips says that used vehicles available at Heaslip Ford are put through close examination and are outfitted with new brakes and tires if the existing ones are more than 50% worn. Phillips says this is an important aspect of the kind of customer care they work hard to provide. “A dealership with a service department, when dealing in used vehicles, is putting the reputation of their service department on the line. People expect more from a dealership.”
To see the full lineup of vehicles and services available at Heaslip Ford visit their website at www.heaslipford.com for a complete listing.
