Commitment to the community has led three generations of the Parkers family to build a successful business.
Last week the staff at the Penticton dealership celebrated 70 years in business, receiving an award from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles as their longest serving dealership in the province.
“As president of Parker’s we owe our success to our managers and staff and would like to thank our loyal customers and also Chrysler Dodge Jeep for providing such an excellent product,” said Janet Parker.
What started as a small family business in downtown Penticton has grown into a full service dealership located at 1765 Main St. with the largest body shop in the South Okanagan.
Jim Tabler, general manager of Parker’s Chrysler Dodge Jeep, has been with the company for 25 years. He said their success lies in the company’s role in the community, the loyal staff, customers and providing a great product.
“We really have to thank our staff for allowing us to have this longevity. There are a lot of people who put in long hours and a lot of work to make this dealership excellent,” he said.
Tabler said in his 25 years he has seen many advancements in the quality of product they provide. With that, the popularity of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep has also grown.
“No question. The quality makes all the difference. Chrysler Canada is the largest seller in the country over all the lines of vehicles and the trucks are the most popular in the country,” said Tabler.
He isn’t the only long-serving employee of the dealership. Out of the approximately 45-50 people who work there many have been around 20-plus years. Tabler said the reasoning behind that kind of stability is simple.
“It’s the interaction with the people in the community. We have customers that have been coming back for many years and it is always nice to see their faces back in the dealership.”