Our Fixed Operations Manager - Bob

Meet our Fixed Operations Manager, Bob. Bob's first day of work at West Park was on August 31, 1968 at precisely 6:05 a.m., around the time when West Park first opened its doors! Through his many years at West Park he has witnessed the evolution of our dealership in all areas. Bob has seen numerous building renovations and expansions, helped West Park become the 1st rural GM dealer to computerize accounting and parts inventory in 1977 and has gone through the challenges of many new parts inventory control and communications systems, from the Cardex to “live inventory control” systems, with numerous variations in between. Communication is another area that has changed immensely, from when Bob first phoned in the parts orders, to the use of telex, then fax, then satellite, and now the use of email. Speaking of communication, quite likely it was Bob who sold you your first cellular phone (if you were from the Altona area) when cellulars were gaining popularity, which contributed to the development of our MTS Connect store today. When asked to recall a few of his most memorable moments at West Park, Bob laughed, “There are so many memorable moments after this many years, it’s hard to pick just a few.” Bob traveled to places such as Winnipeg, London ON, Dayton OH, and Atlanta GA to attend several schools, forums and meetings for parts inventory. He also had the opportunity to tour the factory in Oshawa and then drive trucks home, piggy-backed up to 3 per load. Some perks of Bob's job have also included GM trips to the Caribbean and Southern California, a Rogers/Cantel trip to Jamaica and an MTS Grey Cup game in Vancouver. Other highlights Bob recalls are the West Park staff and family Christmas weekends away, playing on a West Park sponsored baseball team, water-skiing with staff and families at Cavalier, ND and kart racing with staff members at Speed World. He also helped build and drive the West Park sponsored Hobby Stock race car, #23, at the Winnipeg Speedway in 1974. We must add that he finished 4th in points that season, receiving the “Best Appearance” trophy for the year and driver “Rookie of the Year” award in the Hobby Stock class! Interestingly, this talented race car driver also participated in the West Park Motors Choir and even did a few gigs publicly! “The highlights over the years all have one common component, and that is meeting and working with people. I am fortunate to have developed many friendships and acquaintances over the years with fellow staff members, customers, factory representatives, and suppliers. That’s what makes it work for me!”




With Bob's roots so deeply planted here, we'll suggest he write a West Park history book in his retirement and rummage through West Park's dusty box of memories, the thousands of old photos that are sitting in our attic!