Denis Bellemare appointed General Manager at Mercedes-Benz Laval

TORONTO, Aug. 24, 2016 /CNW/ - Mercedes-Benz Canada and Mercedes-Benz Laval are pleased to announce today that long-time Mercedes-Benz Canada employee Denis Bellemare will take over the role of General Manager at Mercedes-Benz Laval as of August 25, 2016.

In his current position as Regional Manager, Eastern Region at Mercedes-Benz Canada, Denis has worked very closely with dealers from Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces for almost 15 years. During his tenure there, he took a 3-year hiatus as General Manager of the Mercedes-Benz West Island dealership when the opportunity presented itself.

Neal Bodack, Vice-President, National Sales said: "When we faced management challenges at our West Island store in early 2013, we felt that Denis was a perfect candidate to take over the helm as General Manager of this corporately-owned retail facility. Under his three-year leadership, dealership results soared in each and every department. When the dealership was sold at the end of 2015, Denis was elated to come back to his previous position as Regional Manager, Eastern Region and to work once again with the entire regional dealer group. His experience in a retail environment gave him exceptional knowledge of the overall business and allowed him to become a stronger business advisor to the dealers in every facet of their operations. He now has the opportunity to once again put all of his skills to good use; we wish him well in his new endeavour."   

"I guess it won't be entirely surprising for anyone to see me take on this new challenge at Mercedes-Benz Laval. As much as I still truly loved working with all of the dealers at the wholesale level, I have to admit that I missed the day-to-day minutiae and fantastic, adrenaline-charged environment that accompanied managing a fast-paced and vibrant dealership like our West Island location," said Denis Bellemare. He added, "I am, however, extremely grateful for having had the opportunity to work for Mercedes-Benz Canada in two highly exciting capacities for so many years; I am proud of what I achieved with the excellent colleagues I worked with during that time. At this point in my seasoned automotive career, I am thrilled to be joining Carole and Louise Leblanc's team at Mercedes-Benz Laval."

Co-Dealer Principals of Mercedes-Benz Laval Carole and Louise Leblanc said: "Our dealership organization has grown exponentially over the last 27 years and we know only too well that Mercedes-Benz Canada has no plans to stay idle going forward. We wish to thank George Théberge, who supported us extremely well as our General Manager for the last 6 years before accepting an exciting new role that took him and his family back to his beloved Quebec City." They added: "We are delighted to be welcoming Denis to this General Manager role. Naturally, we have worked together very closely for many years. Both parties are in the enviable position of knowing exactly what to expect from each other and rejoice in knowing there will be virtually no learning curve!"

Mercedes-Benz Laval has been in operation since 1989 and employs a total of 175 people, many of whom have been working there for more than 20 years.  

Karen Zlatin will succeed Denis as Regional Manager, Eastern Region effective August 25. Karen is currently Sales Operations Manager, Eastern Region. She joined Mercedes-Benz Canada and the Eastern Region in 2006 as the Regional Coordinator. Karen came to Mercedes-Benz Canada with 17 years of experience with both Chrysler Financial and Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. Her experience over the years and strong relationship with the dealer network will no doubt serve her well in her new role.

About Mercedes-Benz Canada
Mercedes-Benz Canada is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of the Mercedes-Benz and AMG passenger vehicles, Mercedes-Benz Vans and smart. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc. employs approximately 1,500 people in 21 locations across Canada. Through a nationwide network of 11 Mercedes-Benz owned retail operations and 46 authorized dealerships, Mercedes-Benz Canada sold 44,526 vehicles in 2015. This represents the best year ever for the company and has positioned Mercedes-Benz as the top luxury manufacturer in Canada for the second consecutive year.

Further information from Mercedes-Benz is available on the internet at: www.media.mercedes-benz.ca

SOURCE Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc.

For further information: JoAnne Caza, 416-847-7550, [e-mail]; Nathalie Gravel, 416-847-7509, [e-mail]