Birchwood Automotive Group buys Funk’s Toyota
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Winnipeg’s Birchwood Automotive Group has purchased Steinbach’s Funk’s Toyota.
“Our company is growing. We’re looking for opportunities in Manitoba to grow our company. In Steinbach we have one dealership there, it’s close to Winnipeg, and Toyota is a great brand. The store was well run with great staff,” said Birchwood president Steve Chipman on why he bought Funk’s.
Former owners Peter and Betty Funk along with their sons Rick, Reg, and Kelvin expressed their gratitude as Rick stated in a press release, “It has been an honor to serve the Steinbach community since 1976 as Funk’s Toyota. I’m confident that Birchwood Automotive Group, with their experience and reputation, will carry the business forward and continue to support the community as we have.”
Chipman said his company has been in the automotive business for 61 years. “My father started the business back in 1963. I don’t think he imagined that (it would grow this big) and I’ve been in the company for over 30 years now and I didn’t imagine it would get to be this size.”
Outside of Winnipeg, Birchwood owns dealerships in rural Manitoba, a couple in Saskatchewan, and one in northern North Dakota.
Chipman attributes his success to the people who work for him. “Having excellent team members. Hard working, diligent people, we try to hire people with character and that’s the key to our success.”
In order to buy Funk’s, Birchwood had to get approval from Toyota, according to Chipman, and it was Toyota that chose the name Steinbach Toyota.
Nothing will change at the Toyota dealership other than the name and a new general manager. Dom Trotta from Steinbach Dodge (another Birchwood dealership) will take over the helm at Steinbach Toyota from Rick Funk. Steinbach Dodge will look for a new general manager.
“We are a growing company. We’re trying to expand. We’re looking at all opportunities. If an opportunity came up we certainly would take a long hard look at it. We like Steinbach. we wouldn’t be investing in the Steinbach community if we didn’t like the opportunities there,” said Chipman.