Speaker: Rick was born in Springhill, NS and lived in Moncton for the most of his childhood. ln 1964 his father Al, (long time member of the Rotary Cub of Truro) retired and moved the family to Ford Lauderdale, Florida where Rick attended Junior High and High School and went on to Palm Beach State College.
After college he worked for a rental car & leasing agency in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea and moved on to being General Manager, growing the operation into the largest independent auto rental company in South Florida.
In 1977 Rick recognized an opportunity and moved back to Nova Scotia to open a new car dealership; Juniper Mercury on Juniper Street here in Truro. It was at a Rotary meeting with his father Al that he first met an executive of Ford who was speaking to the club and this meeting started him on the path to owning a dealership. Rick is the Dealer Principal of Hollis Ford in Truro, operating out of the same location he started in 1977.
Over his auto career he has owned two Ford stores, a Hyundai and Lincoln Mercury store in Moncton and started the 2nd KIA store in Atlantic Canada. He was the recipient of the MacLean’s Magazine Dealer of The Year Award.
Rick has always been heavily involved in community support, past and present, with several organizations including Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Big Brothers of Colchester County, and several Hollis Ford sponsored fundraising events for local high schools and sports organizations.
He enjoys traveling, boating, classic and antique cars, but above all, enjoys the car business. Rick and his wife Tammi, reside at Shortts Lake.
Rick related his experience with the Great Race that stopped in Truro on June 30th. Hollis Ford and the Town of Truro were the local sponsors, hosting a lunch stop on the 2018 Hemmings Motor News Great Race.
The event was started in 1983 and it takes its name from the 1965 movie,
The Great Race, which starred Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood and Peter Falk. The movie is a comedy based on the real life 1908 automobile race from New York to Paris.
The Great Race is the world’s premiere old car rally, brought 120 of the world's finest antique automobiles to town for the $150,000 event. 150 had started the race. The participants covered more than 3,700 kilometers in 9 days starting at the Pierce Arrow Museum in downtown Buffalo, N.Y., on June 23rd. They finished July 1 in Dartmouth.
The Great Race began 35 years ago. It is not a speed race, but rather a time/speed/distance rally. The vehicles, each with a driver and navigator, are given precise instructions each day that detail every move down to the second. They are scored at secret check points along the way and are penalized one second for each second either early or late. GPS and maps are not allowed. No outside help is allowed for repairs or mishaps. Only cars built in 1972 and earlier were eligible.
Teams and cars from Japan, England, Germany, Canada and every corner of the United States participated in their vintage automobiles dating as far back as 1913.
This was most likely a once in a lifetime event to have in Truro. The route is different every year. IT was a huge success and the organizers reported that the Truro lunch was the largest turnout that the 2018 race had to that point. Combined with the Truro Market and other activities in Civic Square it was a busy and proud time for Truro.
Rick complimented the Town on the effort staff put into the day and said that when opportunities like this come along it is important that the business community get behind it for the good of the community. He thanked Rotary for everything it does.
Rick was thanked by Ed MacDonald.
There will be a great opportunity to learn more about Rotary as well as sharpen you leadership skills at the Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) that will be held this fall in Truro.
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