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Anderson Motors managing partner Nathan Jones, shuttle driver and longtime employee Gay Horrocks and sales manager Nicole Sorenson.

Anderson Motors: Driving towards a bright future

Apr 17, 2024 | 10:59 AM

Around Anderson Motors in Prince Albert, shuttle driver Gay Horrocks is known as ‘a real ball of fire.’

She is full of energy, has a contagious laugh and approaches each day with enthusiasm.

“Everybody who works here is truly happy because you’re treated like family. I just love my job.” she said.

Maintaining that positive perspective is an impressive feat considering she’s been an employee at the dealership since September of 1997 – that’s almost 27 years straight!

“I’ve worked with three generations of the Anderson dealership’s owners – Don, Doug and Ron Jones. And, you know what? They all started out by washing cars and they learned and earned their way from the ground up.”

Stories about opportunities to ‘work your way up’ don’t stop with the owners. There are several examples of employees who have seen success thanks to the supportive culture at Anderson Motors.

“We have a guy who started in the wash bay, went to sales and now he’s a service writer,” said Horrocks. “We’ve had others move from the wash bay up into being mechanics. So, in that regard, there’s always opportunity to move up. You don’t have to go somewhere else to change careers. They give you a chance here.”

When Horrocks started working at the dealership, there were just two women employed there, both in the reception area. Over the years however, she’s proud to have seen plenty more come through the doors to work in what were previously considered ‘non-traditional roles’ for women like body shop technicians, mechanics, and sales managers.

Nicole Sorenson started in the car business 15 years ago as a salesperson, then a finance manager, and now she is the sales manager at Anderson Motors.

“I love that I get to meet new people every day and no days are the same. I love being able to lead a team and being able to help people get back on their feet and get into a reliable vehicle can help change lives,” she said.

Sorenson echoes Horrock’s sentiments about working in such a supportive environment.

“[The owners are] Very humble people. Family comes first here and that’s pretty cool. They are honest people – not just with their staff, but also with their customers. All of us will go above and beyond for everyone,” she said.

Anderson Motors Ltd. is located at 3333 6th Ave. E in Prince Albert.

For owner Don Jones, its important to conduct his business is an equitable, accountable and ethical way. That starts with how employees are treated.

“We want to see them make a great living, but also have a rewarding experience. So, we participate in apprentice programs where employees can earn while they learn in the body shop. Our sales and accounting people are training online to keep up with the continuous changes in the industry – which also allows them to do their jobs easier and become leaders in their field.”

Happy employees often lead to profitable business and while Jones said there are opportunities to expand Anderson Motors down the road, his priority is always emulating the integrity his father displayed at the dealership before him.

“My father always instilled a frame of reference for ethics and accountability and integrity and that’s ultimately what we strive for each and every day because if you don’t have those things, then there’s no use coming to work,” said Jones.

It’s that philosophy that has encouraged Horrocks to work at Anderson Motors for nearly three decades.

“It’s not just me that keeps coming back. I’ve been driving the shuttle for years, so I’ve met generations of customers who return too. People who have purchased vehicles from us over the years – you know, now their children are repeat buyers. And, I get to hear from our clients every day about how happy they are with our service. So, customers leave happy and employees stay happy here,” said Horrocks.

The dealership’s supportive environment paints a bright picture for the future, where employees are empowered to grow, making the dealership a beacon of opportunity and success in the automotive industry.

**This content was created by paNOW’s commercial content division.

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