Ian Gray knows how to celebrate his 50th birthday: By giving someone else $50,000!
The owner of the Salmon Arm GM dealership recently turned 50 and wanted to do something big to celebrate. Locals will remember the 25-per-cent-off sale Gray hosted to mark both his 25th wedding anniversary and 25 years in the auto industry, so he needed a new idea.
“I figure everybody can use cash,” Gray says with a laugh.
If the dealership sells 50 new vehicles in the month of June, they’ll give away $50,000 in a random draw, Gray says, noting the contest is fully insured for full transparency. No purchase is required to enter. All who purchase new or used vehicle will be automatically entered, or stop by the dealership to put your name in the draw.
And even if the team doesn’t sell the full 50, someone will still walk away with a cool $5,000. Gray knows it’s a big initiative – their top month to date has been 38 vehicles sold – but his sales team are motivated and have access to the full inventory of the Bannister Auto Group – about 1,500 vehicles in all.
“We just thought this would be a really cool thing for my 50th, to try to set a record,” he says. “We’re going to be super disappointed if we don’t hit 50 – we’d rather send someone home with $50,000 than $5,000!”
To qualify, vehicles must paid for and delivered – no pre-ordering for delivery a month or two later.
A commitment to community
Gray’s birthday celebration is part of a long-standing commitment to community. When Gray’s family was looking to move to BC from Manitoba, they specifically chose Salmon Arm for its community feel and quality of life.
“We got to look at where we could live, and we picked Salmon Arm,” he reflects.
As they settled in, it was important to start giving back.
“It’s really the community that drives me. We’ve done a lot of other community-focused events, like the Barge on the Lake, the annual car show and movies in the park for the SPCA, but never something like this,” Gray says, noting they’ve donated more than $70,000 to the groups, teams and organizations over the last few years. “The more you give, the more you get back.”
Visit Ian Gray’s Salmon Arm GM before June 30 for your opportunity to drive home with a new vehicle … and maybe $50,000!
“It’s going to be a whole lot of fun!”