Since the day Landon Odom launched Maple Leaf Motors Inc. over twenty-two years ago, his philosophy has been to keep the customer happy. He knows a satisfied customer will return again and again. And a glance at the hundreds of photographs that cover the walls of the Great Northern Road car dealership shows just how successful this approach has been. You'll see the same smiling faces over and over again.
"We're very, very proud of our customers. All of our customers...we're proud of the fact that they chose us to buy their car from. That's a great honour. There's lots of car dealers in Sault Ste. Marie. They have lots of choices, they have lots of cars to pick from. We'd like it to be us."
He also adopted a policy that offers a 48-hour money-back guarantee on every vehicle Maple Leaf Motors sells. If customers find anything they are not happy with, "we fix it at no charge or refund the money back in full." When the independent car dealership opened in February, 1989 "no one else offered that," Landon recalls.
"We get a lot of positive feedback - and a lot of repeat customers," says the service-oriented businessman, who learned his philosophy from his father, a life-long car dealer. "I try to treat people like I expect to be treated," says Landon.
As well, Maple Leaf Motors provides a one-year powertrain warranty - at no extra charge - that covers the motor and transmission. It also has a full-service department, which is unusual for an independent dealership, and offers financing and leasing arrangement.
"We take a lot of the risk out of buying a used car in several different ways: one is that before you get our car, we service it front to back, inside and out, everything under the hood is checked, and it's topped up. Our cars come to your turn-key, ready to go...It's very, very important to us that you're happy with this car..."
The United States-Canada Free Trade Agreement spurred Landon to begin business in Sault Ste. Marie and Maple Leaf was the first dealership to import cars from Charlotte, N.C., where he obtained non-rust vehicles which had never been driven in snow or exposed to this country's salt-laden roads. U.S. exchange rates subsequently put a damper on importing cars from south of the border.
Today, Maple Leaf motors, with a stock of 40 to 50 cars, vans, trucks and utility vehicles boasts what is probably one of the largest inventories carried by any independent dealer in Northern Ontario. This inventory consists mainly of previously-owned, domestic vehicles for the last five model years, although Maple Leaf does sell some imports as well.
"If you're looking for a particular kind of vehicle and we don't have the make, we'll make every effort to find it and bring it here for you." Landon promises.
In the early days, Maple Leaf Motors was a husband-and-wife operation where Landon did just about everything, including washing and waxing all the vehicles. Over the years his staff grew to nine people that still includes the Odoms, along with two sales people, one mechanic, an office manager, a finance and insurance manager, and professional detailer.
When Landon began selling vehicles at 632 Great Northern Road, the Sault had a number of independent car dealers. But more than two decades later, Maple Leaf Motors is "the only one still operating under the same name and at the same location," he says. His service-oriented philosophy means he does his best to cater to his customers. "That's why they come to you; you have to make sure that you can give them everything that they deserve."
Whether an old customer or new, we welcome you to stop by and get to know the staff at Maple Leaf Motors. We look forward to seeing you.
Landon Odom, Maple Leaf Motors
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