Okotoks has a special place in Gerry Wood’s heart.
The auto industry icon founded the Wood Automotive Group 40 years ago, which has grown into what will soon be a collection of eight dealerships, including two — Okotoks Ford Lincoln and Okotoks Volkswagen — in the place he considers home.
Wood and his wife Elaine have lived in Foothills County just west of Okotoks for the past 35 years, raising three children — Cailean, Rory and Megan — that have all become integral members of the Wood Automotive Group team.
"We love Okotoks and it’s just been a real honour to do business here over the years,” Wood said. “We’ve made so many friends that have made our lives so much easier.”
Shortly after arriving from Scotland in 1969, Wood began his career in the auto industry in sales and then management at Maclin Ford in Calgary, but after a decade he scraped together enough money to buy his first dealership, a General Motors franchise in Vulcan. His success there paved the way for a return to Calgary in 1983 when he bought Southridge Lincoln Mercury, later rebranded as Woodridge Ford Lincoln, to officially launch the Wood Automotive Group.
He added Village Honda to his portfolio in 1987 before venturing south, opening Okotoks Ford Lincoln in 1991 at a time when the town had less than 7,000 residents, and has grown the operation in step with the community, developing deep ties along the way.
The initial building was 9,000 square feet and housed 27 employees before a recent redevelopment created a 35,000-square-foot footprint that now has 70 staff members. The multi-million-dollar investment made it one of the largest Ford dealerships in a rural community in all of Canada.
The Wood Automotive Group has continued to add dealerships, including last year when Okotoks Volkswagen became the first VW satellite store in Canada.
Despite that growth to become one of Alberta’s largest automobile retailers, the business has always been a family affair, from Elaine’s involvement as far back as Vulcan to both sons now serving as vice presidents.
“It's been a sort of family adventure from day one,” he said.
Having taken a step back from day-to-day operations, Wood is confident the group, which now employs 670 people in what he considers to be an extended family, is in good hands.
“They’re bringing some youth and new ideas to the table,” he said of his sons. “When you get to my age, you need somebody reminding us that things are changing, so we've got a constant reminder that that's not the way we do it today.”
The Wood Automotive Group has been an outstanding corporate citizen over the years, donating close to $20 million to a variety of charitable causes, many of which are in or around Okotoks. That list includes Foothills Country Hospice, Okotoks Food Bank, Sheep River Health Trust, Okotoks Oilers, Okotoks Dawgs, Rotary Club of Okotoks and Millarville Farmers’ Market, among many others. It’s also been a huge supporter of individuals with Down syndrome.
Wood was appointed a member of the Order of Canada in 2018 for his extensive philanthropic work.
Okotoks Ford Lincoln also enjoyed a more than 20-year relationship with Bearcat Murray, the late Calgary Flames trainer who acted as an ambassador for the dealership and was featured in its commercials and on its billboards.
As it begins its fifth decade, the automotive group is poised to open a new Volkswagen dealership, along with relocating Big 4 Motors, in Taza Park on the Tsuut’ina Nation.
Wood, who never dreamed his operation would grow to such a size, said he’s grateful its success has allowed it to serve the community in a variety of ways.
