The Year That Was 2019
New Years is always the ideal time to look back, reflect, and appreciate everything you have accomplished and have been part of over the past 12 months, whether it be personally or professionally.
It’s how you learn, grow, and a wonderful way to see the bigger picture and become more appreciative with each passing year.
We took that advice at Heffner’s, and it turns out, the year that was 2019, was a pretty good year.
New Vehicle Arrivals
There were a lot of exciting new releases that occurred throughout the year including the launch of the brand new Lexus UX, the compact crossover designed for the urban explorer. We were on pins and needles waiting for this new addition. When it arrived, we were so excited, we threw a party, inviting all of our friends and family, including celebrity chef Mark McEwan, the crew from TWB and local artist Juneyt. This definitely was one of the highlights from the year, according to you. It ended up being our most popular Instagram post from 2019. If you’re not following us yet, the New Year is about new beginnings, so why not start? It’s easy to do so, just search our handle, @heffner.ca. For that matter, follow us on all of our Social channels so you don’t miss any of the fun coming up in 2020.
Another exciting model was the 2019 Lexus LC 500 Inspiration Edition, and this vehicle was just as rare as it was exciting. Only 12 were available in Canada, and Heffner Lexus had one. Hopefully, you had the chance to see it in person, but if not, here’s the video we made highlighting this amazing ride.
It was also a big year for Toyota releases as well starting with the redesigned 2019 RAV4, gas and hybrid model. Needless to say, this vehicle was in demand. We even tried to give one away this summer during our charity hole-in-one sponsorship’s at several golf tournaments throughout the Region. Product Advisors, Kevin Rego and Nikola Mehes presented some of the RAV4 changes in the following video.
There was also the debut of the first-ever Toyota Corolla hybrid in May. Corolla has always been known for cost-effective reliability and that’s only improved with a hybrid model. Jake Hebscher, another one of our knowledgeable Product Advisors was happy to introduce this newest member of the family.
Last but definitely not least, was the long awaited arrival of the 2020 Toyota GR Supra. This gem arrived at Heffner’s back in July and we had so much fun unveiling it! Remember this day? Once again, if you haven’t seen the Supra in person yet, we currently have a bright yellow model in our Heffner Toyota showroom.
Community Involvement
But, the arrival of new vehicles wasn’t the only reason we considered 2019 such a huge success. Our continued community involvement is what really stood out to us.
Heffner’s hosted our first Blood Drive with Canadian Blood Services in April. This was such a rewarding experience. Donations are always in need which is why it was so rewarding to get out and help make a real difference in our community, and all we had to do was roll up our sleeves. If you’ve never donated before, maybe it’s worth considering? Did you know, you can potentially save up to 3 lives with each donation? Sounds like a pretty good reason to me. Below is Nico Giorgio, our Marketing Supervisor at Heffner’s, and this was his first donation. He’ll have no problem telling you donating was a breeze.
Another exciting moment was when the doors opened to the Heffner Studio at the Kitchener Public Library. We are quite confident this is going to be a game changer for Waterloo Region. This state-of-the-art media production lab features all the latest tech, including four audio recording studios, a selection of instruments, 3D printers and 3D scanners, virtual reality, and graphic design tools. Plus, it’s free to use with a library card. How cool is that? Before the doors officially opened, we were invited to stop by and take a tour.
2019 also marked our second year participating with #Farwell4Hire. 570 News Talk Show Host and Kitchener Rangers Play-by-Play Man, Mike Farwell runs a month long campaign in May raising funds and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis. The premise for #Farwell4Hire is quite simple; you hire him, he does the work, but instead of paying him, you make a donation to Cystic Fibrosis. Heffner’s once again brought Farwell into the Detailing Centre to work his magic on a project, that didn’t involve a microphone.
Our partnership continued with Centre in the Square as well, another one of our fabulous community partners. They even gave us an opportunity to go behind the scenes in 2019 and get an up close and personal look at this world class theatre, one that is celebrating a major milestone in the New Year. 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of Centre in the Square while we at Heffner’s celebrate our 60th. Safe to say, this is going be a pretty big year for everyone involved.
Speaking of milestones, it was a Happy 90th Birthday for John Heffner Sr. in 2019.
Dealership Events
Then there were our annual events that continue to get bigger and better with every passing year. Always a highlight for us, is our Heffner Spring Show. This day has nothing to do with vehicles, and that’s one of the reasons why we love it so much. We open up the doors to local vendors who can help you with everything from home and garden, travel and of course food! Plus, Kitchener Fire puts on a pretty terrific Jaws of Life demonstration. It’s a great day, early in the spring, to get out of the house and ready for the season ahead.
Moving along to the day of dress-up; Halloween is always a fun day at the dealership as so many of our staff members dress up to celebrate the holiday. You just never know what you’re going to see on any given year. This year was no exception.
Marking another first for 2019, was our Jingle Bells Christmas Lip Sync video. In an effort to share some holiday cheer, our staff – from every department – came together and just had so much fun making this one. We also need to give a big thanks to the Waterloo County Carollers for making us sound so good. They performed this year at our Heffner Lexus Christmas Open House.
Finally, a huge humbled thank you to all of our amazing guests. Honestly, we’re still a little shell-shocked after receiving 16 Record Readers’ Choice Awards in 2019. A tremendous honour, but as grateful as we are for the recognition, it’s the meaning behind it that’s most important to us. That after 60 years, Heffner’s continues to be the service first organization that it set out to be all that time ago. Where you purchase or service your vehicle makes a difference, and we’re so thankful you choose Heffner’s. Thank you for being part of the family and here’s to more success for everyone in 2020. Together, we can do great things and continue to make Waterloo Region the amazing place it is to live, work, and raise a family.