On Wednesday, April 2, Cochrane Toyota hosted a staff and friends appreciation barbecue to highlight the milestones and achievement's they've recently hit.
Located along Highway 22, the local dealership welcomed guests for a dinner and awards night, recognizing the following achievements:
- Winning the 2024 Toyota’s “President Program” Award, placing #1 among 247 dealerships
- Achieving Toyota “Platinum” Status in 2024
- Reaching 15 Years of Operations in Cochrane
- Reaching 30 Years of Business in Cochrane for Alex Baum & Glen Rumpel – (Cochrane Dodge & Cochrane Toyota)
- Selling 10,000 new vehicles in Cochrane
“We started out winning a couple of awards last year and we knew we needed to recognize them at some point,” said General Manager Ryan Baum. “It kind of aligned perfectly that we achieved some of these things around the same time and we’re fortunate enough to host some of our distinguished guests here tonight.”
Among the impressive accolades celebrated, the most recent one was selling their 10,000th vehicle on April 1. A white Toyota Tundra sold to former NHL player Curtis Glencross.
“Curtis and his family have supported us for a lot of years,” said Baum. “He lives just outside of Cochrane, but he comes here for his services and he’s very involved in the community; so it’s nice to see that it’s someone who’s special to our store that helped us reach 10,000.”
What started out as a simple staff barbecue quickly evolved to a bigger event. The event featured Cochrane Toyota staff and their families, members of the Cochrane Chamber of Commerce, Representatives from the Town of Cochrane, Mayor Jeff Genung, MLA Peter Guthrie, MP Blake Richards, and Toyota Canada’s Executive Team including President of Cyril Dimitris.
“Fifteen years ago, Cochrane Toyota opened its doors with a commitment to service, integrity, and excellence. From day one it was clear that this was more than just a business, it was a place where relationships mattered,” said Mayor Genung in a speech during the event. "Giving back to the community was just as important as selling cars. Whether it’s their support of local charities, youth programs, or simply the way they show up for others, their impact on Cochrane has been profound.”
Since starting operations, Cochrane Toyota has been actively involved in giving back to the community, working with local organizations such as Rocky Mountain Rotary, Cochrane Public Library, and Cochrane & Area Victim Services Society.
“Under the leadership of Alex, we’ve been dedicated in giving back to the community for 15 years as Cochrane Toyota and 30 years overall,” said Baum. “We’re fortunate that the community supports us. When the tough times came the community’s been there to support us and when the good times came, they supported us as well.”
While the community is a significant to the dealership’s success, Baum asserts that the other half, Cochrane Toyota staff, is just as instrumental.
“Most of our staff were originally from Calgary but as the community has grown, most of our staff is now local. We love them being around town, living just across the street. They’re the face of this company and none of these achievements would be possible without them.”
“I’ve spent much of my life driven by simple things,” said Cochrane Toyota owner Alex Baum in his speech. “Whether it was turning a wrench as a young mechanic or sitting at a boardroom table helping shape a community initiative, the goal was always the same, leave it better than you found it.”
As Cochrane Toyota celebrated their major milestones they look ahead to more business success and community work.
“Tonight is a celebration but also a reminder that work is never really done, there are always more ways to serve, more people to lift up, and more good to be done.”
