From the back of a Facebook page to a fifteen-person team
Some of you will remember when I announced I was leaving Steve Marshall Ford to open my own dealership. That was 2017. What most people didn’t see was the two years before it.
I’d stepped back from my role as finance manager to run a department of my own — just me, handling sales and financing start to finish for every customer. I met people through Facebook, mostly, and I drove. A lot. On a good day I’d deliver a vehicle to Port Hardy in the morning and another to Tofino by evening.
Nobody was doing car sales that way at the time. I wasn’t sure it would work either. What made it work was that people kept saying yes — customers in communities all over the Island who had no particular reason to trust a guy showing up in their driveway with a set of keys, and did anyway.
That’s how Pacific Nations came to exist, and it’s where the name comes from. Being accepted and trusted by the First Nations communities of this coast, these Pacific nations, was a real honour, and the name is our homage to them.
In May 2017 my wife Nicole and I opened the doors, with Karl Ebdrup of the Steve Marshall Auto Group as our partner. We started small and did every job in the building ourselves.
What’s been built since has been built by the people who came to work here. We’re a team of fifteen now, and honestly, most of what customers tell us they appreciate comes down to them rather than to me. Our growth has come from one thing: a genuine commitment to five-star service, and a team who care about it as much as I do. The more of them there are, the more people we can look after properly.
Thank you for giving us the chance to earn your business. I don’t take it for granted, and I’m grateful to be part of so many of your families.
Nicole Welsh was born in Vancouver and raised in Duncan, BC. Her hobbies are Outdoor Activities, baking and cooking. Nicole was previously employed at Steve Marshall Ford. She has a VSA License, Hairdresser Certificate, and Certified Optometric Assistant with 5 years of experience in the Automotive Industry. She loves being a part of the Pacific Nations family, over the past 5 years she has done many roles such as accounting, delivery vehicles, online social media marketing, and many more. Over the last couple of years, she has stepped back a bit to raise her beautiful daughter but she is happy to be able to work from home on the website front. She is excited to see Pacific Nations grow over the next few years. In her spare time, she likes to spend time with her family and two dogs adventuring around Campbell River.
“My goal in life is to always learn new things to grow as an individual.”
Matt has more than 10 years of experience in the automotive industry and leads the sales department at Pacific Nations. He is responsible for the department’s overall performance, including customer satisfaction, team development, sales targets, merchandising, inventory management and brand reputation.
Matt oversees the processes that move vehicles efficiently through reconditioning and onto the lot, works closely with the finance team to help customers secure competitive financing options, and ensures compliance standards are maintained throughout the sales department. He also remains hands-on with customers, supporting his team in structuring and closing deals.
Outside the dealership, Matt enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons, training his dogs and dirt biking with his boys.
Dax Welsh was born in Nanaimo and raised in Nanaimo and Campbell River. He is passionate about building cars and solving complex problems. Dax studied to become an electrician and was working as one prior Pacific Nations Auto Sales & Finance. Dax has been working in Automotive Industry for about 2 years now. He enjoys walking, exercising and eating healthy.
