Over the past week, the British Columbia automotive and business community lost one of their trailblazers, Sherrold Haddad. For our New Car Dealer Association family, Sherrold was a charismatic and vocal proponent of our sector, a proud Chevrolet and Mitsubishi dealer and a person who represented the Canadian ideal, a true immigrant-turned-business-titan who spent many decades dedicated to philanthropic works throughout our region. Sherrold played a historic role in our local automotive community and was a true business statesman in British Columbia. A particular advocate of his adopted hometown of Surrey, where he famously displayed the gargantuan 3200 square foot Canadian flag he purchased following Expo 86, even renaming his dealership Flag Chev Olds. Sherrold was front and centre of many great causes, including the Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation and Variety Club of BC.
A longtime Chevrolet man, Sherrold began his career in Winnipeg then Medicine Hat, where the Syrian-born Haddad started as a cracker-jack salesman and eventual dealership owner. Relocating to the lower mainland in the early 1970’s Sherrold was the proud owner of the north Guildford dealership which became the patriotically named Flag Chev Olds in the late ‘80’s. It later became Flag Mitsubishi. Still going strong In 2012, at the age of 86, he sold that dealership to the Barnes Wheaton group in order to concentrate on his philanthropic endeavors. At the time I was quoted as saying that Sherrold was one of the legends of the BC auto industry and a pioneer and leader of auto dealerships being the philanthropic hearts of their communities. Those statements are even more true today, as during his eight years of retirement Sherrold continued to be a community leader with significant donations to a wide range of charitable initiatives.
The esteem Sherrold was held in by today’s generation of BC new car dealers is evident, as expressed by Greg Barnes, President of the Barnes Wheaton Autogroup, “Sherrold was a shake the hand, the deal is done type of businessman. His creativity and showmanship were legendary. Only Sherrold Haddad could orchestrate the installation of the world’s highest flagpole as the identity of his dealership. Rest in peace Sherrold, you’ll be missed.”
On behalf of the entire New Car Dealers Association of BC family, our prayers are with Sherrold’s wife Marina and the entire Haddad family.
Blair Qualey is President and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC. You can email him at [email protected].
