It was a bittersweet day for Northland Ford employees as they watched their home being demolished on Monday, July 6.
“It was bittersweet for everyone,” said manager Allison Wilson. “We grew so much through that building. We had a lot of great memories in there.”
The building was more than just walls and a roof to the employees, who called 148 Green Street home since April 2003.
“The building was the shell, but the people were what made the difference. We always knew what everyone was doing, but we just outgrew it,” said Wilson.
Employees lined the sidewalks and adjacent parking lots to watch as the structure was demolished – making room for the future parking lot for Ford’s vehicles.
Wilson started work with Northland Ford the same week it opened, in 2003, but as many as five current employees joined the Northland team from Bernie’s Service and Sales Flin Flon Ltd.
The building wasn’t in the best of shape, Wilson admits.
“People would come up from Ford and say, ‘You work in this?’ But it was what we knew and we made the best of it,” said Wilson. “We did well and we’re moving on up to bigger and better things.”
The new Northland Ford building, located directly beside the now empty lot, officially opened its doors on Monday, June 29. The sales offices moved into the Gateway location a year ago will operate out of the new building.
“It was hard to see the old building go down, but then in the next breath you see the new building and what we have to work with,” said Wilson.
