DIAMOND Dialog SPRING 2018
G r o w i n g To g e t h e r.
Brand Across Borders Stepping into another country to do business can be daunting. Unfamiliar business cultures as well as different laws can create insurmountable hurdles. In April of 1995, Diamond Parking made the decision to open parking management operations in Canada. “Due to its close proximity to the US, Canada was a natural choice to expand our brand internationally. In addition, Canada boasts a stable economy, similar business practices, language and culture,” states President Jon Diamond. Another advantage, notes Diamond Parking Canada’s Regional Vice President, Mike Poirier, was a lack of competition. “In the very early days of Diamond’s introduction into Canada, our major competitor and their affiliates were virtually the only choice for property owners. Diamond initially offered a choice to work with a family owned company with a sound reputation of delivering better ROI.” Mike adds that another factor was Diamond’s decentralized management structure that delegated daily decision making responsibilities to the local management team. “The decentralized nature of Diamond Parking allowed for local Canadian decision makers to take care of
“We get the benefits of two worlds. First, we are a local Canadian entity that satisfies the “buy local movement; second, we have the support of a parent company that is the oldest family owned business in the parking industry. As a result, we can demonstrate better value for the services we offer and we are much stronger at building long term business relationships.” In the province of Alberta, Diamond opened parking operations in Calgary in 2013 and Edmonton in 2006. The energy dependent economies of both cities are on the cusp of growth. “Landlords and Continued on inside
clients without delay and to be more nimble in designing site specific solutions rather than implementing ‘cookie cutter’ corporate driven solutions.” The value and importance of a strong, established brand cannot be overstated when crossing borders to do business. According to Michael Murray, Vancouver Area City Manager, when property owners and landlords learned of Diamond’s decades of parking experience, barriers disappeared.
We hope you enjoy reading our latest newsletter INSIDE THIS ISSUE - Brand Across Borders - When Local Economies Rebound - Developing a Brand Story - Going the Extra Mile - Ahead of the Curve