It took some convincing, but Andrew Bernard sold Mazda Motor Corp. on the idea of bringing a Mazda dealership back to Charlotte County for the first time in seven years. Bernard, whose family has owned the most successful Mazda dealership in Ottawa, Canada, since 1968, is the co-owner of Mazda of Port Charlotte, which hosted a grand opening celebration June 4.
Bradenton-based Gettel Automotive closed its Mazda franchise in Punta Gorda after the company purchased 11 dealerships from Palm Auto in 2017. Bernard thought it was a big mistake not to have a Mazda dealership in Port Charlotte, where he has vacationed for many years.
His mother, MaryAnn Bernard, is the other owner of the dealership at 798 Tamiami Trail, and his wife Kate also is part of the team.
Andrew Bernard said it saddened him that Mazda previously wasn’t successful in the area, when in Canada, the brand corners about 10% of the market.
Meanwhile, others had the same idea of opening an area dealership, and Mazda told Bernard “to get in line.”
“I gave them a proposal,” he said.
One of his selling points was that a dealership in Port Charlotte would have no nearby Mazda dealerships as competition, as others are located well north and south of the county. Mazda owners in the county travel about 40 miles to have their vehicles serviced.
Andrew Bernard reached an agreement with Mazda in 2022 to open a dealership in the county. Then, he found more than 7 acres in northern Port Charlotte along U.S. 41, and construction began in April 2023 on the 32,000–square–foot dealership that officially opened in April.
Andrew and Kate Bernard and their three school-age children moved to Charlotte County last summer.
The Japanese auto manufacturer seeks to be a premium alternative with an economical price. Andrew Bernard said the vehicles’ leather and stitching eclipse other cars in the same price category, and the details are similar to higher-priced luxury vehicles, such as Lexus.
The most popular model is the CX–5, a mid-size SUV, which constitutes 75% sales, he said.
Mazda of Port Charlotte doesn’t operate like other dealerships.
On his Facebook page, general manager Phil Evans said the dealership’s 25 team members are “ready to disrupt the way cars are sold and serviced.” When asked what Evans meant by that, Andrew Bernard said, “We don’t have any markups on cars” and that they are sold at the manufacturer’s suggested retail price or below.
His sales staff members are not commissioned. “We operate as a transparent dealer,” Andrew Bernard said. “We don’t negotiate or put pressure on customers.”
