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My name is Bruce Saalmans and I live in Port Colborne with my wife Carole and our dog Tucker and two cats Queenie and Shadow. I am a bit of a self-confessed Dukes of Hazzard fan and in the summer I drive a replica of the car from that TV series, the General Lee. It’s signed by the surviving cast and stunt crew from the TV series plus the three main stars and director of the 2005 Dukes movie. We do car shows and fund-raisers with the car, including a cancer fundraiser in Leamington (near Windsor, Ontario) every summer, and after Hurricane Katrina we gave rides around our local racetrack in the General, to raise money for the relief efforts.

I have been in the automotive industry in one form or another for 28 years, beginning in a service station garage helping the mechanic at 15 years old, to working as an apprentice mechanic in two different car dealerships, before discovering the love of bodywork and painting, and working in bodyshops including a Rolls Royce restoration shop in Toronto, and even owning my own custom autobody shop.

My charity work over the years, combined with my love of meeting new people and making new friends led to my decision to go into car sales. I currently work as a Sales Consultant at a Niagara Falls Ontario GM dealership. Another factor in my decision to go into sales was that far too many people think of buying a car as being about as much fun as going to a dentist. I don’t believe it should be that way at all! Buying a car should be an exciting event, not something to be feared. We’ve all heard the horror stories about slick, high pressure sales people trying to talk you into what they want to sell you, rather than caring about your wants and needs. I felt that my honesty and love of cars could make a positive difference in the car buying process, and I don’t regret my decision. I love going to work everyday because I know I can help someone find the vehicle they want, and usually make a new friend in the process.