sonic automotive , inc. ( nyse : sah ) is a fortune 500 company based in charlotte , north carolina , and is the fifth largest automotive retailer in the united states .

the company ’s founder and executive chairman o. bruton smith is also the executive chairman and a director of speedway motorsports ( nyse : trk ) .

sonic ranked 297th on the 2016 fortune 500 list .

the company also is a member of the russell 2000 index .

sonic automotive operates in 14 states with more than 100 dealerships representing 25 different brands of automobiles .

the dealerships market new and used car , replacement parts and vehicle maintenance , as well as collision repair services .

sonic automotive

glassdoor has 254 sonic automotive reviews submitted anonymously by sonic automotive employees . read employee reviews and ratings on glassdoor to decide if sonic automotive is right for you .
sonic automotive , inc . - company profile , information , business description , history , background information on sonic automotive , inc .
see what the ihs markit score report has to say about sonic automotive inc .
sonic automotive , inc . reports first quarter results - record revenue and gross profit
sonic automotive , inc . ( sah ) dividend date & amp ; history - urltoken
glassdoor has 12 echopark automotive reviews submitted anonymously by echopark automotive employees . read employee reviews and ratings on glassdoor to decide if echopark automotive is right for you .
sonic automotive represents 24 brands and more than 35 , 000 new and used vehicles nationwide .
sonic automotive ( sah ) up 6 . 5 % since earnings report : can it continue ?
why is sonic automotive ( sah ) down 10 . 2 % since its last earnings report ?
sonic automotive , inc . , a fortune 300 company and member of the russell 2000 index , is among the largest automotive retailers in the united states .
sonic represents approximately 30 different automotive brands with the majority of our dealerships being luxury and import brands .
news about sonic automotive inc . , including commentary and archival articles published in the new york times .
, is one of the nation ' s largest automotive retailers . sonic can be reached on the web at
current and historical revenue for sonic automotive ( sah ) from 2006 to 2018 . the sum of all revenue fields included for a company ' s operating activities . the current revenue for sonic automotive as of march 31 , 2018 is .
sonic automotive operates over 100 dealerships spread across 13 states and 25 major metropolitan markets . we represent approximately 24 different automotive brands with the majority of our dealerships being luxury and import brands . we are an industry - leading automotive retailer committed to providing our customers with an outstanding automotive experience that is delivered with professionalism , integrity and enthusiasm .
sonic automotive operates over 100 dealerships spread across 14 states and 25 major metropolitan markets . we represent approximately 25 different automotive brands with the majority of our dealerships being luxury and import brands . we are an industry - leading automotive retailer committed to providing our customers with an outstanding automotive experience that is delivered with professionalism , integrity and enthusiasm .
for more information regarding echopark , please visit its website and for sonic automotive , inc . , please visit its website .
sonic automotive inc . ( nyse : sah ) is attempting to forever change how the charlotte - based car dealer does business .
to all the dads out there , thanks for being with us every mile . happy father’s day from all of us at sonic automotive .
let ' s see if sonic automotive ( sah ) stock is a good choice for value - oriented investors right now from multiple angles .
geist , laura clark ,
on wall street , sonic looks bionic ,
automotive news , january 4 , 1999 , p . 6 .
lundegaard , karen ,
sonic automotive acquires chain of 16 dealerships ,
wall street journal , january 16 , 2002 , p . b7 .
sonic automotive ' s ( sah ) first - quarter 2018 adjusted earnings of 26 cents per share surpass the zacks consensus estimate of 25 cents .
auto dealer sonic automotive inc . ( nyse : sah ) said friday it will bring its fast - growing echopark used car dealerships to georgia .
postman , lore ,
charlotte , n . c . , sonic automotive to buy more dealerships ,
charlotte observer , april 28 , 1998 .
charlotte , n . c . - based sonic is one of the nation’s largest automotive retailers with sales of $ 9 . 7 billion in 2016 .
if you are new to the automotive field the work hours may seem at times excessive .
sonic automotive had record first - quarter used - car sales and march , in particular , was the retailer’s strongest month ever for pre - owned volumes .
sonic automotive is a fortune 500 company that was founded by bruton smith . his son , scott , took over as ceo in the summer of 2015 .
sonic automotive ( sah ) reported earnings 30 days ago . what ' s next for the stock ? we take a look at earnings estimates for some clues .
for now , echopark contributed a per - share loss of 10 cents to sonic automotive ' s overall $ 2 . 2 million loss in the first quarter .
sonic automotive is expanding its chain of used - car dealerships to charlotte , including a location in the prominent coliseum center shopping complex on independence that is being redeveloped .
sonic automotive inc . is naming its new used - vehicle business echopark and eventually aims to put the stand - alone stores in more than 50 markets across the country .
charlotte , n . c . , april 26 , 2018 / prnewswire / - - sonic automotive , inc . ( nyse : sah ) , one of the nation ' s largest automotive retailers , today reported financial results for the first quarter of 2018 . record . . .
in 2001 , we were purchased by a company out of charlotte north carolina , sonic automotive . the sonic name is an acronym for sales , opportunity , new , in , concept . learn more about philpott pre - owned super center here .
at they did it . they were supposed to have their regional manager call me but haven ' t done that either . i have left several messages with them and sonic automotive
otten johnson was engaged by sonic automotive , inc . , a fortune 500 company and national automotive retailer , to serve as land use counsel in connection with sonic’s roll - out of echopark automotive in the denver region . echopark is an entirely new , neighborhood - based approach to the sale of premium pre - owned vehicles . working with a team of sonic representatives and consultants , our attorneys assisted sonic in identifying and purchasing properties for echopark stores , obtaining necessary zoning and entitlements to permit automotive sales and service uses , and pursuing site plan and other development approvals to see the neighborhood stores come to fruition . to date , echopark has successfully opened its regional hub facility in thornton along with neighborhood stores in centennial and highlands ranch , and otten johnson continues to assist sonic in identifying new locations and developing additional stores as echopark expands its footprint in colorado .
sonic automotive is a fortune 500 company that is transforming the way people shop for , buy and service their vehicles . our talented team work together to ensure we provide an experience unmatched by our competitors .
) , one of the nation ' s largest automotive retailers , today reported financial results for the second quarter of 2017 .
sonic was formed in 1997 with five dealerships on charlotte , north carolina . in 1998 , sonic entered new markets in ohio , alabama , florida and south carolina and
sonic automotive inc ( nyse : sah ) , a specialty retail company based in united states , received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the nyse in the over the lastread more . . .
after reading sonic automotive inc’s ( nyse : sah ) most recent earnings announcement ( 31 december 2017 ) , i found it useful to look back at how the company has performed in the past andread more . . .
sonic automotive inc ( nyse : sah ) , a specialty retail company based in united states , saw a significant share price rise of over 20 % in the past couple of months on the nyse . read more . . .
2 . high stakes : how big is sonic anyway ? in 2013 , it ranked as the no . 4 automotive dealer in the u . s . , with $ 8 . 8 billion in sales on 275 , 289 vehicles , according to automotive news . sonic ' s market share has slipped some ( it was ranked no . 3 in 2012 ) as it has built one sonic — one experience . it is also making a bold play to extend the platform to all of its 102 stores while also launching the used - car concept echopark .
sonic automotive inc ( nyse : sah ) is trading with a trailing p / e of 9x , which is lower than the industry average of 18 . 2x . while sah might seem like an attractive stock toread more . . .
it has been said that everything rises and falls on leadership . for sonic automotive , it all started when o . bruton smith as a young man , fell in love with cars and began racing and building cars in his parent ' s garage and subsequently began selling them in his front yard . his passion for building , racing , and selling automobiles led him to open his first used car dealership in charlotte , north carolina . it was the leadership of mr . smith which formed the foundation of the company we celebrate today . with 20 stores , representing15 brands and several hundred employees , sonic automotive was launched as a public company in november 1997 . it is that same commitment to leadership , exercised every day by every one of our associates , which has made sonic automotive one of the largest and most successful automotive retailers in the country .
it has been said that everything rises and falls on leadership . for sonic automotive , it all started when o . bruton smith as a young man , fell in love with cars and began racing and building cars in his parent ' s garage and subsequently began selling them in his front yard . his passion for building , racing , and selling automobiles led him to open his first used car dealership in charlotte , north carolina . it was the leadership of mr . smith which formed the foundation of the company we celebrate today . with 20 stores , representing 15 brands and several hundred employees , sonic automotive was launched as a public company in november 1997 . it is that same commitment to leadership , exercised every day by every one of our associates , which has made sonic automotive one of the largest and most successful automotive retailers in the country .
perhaps most significant , sonic customers will be able handle the entire transaction online , dyke said .
sonic automotive , the fourth - largest auto dealership group in the u . s . , is entering the san antonio market for the first time with plans to build five locations of its echopark used car retail brand in the next two years .
, was chosen after six months of research and about a half - dozen focus groups , said sonic president scott smith . sonic executives wanted to avoid using “car” or similar words in the name .
among other technology updates discussed , sonic said it will introduce an appraisal app “in coming months . ”
the cbt automotive network welcomes paul cummings , who is president and ceo of paul cummings enterprises . he tells our jim fitzpatrick about his new . . .
sonic automotive , inc . is one of the largest automotive retailers in the united states . included herein are forward - looking statements , including statements with respect to anticipated acquisition activity , disposition activity , earnings per share and expense levels and debt - to - capital levels of sonic automotive , inc . there are many factors that affect management ' s views about future events and trends of the company ' s business . these factors involve risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results or trends to differ materially from management ' s view , including without limitation , economic conditions , risks associated with acquisitions . the company does not undertake any obligation to update forward - looking information .
i truly enjoy working for sonic automotive . the processes they have in place make the expectations achievable . i have seen many employees start in entry level positions and have moved through the ranks quickly . they do care about their employees and encourage and support growth .
ts for sonic , evelyn slaybaugh the southeast director of hr , and even bruton smth ' s secretary .
that the employee directs sonic how much to pay and when . that negates the purpose of having a garnishmen
year later , acquired dealerships in texas and california . since the company ' s founding , sonic has experienced phenomenal growth , as today sonic operates over 100 dealerships spread across 15 states and 26 major metropolitan markets .
sign up today to get the best of automotive news delivered straight to your email inbox , free of charge . choose your news – we ' ll deliver .
o . bruton smith decided to found sonic automotive . he is also chairman of speedway motorsports which owns and operates 8 out of the largest nascar motor speedways in north america : atlanta , bristol , lowes , infineon , las vegas , new hampshire , texas and kentucky .
today , sonic automotive , as a fortune 500 company and member of the russell 2000 index , is among the largest automotive retailers in the united states . these dealerships provide comprehensive services , including sales of both new and used cars and light trucks , sales of replacement parts , performance of vehicle maintenance , warranty , paint and collision repair services , and arrangement of extended warranty contracts , financing and insurance for the company ' s customers .
continue to invest in our brand and associates . we are building a great brand that will change the automotive shopping experience for our guest . we believe in echopark !
new york , ny / accesswire / april 26 , 2018 / sonic automotive , inc . class a ( nyse : sah ) will be discussing their earnings results in their q1 earnings call to be held on april 26 , 2018 at 11 : 00 am eastern . . .
“if you look at the first quarter , and you look holistically , it’s the first time in a quarter that sonic automotive has sold more pre - owned cars than new cars , ” executive vice president jeff dyke said in an earnings call with the investment community on wednesday .
1 . family legacy : sonic president scott smith , 47 , is the oldest son of motorsports magnate and sonic founder bruton smith , 87 . and while bruton retains his ceo and chairman roles at sonic , scott is the man running the company and setting its strategy . it ' s a job he has been groomed for since childhood .
sonic automotive in charlotte , nc treats the needs of each individual customer with paramount concern . we know that you have high expectations , and as a car dealer we enjoy the challenge of meeting and exceeding those standards each and every time . allow us to demonstrate our commitment to excellence !
mr . david bruton smith was appointed to the office of vice chairman in march 2013 . he has served as executive vice president and a director of sonic since october 2008 and has served in sonic ' s organization since 1998 . prior to being named a director and executive vice president in 2008 , mr . smith served as sonic ' s senior vice president of corporate development . mr . smith served as sonic ' s vice president of corporate strategy from october 2005 to march 2007 , and also served prior to that time as dealer operator and general manager of several sonic dealerships .
williams , audrey y . ,
buyout plan drives charlotte , n . c . , automotive firm ' s high performance ,
charlotte observer , june 6 , 1999 .
cbt automotive network is a highly targeted , multi - media platform for retail automotive professionals . with digital channels including a daily newscast , informative website , daily enewsletters , a monthly magazine , webinars and 9 network shows hosted by the industry’s top trainers and thought leaders . cbt is your dealership ' s “go to” source from the showroom to the service drive .
mr . jeff dyke has served as our executive vice president of operations since october 2008 and is responsible for direct oversight for all of sonic ' s retail automotive operations . from march 2007 to october 2008 , mr . dyke served as our division chief operating officer - southeast division , where he oversaw retail automotive operations for the states of alabama , florida , georgia , north carolina , south carolina , tennessee and texas . mr . dyke first joined sonic in october 2005 as our vice president of retail strategy , a position that he held until april 2006 , when he was promoted to division vice president - eastern division , a position he held from april 2006 to march 2007 . prior to joining sonic , mr . dyke worked in the automotive retail industry at autonation , inc . from 1996 to 2005 , where he held several positions in divisional , regional and dealership management with that company .
according to building permits filed last month , sonic’s echopark at 3700 east independence blvd . will include a pre - owned car sales lot with a showroom , offices and repair facilities . dyke said sonic has about 10 acres on the site .
today on urltoken - monday , july 9th , 2018 : paul cummings : setting goals for each department of your dealership the cbt automotive network welcomes paul cummings , who . . .
cbt automotive network is a highly targeted , multi - media platform for retail automotive executives and managers . with digital channels including a daily newscast , informative website , daily enewsletters , monthly digital magazine , webinar services and 9 network shows hosted by the industry’s top trainers and thought leaders , cbt is the “go to” source for dealership staff from the showroom to the service bay .
do you have a passion for cars ? do your friends always compliment your friendliness ? you should join our team ! we’re looking for a director of first impressions to join the sonic automotive family . to find out more about the position and / or apply . click the link below . # openroads # openopportunities urltoken
charlotte , n . c . , april 2 , 2018 / prnewswire / - - sonic automotive , inc . ( nyse : sah ) today announced it will release fiscal 2018 first quarter financial results on thursday , april 26 , 2018 at 7 : 30 a . m . ( eastern ) . . . .
on a recent visit to sonic automotive’s new echopark dealership , joe had the pleasure of speaking one - on - one with jeff dyke , executive vp of operations for sonic . jeff told joe how echopark has achieved profitability using the one sonic - one experience program . the main goal of this program is to offer one customer , one price in one hour . along with this goal was to improve transparency , grow market share and improve fixed - ops . this multi - year implementation for sonic has proven to be a successful , so successful they are on track to open 50 more stores by the end of the year and recently reporting an increase of 41 . 8 % in profit .
sonic closed the 1990s with another strong year , marked by the largest acquisition , to date , in the history of automotive retailing : firstamerica automotive . the deal provided sonic entry into the highly coveted , high - growth california market , as well as giving it a coast - to - coast footprint . moreover , sonic added several luxury brands and picked up the services of firstamerica ' s talented and seasoned management team . in addition , in 1999 sonic acquired another 44 dealerships and expanded into ten new metropolitan markets including las vegas , nevada ; washington , d . c . ; mobile , alabama ; panama city , florida ; monroe , north carolina ; florence , south carolina ; and a number of cities in texas , including houston , baytown , richardson , and stafford . to help pay the price tag , sonic raised $ 85 million in a secondary stock offering held in april 1999 and raised another $ 280 million in debt financing while increasing its available credit lines by $ 250 million . as a result of these acquisitions , sonic ' s revenues soared to $ 3 . 35 billion and net income approached $ 45 million in 1999 .
lamm , marcy ,
sonic rides into town ,
atlanta business chronicle , december 19 , 1997 , p . 1a .
mr . b . scott smith is the co - founder of sonic . he is also chief executive officer , president and a director of sonic . prior to his appointment as chief executive officer in july 2015 , mr . smith served as president and chief strategic officer of sonic since march 2007 . prior to that , mr . smith served as sonic ' s vice chairman and chief strategic officer from october 2002 to march 2007 and president and chief operating officer from april 1997 until october 2002 . mr . smith has been a director of sonic since its organization in january 1997 . mr . smith has over 26 years of experience in the automobile dealership industry .
6 . gradual process : one reason sonic took seven years to fully plan and roll out one sonic is because of the culture and technology shift it required . previously , most sonic stores ( and its rivals still ) operated on inventory and accounting platforms that were local to each dealership . integrating more than 100 dealerships to one single proprietary platform required tedious work , with numerous bugs and adjustments to consider .
4 . willing to lose : to work , sonic ' s new model comes with a willingness to lose some customers . the pricing model uses advanced analytics to keep prices competitive . but there will be times when other dealers undercut sonic ' s set prices , especially on loss - leader promotions . sonic says it ' s willing to lose customers who care only about paying the absolute rock - bottom price .
had made before putting the car on the lot . all in all , i would never recommend anyone to shop with sonic after this experience
bonnie , fred ,
rapid but disciplined growth at sonic ,
ward ' s dealer business , september 1998 , p . 47 .
however , sonic’s experience is that once it has presented to localities , they have achieved a “100 - percent success rate” at getting greenlit .
buying a car should be an enjoyable experience . and sonic automotive is committed to making it that way , starting with our charlotte stores and expanding to other locations soon . no long waits . no uncomfortable negotiations . and no sales gimmicks . instead , you ' ll work with one non - commissioned guide who ' ll take you all the way through our innovative process in about an hour . we have eliminated all the pain points in car shopping with the one sonic one experience ® .
s . they were nice . the problem is sonic ' s
true price
system . they say they are trying to change the way dealership
- - - - - - ,
sonic ' s growth continues ,
ward ' s dealer business , april 2000 , p . 33 .
jeff dyke , sonic’s executive vice president of operations , said that in addition to the coliseum center location , echopark will open local dealerships in huntersville and gastonia .
the echopark stores will begin to open in late fall in the denver area . sonic , the nation’s fourth - largest dealership group , has begun hiring and training employees .
sonic , which has its corporate headquarters in cotswold , launched its echopark used - car chain in 2014 in denver and operates six dealerships in and around colorado . in a quarterly earnings report last week , sonic said it plans to open an additional 15 echopark locations in florida , georgia , texas and the carolinas by the end of 2018 .
in announcing second quarter results on friday , sonic said its echopark stores retailed 2 , 049 units , up 80 . 4 percent over the last year ' s second quarter .
was in 2013 , and the service we received was top notch . i ' m not sure what has changed since then , but we thought it important enough to share the sonic customer experience
many of the recommended changes implemented by sonic began to show progress in 2004 . the company cut back on acquisitions , allowing recent purchases to be integrated into the company . at the same time , management came to the conclusion that acquisitions had to remain a key part of company strategy in light of the automotive industry , which remained highly fragmented and offered great opportunities . hence , sonic began to adopt a concept it called
enriching our dealership portfolio .
in a nutshell it meant selling off underperforming dealerships and replacing them with other dealerships offering greater long - term potential . they would mostly be luxury and import dealerships that offered higher profits and required lower inventory levels . on other fronts , sonic was able to cut advertising expenses as a percentage of gross profit from 6 . 5 percent in 2003 to 5 . 4 percent in 2004 . concerning sales compensation , sonic introduced a variable compensation structure tied to key performance metrics , which reduced compensation expense as a percentage of gross profit from 36 . 4 percent in 2003 to 35 . 3 percent in 2004 . sonic closed 2004 posting sales of nearly $ 7 . 4 billion and net income of $ 86 . 1 million . its founder , now approaching 80 years of age , remained very much in charge .
launched in the fall of 2014 , sonic says echopark offers a
revolutionary customer experience
for customers to search for , buy , service and sell pre - owned vehicles . sonic currently has six echopark locations open in colorado , and has announced plans to expand into additional markets in north carolina , south carolina and texas with operations in these markets expected to begin in 2017 and 2018 .
sonic is also in the process of buying land for echopark dealerships in the areas around boerne , new braunfels , seaworld san antonio and the intersection between loop 410 and interstate 35 on the east side , said jeff dyke , sonic’s executive vice president of operations . the company plans to build them all at the same time , breaking ground next summer and finishing around the beginning of 2018 .
bruton smith was one of those businessmen who wanted to be a consolidator in auto retailing . in february 1997 he incorporated sonic automotive , inc . and began building up its portfolio of dealerships before tapping the equity markets . smith got a head start with the 1996 purchase of fort mill ford in south carolina for $ 5 . 7 million . then in june 1997 sonic paid about $ 3 . 7 million for fort mill chrysler - plymouth - dodge . more acquisitions followed in the fall of 1997 . sonic paid $ 18 . 3 million for lake norman dodge and its affiliates in september . a pair of acquisitions were completed in october : $ 1 . 8 million for williams motors , inc . located in rock hill , south carolina , and $ 25 . 5 million for clearwater , florida - based ken marks ford , inc . then , in november 1997 , sonic paid $ 18 million in cash to acquire atlanta ' s dyer & dyer volvo , and another $ 27 . 6 million for the bowers dealerships and affiliates located mostly in chattanooga and nashville , tennessee .
moore , pamela l . ,
no boom in stock of charlotte , n . c . - based sonic auto dealerships ,
charlotte observer , january 9 , 1998 , p . 109 .
7 . echopark : in conjunction with one sonic — one experience , the company is making a big play for the stand - alone pre - owned car segment . sonic opened its first echopark store in denver a few months ago . it will compete head - to - head with carmax and other pre - owned superstores . but sonic says it has also worked to build a
neighborhood store
model that will serve as spokes to a market ' s hub store . in denver , sonic won approval to have the smaller stores zoned as specialty retail , allowing them to open in areas normally closed to car dealers . customers can shop online and make an appointment to see the cars they ' re interested in at the local neighborhood store instead of driving across town to the big lot .
buying a car is one of the most exciting things you can do . which is why sonic goes above and beyond to make your car buying experience as enjoyable as possible . what started in 1997 as a small company with 20 stores representing 15 brands has grown into a fortune 500 company with over 100 stores representing 24 brands . we ' re now the fourth largest automotive retailer and largest luxury retailer in the country and more important , the no . 1 retailer at striving to make our guests happy .
mr . victor h . doolan has been a director of sonic since july 2005 . prior to being appointed as a director , mr . doolan served for approximately three years as president and chief executive officer of volvo cars north america until his retirement in march 2005 . prior to joining volvo , mr . doolan served as the executive director of the premier automotive group , the luxury division of ford motor company during his tenure , from july 1999 to june 2002 . mr . doolan also enjoyed a 23 - year career with bmw , culminating with his service as president of bmw of north america from september 1993 to july 1999 . mr . doolan has worked in the automotive industry for approximately 47 years . [ mr . doolan also served as a director of blue fire ethanol fuels inc . until december 2010 .
t . mr . smith ' s secretary told me to take them to court . if i go to court , the first thing that will happen is a bench warrant will be issued for my ex husband . why should he be arrested when the wages are being withheld but sonic refuses to submit them on time ? he will also miss time from work , which i ' m afraid sonic will say is grounds for terminatio
new york , june 22 , 2018 - - in new independent research reports released early this morning , fundamental markets released its latest key findings for all current investors , traders , and shareholders of sonic . . .
new york , may 03 , 2018 - - in new independent research reports released early this morning , fundamental markets released its latest key findings for all current investors , traders , and shareholders of sonic . . .
t on my ex husband ' s wages for child support . sonic refuses to enforce it properly . it ' s due on the first of every month . they don ' t withhold it from his check until t
the one sonic — one experience initiative is now on display at town and country toyota in south charlotte . it became the flagship for the new approach this fall . the rest of the company ' s stores will follow suit over the next 24 months , including four other charlotte stores . a large advertising campaign has already hit charlotte airwaves , portraying sonic in the year 1 a . d . —
the era after dealerships .
sanjaya prakash , a veteran general manager at sonic , told me he recently had a customer at town and country toyota who found a better deal at a competitor by using sonic ' s in - showroom computer tablets . the man wanted to save the $ 140 price difference . so prakash gave him directions to the other place and told him sonic wouldn ' t match the price .
the guest went outside and smoked a cigarette , then he came back in and bought the car , and told us he liked the way we did business ,
prakash says .
we think customers are willing to pay a small premium for a positive experience .
mr . robert heller has been a director of sonic since january 2000 . mr . heller served as a director of firstamerica automotive , inc . from january 1999 until its acquisition by sonic in december 1999 . mr . heller was a director and executive vice president of fair , isaac and company from 1994 until 2001 , where he was responsible for strategic relationships and marketing . from 1991 to 1993 , mr . heller was president and chief executive officer of visa u . s . a . mr . heller is a former governor of the federal reserve system and has had an extensive career in banking , international finance , government service and education . mr . heller currently serves as a director of the bank of marin bancorp , a public company traded on the nasdaq capital market .
century bmw a sonic store gave me my bmw back with no airbag in the steering wheel and it was laying on the passenger seat with wires hanging . i have driven bmws for 20 years and never had such a bad
with 23 dealerships in five states as well as four stand - alone used - vehicle lots and seven collision - repair centers , altogether generating close to $ 900 million in sales , sonic went public in november 1997 at $ 12 a share , with the initial stock offering underwritten by a group of firms led by merrill lynch . the stock did not , however , flourish after it began trading , enjoying a high of $ 12 . 37 before it soon dipped below the $ 10 mark . investors were generally optimistic about sonic ' s business plan and respected the ability of smith and his team , which included his son and heir apparent , scott smith , but were mistrustful of the industry in general , believing that car sales were too cyclical . according to barron ' s ,
ipo investors reasonably ask : how much better will it get over time ?
indeed , group 1 automotive , backed by another wall street heavyweight in goldman sachs , experienced a similar fate after going public two weeks earlier than sonic .
houston , may 3 , 2018 / prnewswire / - - houston - based leslie doggett industries ' affiliate the doggett auto group has purchased one of houston ' s oldest and largest ford dealerships , lone star ford ( 8477 north freeway , between the north loop 610 and beltway 8 on i - 45 north ) from north carolina - based sonic automotive inc . ( sah ) for an undisclosed amount effective may 1 , 2018 . on july 31 , 2018 , doggett will move the store to 9115 north freeway , to the lot adjacent to doggett ' s john deere construction and forestry headquarters .
sonic continued to expand through acquisitions in 2001 , adding a dozen dealerships representing $ 1 billion in annual sales . these purchases included buena park honda , harborcity honda , and coast cadillac in the los angeles area , and lawrence marshall chevrolet in houston . sonic was even more active in 2002 , acquiring 31 dealerships representing $ 1 . 8 billion in annual sales . the most important deal took place early in the year with the purchase of michigan - based don massey dealerships , a seven - state chain of 16 dealerships with $ 1 billion in annual revenue . after the acquisition , sonic did background checks on massey personnel and fired 200 of the 1 , 550 employees . the company ' s caution was understandable , given that two of its clearwater dealerships were under investigation in florida for fraudulent sales practices in the finance and insurance departments , problems the company blamed on rogue employees at some of sonic ' s early acquisitions before policies and training were implemented to curb unethical practices .
in 2000 sonic acquired 11 dealerships , representing 16 different brands and accounting for nearly $ 800 million in annual sales . the company also took stock of its dealership portfolio , which included a number of dealerships that were essentially acquisition throw - ins . many of these were weeded out , resulting in the 2000 sale of eight dealerships representing some $ 65 million in annual sales . overall 2000 was a strong year for sonic , despite sluggish new vehicle sales in the final months of the year .
smith declined to say where the echopark venture will head after denver . sonic is acquiring real estate in other markets , and executives anticipate adding two or three markets a year . that pace could speed up if the venture goes really well , smith said .
sonic only cares about how much money you can make them , so the guys at the top can continue to maintain an expensive lifestyle . health benefits are horrible . be prepared to receive an email every holiday from corporate laced with their personal political views .
3 . more than price : the headline of sonic ' s transformation for most people is the new no - haggle pricing . but that ' s really just the means to an end . yes , the company believes all the haggling at car dealerships is fundamentally bad for customers . but sonics top executives also realize it ' s bad for their business . sonic is trying to build an experience for a new generation of car buyers and a business model that is more
predictable , repeatable and sustainable
over the long term , scott smith says . by switching to one price , sonic saves time and resources it can refocus on getting to know customers , building relationships that will become repeat business and make the company ' s financial results much easier to forecast .
there are currently five echopark locations in colorado , with the next stops being texas and the southeast . last year , sonic purchased automatch — a group of four used - car stores in georgia and florida – and is converting those outlets into echopark locations .
we are delivering a premier automotive shopping experience to our guest . salaried employees that work as a team , free car washes as long as you own the car , no dealer handling fees , our guest are greeted by a experience guide that stays with them from inventory search until they purchase their car . 401k , medical and dental coverage , training and profit sharing are all great benefits .
the learnings gathered helped pave a path for a strategy based around meeting guests ' needs . pairing experience touch points that meets guest needs at each step keeps the experience friendly , informed and enjoyable , resulting in increased customer trust and long term relationships with sonic .
mr . william r . brooks has been a director of sonic since its organization in january 1997 . mr . brooks also served as sonic ' s initial chief financial officer , treasurer , vice president and secretary from january 1997 to april 1997 . since december 1994 , mr . brooks has been the vice president , treasurer , chief financial officer and a director of smi , became executive vice president of smi in february 2004 and became vice chairman in 2008 . mr . brooks also serves as an executive officer and a director for various operating subsidiaries of smi and as an officer and director of sfc , the largest stockholder of sonic . before the formation of smi in december 1994 , mr . brooks was a vice president of charlotte motor speedway and a vice president and director of atlanta motor speedway .
if the plan backfires or doesn ' t improve results , this is a huge pot to lose . on the other hand , sonic may be uniquely qualified to make such a play . since the smith family controls more than 70 % of the shares , it can afford to be more patient and long - term focused than rivals that must balance more short - term interest from wall street investors . sonic also benefits from its size . only nine dealership groups in the u . s . have more than 50 stores . most are still family - owned private businesses without the deep pockets and national relationships to transform their entire business in one swoop . finally , sonic ' s dealerships are weighted toward luxury brands ( bmw is its top seller ) , so building the future on guest experience may be particularly effective .
the cover story in this week ' s print edition of the charlotte business journal goes behind the scenes to explain how and why sonic is putting its business on the line . here are a few more things that didn ' t make it in the paper , or deserved additional context .
then in 1997 , sonic went public , with 29 - year - old scott as its president .
i was the youngest president on the new york stock exchange at the time ,
he says .
back when it wasn ' t cool to be young on the new york stock exchange .
sonic experienced a disappointing year in 2003 , when it failed to keep pace with its peer group and failed to live up to its own expectations . the company continued to grow through acquisitions , adding dealerships in existing markets such as atlanta , dallas , san francisco , and detroit , many of them representing luxury brands such as porsche , bmw , jaguar , and mercedes . but sonic ' s sluggish performance in 2003 prompted management to take stock of its operating strategies , including its aggressive acquisition program . much of sonic ' s success had been based on buying and turning around underperforming dealerships . but such an approach put a great deal of pressure on the managers , who were now buckling under the strain . as a result , management decided to put on the brakes somewhat , limiting acquisitions to no more than 10 percent of annual revenues . moreover , management looked to improve profitability by better controlling costs , in particular advertising and sales compensation .
“it was always the plan to bring ( echopark ) to charlotte , ” dyke told the observer monday . sonic is able to open multiple locations in a new market because it plans to streamline training and advertising here , he added . “when we come into town , we want to come in with a splash . ”
the echopark model , which sonic executives predict will be a “game changer” for the used - car business , will feature a hub store in each market that is substantially larger than other locations in the market . in denver , the hub store in thornton is on 10 acres . it will handle all reconditioning work and distribute inventory to the neighborhood stores .
sonic says stores using the system have increased the number of vehicles bought on trade to six in 10 from four in 10 . the system is able to generate better offers because it can see market demand across the u . s . rather than just the market where the trade is taking place and route the car to the lot where it will resell for the best price .
“given our performance at echopark , we are accelerating our expansion into the carolinas , florida , georgia and texas markets ,
jeff dyke , sonic’s executive vice president of operations , said in a statement .
our colorado stores were cash flow positive in the quarter . currently , we have more than 15 locations in the aforementioned markets that will break ground in 2017 and 2018 . ”
it ' s about giving the guest a great experience , and you can ' t do that if you haggle ,
sonic ' s operations chief jeff dyke says in an interview with car biz today . and coming soon : electronic price tags that hang in car windshields so prices can be updated to match the market dynamics , without asking the local staff to reprice entire lots of vehicles .
the makeover , to be rolled out to all 102 of its dealerships in the u . s . , includes no - haggle sales policies , no - commission customer - service reps , high - tech showrooms and centralized analytics , accounting and back - office teams in charlotte . the goal is to eliminate all pain points associated with buying cars while putting sonic on the leading edge of 21st century car sales .
with stress and an untrustworthy perception of the industry on the rise , sonic recognized the need to revolutionize the pre - owned auto industry . they turned to wd to find ways to redesign the buying experience through detailed customer research , design to match and plans to scale country - wide . as a strategic partner , we didn ' t just execute a store , we helped echopark grow their brand with consistency and scale in mind .
sonic hasn ' t disclosed plans for its next echopark locations , but charlotte will surely be up to bat for the brand in the near future . as for competing with carmax , smith says he isn ' t worried .
echopark is where the big growth opportunity is . pre - owned is such a big business ,
smith says .
it ' s like asking how many tuna boats do you need in the ocean .
also , sonic had to slowly move its teams of employees to the no - haggle pricing by , over time , reducing how much they negotiated and replacing some sales reps with a new generation happy to work on a salary instead of commission .
we had to bridge the gap between the old way of doing it and what the future of our business is going to look like without destroying the company in the meantime ,
smith says .
i met scott for an interview in his seventh - floor executive suite at sonic ' s recently renovated headquarters off sharon amity road . the office has full floor - to - ceiling windows looking over the cotswold shopping area , with a large sectional couch in the corner , facing his desk . you can see the tip of the bank of america corporate center rising over the treetops in the distance . for our meeting , scott wore blue jeans and a black button - up shirt with his initials on the pocket , bss for bruton scott smith . while his father is known for brash business , scott — for this hour at least — led with a quiet and friendly demeanor . we rode up and down the elevator as he showed me how one sonic had changed the corporate nature of the company in addition to its stores . and he pointed to family photos of his three young children , his
littles ,
that covered nearly every surface in the room .
5 . transforming trade - ins : one point i didn ' t cover well in the print - edition story is the technology around sonic ' s new trade - in platform . when buying a car , the customer - service rep guests interface with also handles their trade . the rep walks around the car with the owner and together they take photos of any blemishes and document the car ' s condition . the information is then uploaded to the trade desk in charlotte — a large room with analysts at computers in the cotswold hq — where the vehicle is analyzed . a firm offer for the car is returned to the dealership via mobile app in less than five minutes .
mr . heath r . byrd has served as our executive vice president and chief financial officer since april 2013 . mr . byrd was previously a vice president and our chief information officer from december 2007 to march 2013 , and has served our organization since 2007 . prior to joining sonic , mr . byrd served in a variety of management positions at hr america , inc . , a workforce management firm that provided customized human resource and workforce development through co - sourcing arrangements , including as a director , as president and chief operating officer and as chief financial officer and chief information officer . prior to hr america , inc . , mr . byrd served as a manager in the management consulting division of ernst & young llp .
mr . william i . belk has been a director of sonic since march 1998 . mr . belk is currently affiliated with southeast investments , n . c . inc . , a finra member firm headquartered in charlotte , north carolina . mr . belk ' s past professional experience includes serving as a north carolina district court judge , serving as a partner in the investment banking firm carolina financial group , inc . , and serving in the positions of chairman and director for certain belk stores , a retail department store chain . mr . belk has also previously served as a director of monroe hardware co . , inc . , a wholesaler of hardware materials . mr . belk has a jd with an llm - taxation and a masters in business administration . he is also a director of british west indies trading company .
mr . john w . harris iii has served as a director of sonic since october 2014 . mr . harris currently serves as president of lincoln harris , llc , a privately - held corporate real estate services firm focused on commercial brokerage , construction services , development and property management . from march 2012 to september 2015 , he served as chief operating officer and executive vice president of lincoln harris . prior to joining lincoln harris , mr . harris held various positions at fortress investment group llc , a global investment management firm , from august 2004 to february 2012 . during his tenure , mr . harris worked on assignments in europe and the united states . mr . harris currently serves on the boards of directors of lincoln harris , llc and intrawest resorts holdings , inc . , a public company traded on the nyse .


bruce power limited partnership is a canadian business partnership composed of several corporations .

it exists ( as of 2015 ) as a partnership between transcanada corporation ( 31.6 % ) , bpc generation infrastructure trust ( 61.4 % ) , power workers union ( 4 % ) and the society of energy professionals ( 1.2 % ) .

it is the licensed operator of the bruce nuclear generating station , located on the shores of lake huron , roughly 250 kilometres northwest of toronto , between the towns of kincardine and saugeen shores .

this is the largest operating nuclear plant in the world by output ( kashiwazaki is currently closed in japan ) .

bruce power operates eight nuclear reactors on lake huron where it leases the bruce site from ontario power generation .

with those eight units in operation , the facility supplies 6,300 megawatts of electricity to ontario 's power grid , equivalent to nearly 30 per cent of the electricity use in the province .

bruce power became the world 's largest operating nuclear facility in 2012 , when units 1 and 2 returned to operation after a multibillion-dollar refurbishment project .

this achievement returned the site to full operating capacity for the first time in 17 years .

according to the company , " bruce power set a site record for production in 2015 , generating 30 per cent of ontario ’s electricity at 30 per cent less than the average residential price of power .

bruce power

the organization saw bruce power’s security team join forces with the fire and emergency services teams to form bruce power emergency and protective services . about 10 % of bruce power’s workforce lies within this organization .
bruce power , a nuclear power company and source of medical radioisotopes , and it . . .
bruce power has pulled the plug on an ambitious plan to construct two new nuclear power stations in ontario .
visit bruce power this summer ! bruce power offers free summer bus tours . located in the municipality of kincardine . 2 . 5 hour drive from toronto .
bruce power announced monday it will no longer go ahead with a controversial nuclear power plant proposed for peace river , alta .
bruce power started operating the generating station in may 2001 . the change in operator resulted in an increased power plant output .
if you have questions about employment at bruce power , please email hrhelpdesk @ urltoken .
bruce power was formed in 2001 as a canadian company and it leases the bruce site from ontario power generation . it is the licensee for the plant . over 90 % of bruce employees hold equity in the company .
bruce power has received confirmation from the ontario power authority ( opa ) that a force majeure ( fm ) claim under the bruce power refurbishment implementation agreement ( bpria ) , related to unit 2 , has been accepted .
privately owned bruce power will invest $ 13 billion to refurbish the world’s largest nuclear station .
throughout our existence at bruce power we ' ve looked at a number of potential business development opportunities ,
bruce power president and ceo duncan hawthorne said in a news release .
unit 1 at bruce power’s bruce a generating station set a new post - refurbishment record run today as it reached 151 days of consecutive operation .
bruce power has estimated that restarting units 1 and 2 at the bruce a station will boost bruce power ' s output to more than 6 , 200 mw - or about 25 % of ontario ' s electricity needs on a typical day .
1 ) the bruce power nuclear response team won the top prize at the u . s . national swat championships in 2012 , the seventh year in a row . ( bruce power . )
douglas point and bruce a heavy water plant are shut down . unit 6 comes online at bruce b .
over the past decade , bruce power has refurbished all four units at its bruce a station , returning 3 , 000 megawatts of low - cost , reliable electricity to ontario consumers . combined with its bruce b units , bruce power generates 6 , 300 megawatts , providing power to over one in four hospitals , homes schools and businesses in ontario .
bruce power supplies 30 % of ontario’s power , and over 50 % of its nuclear , while becoming the world’s largest operating nuclear facility with the return of units 1 and 2 . bruce power breaks a 1991 site record for site output .
bruce power is canada ' s first private nuclear generator . bruce power’s 2 , 300 - acre site on the shores of lake huron houses the bruce a and b generating stations , which each hold four candu reactors . over the past decade , bruce power has refurbished all four units at its bruce a station , returning 3 , 000 megawatts of low - cost , reliable electricity to ontario consumers . combined with its bruce b units , bruce power generates 6 , 300 megawatts , providing power to over one in four hospitals , homes schools and businesses in ontario . for more information , visit : urltoken
bruce power has contracted with bwxt canada to design and manufacture 32 replacement steam generators for the bruce b plant , for c $ 400 - 500 million .
thanks so much to the iwaasa family for making bruce power a part of your north . . .
bruce power has applied for a 10 - year operating licence renewal with the canadian nuclear safety commission .
bruce power’s 2 , 300 - acre site on the shores of lake huron houses the bruce a and b generating stations , which each hold four candu reactors .
bruce power received about 6 . 4 cents per kilowatt - hour for the electricity it generated from bruce a in 2010 , which is 1 , 500 mw of cost - effective power generation in the province .
privately - run bruce power , on the eastern shore of lake huron , will shoulder any cost overruns—a real risk given ontario’s spotty history with nuclear power .
bruce power will recoup its investment by selling power for 7 . 7 cents per kilowatt hour , which is less than the ontario average rate for electricity .
kelly trice joined bruce power as our executive vice president , projects and field services , in july 2017 .
bruce power signs a protocol agreement with the saugeen ojibway nation , on whose historical lands the site sits .
as part of our operating license , bruce power maintains a robust and multi - faceted emergency response program .
as part of our operating license , bruce power maintains a robust and multi - faceted emergency response program .
bruce power , on the shores of lake huron in ontario , consists of two generating stations : bruce a and bruce b . together they house eight reactors , six of which have been operational for the past several years .
cathy sprague is the executive vice president of human resources at bruce power . her role is to oversee bruce power’s human resources function including labour relations , recruitment , talent management , employee engagement , wellness and total rewards .
bruce power celebrates its 5th anniversary on may 11 when lieutenant governor james bartleman officially opens its new corporate headquarters on the bruce site . bruce b also finishes the year as the top - performing multi - unit nuclear plant in canada .
while bruce power carries out a range of activities to manage the commercial impacts of the unit 2 event , the other operating units at bruce a will continue to receive the contracted price of power from the bruce a facility . the output from bruce a is low - cost , reliable and safe electricity that is essential to meeting ontario’s energy needs .
don mackinnon , president of the power workers’ union , said the bruce announcement is “good news for ontario . ”
bruce power , the world ' s largest operating nuclear facility , has mobile applications on android and ios that feature interactive calculators and information about our site . download through the app store or google play store . bruce power app
bruce power and the government of ontario committed to resuming the operations of bruce a units 1 and 2 in 2005 to meet the growing demand for power . the project was entitled , ‘bruce a refurbishment for life extension and continued operations project’ . refurbishment of both the units began in 2009 .
kevin joined bruce power as the head of finance when the company was formed in 2001 after working with british energy when that entity acquired 80 % of bruce power . in 2005 , he was appointed as vice - president finance and supported the 2005 bruce power refurbishment agreement negotiation team and the related restructuring of bruce power . he has also served as the chief financial officer , acting chief executive officer , and executive vice president , finance and commercial services .
bruce power alberta announced today it has selected the whitemud site approximately 30 km north of peace river as the preferred option for a potential nuclear power plant in alberta .
every year thousands of visitors arrive at the bruce power visitors’ centre to learn more about nuclear energy and electricity generation .
michael w . rencheck was appointed the president and chief executive officer of bruce power starting aug . 15 , 2016 .
for others ,
she said . bruce power also looks for candidates with post - secondary education and life experiences .
peevers aid bruce a units 1 , 2 and 4 and the four bruce b units continue to provide electricity to the ontario grid .
bruce , which accounts for 30 per cent of ontario’s power generation , is slated to be in operation until the 2060s .
the interactive bruce power ipad app teaches users about nuclear energy , ontario ' s supply mix and how they use electricity .
the bruce power visitors’ centre is an interactive , fun way for your family to learn about ontario’s most important energy provider .
the new democrats want the ontario energy board to review the agreement with bruce to make sure the power is actually needed .
bruce power assumes operational control of the site and confirms plans to restart units 3 and 4 . terrorist attacks in the u . s . prompt the formation of a full - time , rapid - response , armed security force at bruce power .
in a first for ontario , bruce power will assume all financial risk of cost overruns from the overhaul of six of bruce’s eight reactors . cost overruns are the norm on candu reactor projects .
units 3 and 4 of bruce a had been laid up early in 1998 , and were returned to service in january 2004 and october 2003 , respectively as an early priority of bruce power .
bruce power said it has notified the canadian nuclear safety commission and the canadian environmental assessment agency that it will withdraw its site licence applications and suspend its environmental assessments in bruce county and nanticoke .
bruce power is also expanding its pre - arranged bus tour program to be year - round . if your service club , social organization or municipal group would like to visit bruce power , email bnpdvisitorcentre @ urltoken or call 519 - 361 - 7777 .
have a question about employment at bruce power ? email us . please note : we are unable to accept applications via email .
transmission lines run from the bruce nuclear power plant on lake huron to milton , ont . bruce power says it can complete final safety checks on a unit at the plant that has been out of service since 1995 . ( colin perkel / canadian press )
five of the six competitors are also homegrown , bruce power talent , he added , while only one has a military background .
“throughout our existence at bruce power we’ve looked at a number of potential business development opportunities , ” said duncan hawthorne , bruce power’s president and chief executive officer . “we’ve decided the new nuclear option in alberta is not something our company will be progressing further . ”
bruce power’s executive team is responsible for over 4 , 000 employees who work to provide ontario with over 30 % of its electricity .
3 ) bruce power boasts a team of 400 highly trained emergency personnel , and state of the art firefighting equipment and technology . the company also has portable backup generators and after fukushima , the company invested in specific post - fukushima training . ( bruce power . )
bruce power , in partnership with the grey bruce health unit and regional municipalities , made potassium iodide ( ki ) tablets available to all residents , schools and businesses within a 50 kilometre radius of bruce power in 2015 . those within a 10 km radius received the tablets , while those further from the facility received coupons and information on ki .
the story of the bruce power site begins in the 1960s when douglas point , canada’s first commerical reactor , was built and placed into service . learn more about nuclear energy’s rich history on the bruce site .
young girls from the port elgin area had the lucky opportunity to spend some one - on - one time with a member of bruce power ' s nuclear response team ( nrt ) during a session of girls science club at the bruce power visitor centre sept . 16 .
a lease agreement to operate the bruce station was signed between opg and bruce power in 2001 . the agreement made was for a lease period of 18 years , with the option to renew for another 25 years .
no public money will go into the bruce refurbishment , but the company will earn a premium for the power it sells to the system .
we welcome you to view the current employment opportunities at bruce power . to apply for any of these opportunities , submit your application online .
if you’re interested in becoming a new supplier for bruce power , please click here to learn about our new supplier pre - qualification portal .
bruce power ' s a and b sites are visible on the shores of lake huron , about 20 minutes north of kincardine , ont .
regulators have cleared unit 2 of the bruce a nuclear power plant in ontario to restart after a nearly two - decade - long slumber .
a multi - billion dollar agreement is reached between bruce power and the ontario power authority paves the way for the refurbishment of units 1 and 2 , which were shut down in 1997 and 1995 respectively .
when units 1 and 2 return to service in 2012 , bruce power , canada’s only private nuclear power generating station , will operate the largest nuclear facility in the world , its eight units producing a quarter of ontario’s electricity and half of the nuclear power in ontario .
bruce a and bruce b of the power plant incorporate four candu reactors , the components of which are housed in a heavy - walled pressure vessel . the reactor comprises fissionable and moderating materials that control the reaction rate .
following discussions with the opa during this process , bruce power has also made a number of operational adjustments for 2012 . bruce power is executing an expanded outage investment program on unit 4 , in support of extending the life of the unit to the end of decade , at a cost to bruce power of $ 120 million . the work program will involve 800 temporary workers at peak and will be completed in the fourth quarter .
“if it costs us more — $ 7 billion or $ 70 billion — bruce power will bear the cost of that , ” said hawthorne .
our updated agreement with bruce power secures 6 , 300 megawatts of emission - free , low - cost electricity supply ,
he said .
bruce power is a partnership among cameco corp . , transcanada corp . , borealis infrastructure ( a trust established by the ontario municipal employees retirement system ) , the power workers’ union and the society of united professionals .
since late - 2007 , when bruce power acquired energy alberta , the company has become known in alberta and peace country , developing and evaluating the possibility of building a new nuclear facility to power alberta’s growing economy .
as alberta oil senior editor jeff lewis reported nearly two years ago , bruce power’s peace country nukes proposal was dogged from the start by fierce local opposition , industrial indifference and the staggering price tag nuclear power carries .
the contract is part of bruce power ' s refurbishment and restart of units 1 and 2 at the bruce a station located near tiverton , ontario . work on the project begins immediately and will take approximately 3½ years to complete .
other partners in the bruce power partnership include borealis infrastructure , which is wholly owned by the ontario municipal employees retirement system , uranium miner cameco corp . , the power workers ' union and the society of energy professionals .
decisions on the four bruce b reactors were pending , though in july 2009 bruce power announced that it would focus on refurbishing these rather than building new plants at bruce , the expected cost being about half that of new plants . early in 2010 the company completed work to uprate the four units from 90 % to 93 % of original design capacity by modifying the fuel loading . from 2001 to 2015 bruce power spent about c $ 10 billion on the whole plant .
in october 2012 , bruce power was one of many participants in an emo exercise called huron challenge – trillium resolve . many members of our staff worked tirelessly in preparation for this exercise , which gave us the tools to be better prepared for any external hazards that bruce power may face in the future .
the decision to refurbish the units followed a 2005 agreement by bruce power and the government of ontario to refurbish the two 750 mwe candu reactors as a faster option than building new ones in the face of impending power shortages .
ontario’s electricity market opens to competition . transcanada corp . and bpc generation infrastructure trust ( omers ) join cameco , the power workers’ union and the society of energy professionals in the bruce power partnership , while british energy withdraws .
bruce power l . p . po box 1540 177 tie rd . , r . r . 2 , tiverton , ontario n0g 2t0 contact us | map
bruce power , in partnership with the saugeen valley conservation authority , is pleased to offer a wide variety of environmental and conservation awareness programs to area schools .
if the refurbishments come in under budget , bruce power , which is owned in part by transcanada corp . , would get a share of the savings .
bruce power has decided it will no longer advance the option for a new nuclear plant in alberta that has been under consideration by the company since 2007 .
bruce power will continue to work with its investors and the ontario power authority on the feasibility of securing 6 , 300 megawatts ( mw ) from the bruce site following the successful restart of units 1 and 2 in 2012 , which will inject another 1 , 500 mw of baseload generation into the ontario market .
bruce power is paid for all electricity from bruce a on the basis of a 6 . 3 cents / kwh current reference price capped for 25 years ( cf 6 . 765 ¢ / kwh average ontario spot price in 2005 , and 4 . 5 ¢ / kwh floor price for bruce b – units 5 - 8 ) . the difference between the actual capital expenditure and $ 4 . 25 billion ( apart from unit 4 refurbishment ) is shared between the government and the investors . one of the partners in bruce power , cameco ( 31 . 6 % ) , said before commencement that while it strongly applauded the project it did not meet cameco ' s investment criteria , so it received a $ 200 million payout of its interest in bruce a . the other partners set up bruce a limited partnership ( balp ) to sublease bruce a from bruce power and to pay for the project .
following this detailed site analysis and pending a favourable panel report , bruce power alberta could be in a position to launch a formal environmental assessment ( ea ) in 2010 . a successful ea would be a key piece of the decision - making process for bruce power alberta as it considers new nuclear generation for alberta .
during his work at bruce power , john has been the executive vice president , strategic initiatives , and vice president of the bruce a restart project . he also holds a masters’ degree in business administration , with distinction , from the haskayne school of business and is a mechanical engineering technologist and a fourth class power engineer .
the ontario power authority ( opa ) and bruce power continue to work together to secure an important source of cost - effective and emission - free electricity for ontario ratepayers through the long - term supply of 6 , 300 mw from the bruce power site . this critical component of ontario’s supply mix is one of the key features in the ministry of energy’s november 2010 long - term energy plan .
once the work is complete , bruce power will be the world ' s largest nuclear facility , generating more than 6 , 200 megawatts or about 25 per cent of ontario ' s power . it currently produces 4 , 700 megawatts .
bruce power will continue to provide approximately one - third of its output ( 2 , 400 mw ) as flexible generation , allowing the province to permanently balance system needs in its post - coal environment . this is a feature that only the bruce power units can provide , and has been used frequently by the ieso since 2009 .
bruce power crews handled a spillage of radioactive water at the site ' s unit 3 reactor , but said there is no impact as a result of the incident .
about 15 % of canada ' s electricity comes from nuclear power , with 19 reactors mostly in ontario providing 13 . 5 gwe of power capacity .
in august 2006 , bruce power applied for a licence to prepare its 9 . 3 km 2 bruce site for construction of up to four new reactors as bruce c . the canadian nuclear safety commission ( cnsc ) accepted the company ' s project description for 4 , 000 mwe in january 2007 . bruce power submitted an environmental impact statement in september 2008 , showing that up to four new reactors at bruce c would have no significant environmental effect . the new units were envisaged as coming on line beginning in 2015 . six different reactor types were under consideration . however , in july 2009 , the company announced that it would withdraw its site licence application and suspend its environmental assessment for bruce c , and focus on refurbishment of bruce a and b ( a major task – see above ) .
in october 2008 , bruce power announced it would conduct an environmental assessment for two new nuclear units in the haldimand - norfolk region of southern ontario . the region was home to opg ' s 4 , 096 mwe nanticoke generating station , the largest coal - fired power plant in north america . although both the haldimand and norfolk councils supported the bruce power proposal , as well as 80 % of residents , according to an ipsos - reid poll , the ontario government did not support it . in july 2009 , bruce power withdrew its site licence application and suspended its environmental assessment . 4
before visiting bruce power in the winter , please check the local weather . we are located in an area that receives a lot of snow and driving can be hazardous .
a project of this magnitude has never been done before on a candu reactor and that cannot be overlooked ,
said bruce power ceo duncan hawthorne in a release .
when we committed to additional investments in bruce a , we said the restart project was an attractive , long - term growth opportunity for transcanada . with this milestone being reached , we move further toward realizing the sustainable earnings we expect bruce power to generate .
unit 2 at bruce a is shut down and place in layup by the former ontario hydro .
unit 1 at bruce a is shut down and placed in layup by the former ontario hydro .
len joined bruce power in 2008 and was most recently the vice president of nuclear maintenance services . len was appointed as executive vice president and chief nuclear officer in august 2012 .
bruce power will spend $ 13 billion to refurbish six of the eight nuclear reactors at its generating station near kincardine , ont . , and assume all risks for cost overruns .
bruce power said friday it can complete final safety checks and prepare to synchronize the reactor , which has been out of service since 1995 , to ontario ' s electrical grid .
e . when the government selected darlington for new nuclear capacity , it affirmed the importance of privately - run bruce power and the need for it to contribute 6300 mwe of nuclear capacity , and maintaining this level of capacity beyond the present planned operating lifetime of bruce b . a decision on refurbishing bruce b ( 3290 mwe ) is pending but highly probable , now that the alternative proposal to build four new reactors there as bruce c has been shelved . [ back ]
of ontario’s power from its eight - unit facility along the lake huron shoreline .
nonetheless , nuclear power kind of sits in the background of alberta’s energy debate .
later , in 1999 , ontario hydro was divided into five divisions , including ontario power generation ( opg ) , which operates all power generating stations in canada .
the power plant refurbishment is expected to cost $ 5 . 25bn .
prior to his role at bruce power , kevin was responsible for setting up the reporting and governance structure for british energy in north america . during this time he also served on the due diligence and transition team focusing on the transaction between bruce power and ontario power generation . kevin has also worked at bdo’s toronto office where he was responsible for managing various operational and financial client groups that consisted of both owner - managed businesses and public companies .
the western waste management facility stores all the low - and intermediate - level nuclear waste from the operation of opg ' s 20 nuclear reactors , including those leased to bruce power .
through an agreement with the province of ontario , bruce power will extend the life of six nuclear units over the next 20 years , investing billions of private dollars into the site .
the power generated by bpgs is transmitted to major load centres and local areas . the transmission system comprises five lines of various ranges to connect bruce area with rest of the ontario .
building on a strong track record of ‘safety first , ’ bruce power has formed an integrated emergency response organization , bringing all of its emergency response capabilities under a single command structure .
nuclear response team - security salaries at bruce power can range from $ 95 , 152 - $ 103 , 030 . this estimate is based upon 1 bruce power nuclear response team - security salary report ( s ) provided by employees or estimated based upon statistical methods . see all nuclear response team - security salaries to learn how this stacks up in the market .
housed on a 2 , 300 - acre site , the power plant comprises two generating stations , namely bruce a and bruce b . all reactors of bruce a were temporarily laid off between 1995 and 1998 to concentrate on other resources of ontario hydro , while bruce b reactors remained in service . the third and fourth units of bruce a resumed service in january 2004 and october 2003 respectively . units 1 and 2 are yet to restart and are currently under construction . units 1 and 2 are expected to re - enter commercial operation in third quarter and first quarter of 2012 respectively .
toronto , ontario – january 10 , 2006 : aecon group inc . ( tsx : are ) announced today that a joint venture in which its industrial division is a 50 % partner has secured a $ 204 million contract at bruce power ' s ' bruce a ' generating station .
units 5 , 7 and 8 at bruce b remain online to help restore power to the grid after a massive blackout leaves large parts of ontario and the northeastern u . s . without power . unit 4 is returned to service for the first time since 1998 .
prior to joining the bruce power , len held senior leadership roles including plant manager , site engineering director and operations manager . len was previously licensed as a senior reactor operator at a pressurized water reactor and performed in the control room supervisor and shift manager roles . len also spent 14 years with florida progress corporation and came to bruce power from xcel energy in minnesota .
but cost overruns — which are the norm on candu reactor projects — would be bruce’s problem alone .
plans are announced for four nuclear reactors at bruce a , as well as a heavy water plant .
construction begins on the bruce learning centre ( called the western nuclear training centre at the time ) .
in december , 2015 , bruce power and the independent electricity system operators ( ieso ) announced an amended , long - term agreement to secure 6 , 300 megawatts of electricity from the bruce power site , through a multi - year investment program . bruce power will begin main component replacement on units 3 - 8 in 2020 , starting in unit 6 . this will generate between 1 , 500 and 2 , 500 jobs on site annually – and 18 , 000 across ontario directly and indirectly – while injecting up to $ 4 billion annually into ontario’s economy .
bruce power recently disclosed that the refurbishment of units 1 and 2 are approximately 85 % complete and will return to commercial operation in 2012 . the contract was amended to reflect this timeline .
davidson , personally , sees a few potential problems for nuclear power in the province .
congratulations to everyone involved over the years to stop the nuclear power plant in alberta .
bruce power is a partnership among transcanada corp . , omers infrastructure management inc . ( a trust established by the ontario municipal employees retirement system ) , the power workers’ union and the society of energy professionals . over 90 % of employees also own a part of the company .
“all of the risk , basically , of operations and what the impact might be are on bruce — we pay for the power that we receive and not anything else , ” he said .
in addition to refurbishment of units 1 and 2 , bruce power is investing approximately $ 300 million in 2011 and 2012 to add 10 more years of reactor life to units 3 and 4 , which will continue to supply 1 , 500 megawatts ( mw ) of baseload electricity until 2021 , when the units are due for refurbishment under the existing contract between the opa and bruce power .
nuclear response team ( nrt ) officer paula turner visited with local girls on friday , sept . 16 when another girls science club was held at the bruce power visitor centre . turner shared information about her job and answered questions from the attentive and eager crowd . bruce power engineer louise jack lead the club session on friday morning , by helping the girls discover the science behind csi .
bruce a and heavy water plant construction begins , while a proposal for a bulk steam system is proposed .
bruce power , canada’s first private nuclear generator , signed a letter of intent to buy certain assets of energy alberta corporation in 2010 , but in 2011 , the development was halted . file photo .
a . the four pickering a reactors were laid up in 1997 . pickering a4 was restarted in 2003 and pickering a1 in 2005 . there are no plans to bring pickering a2 and a3 back into service and these two units are not listed in the table . bruce a2 was taken out of service in 1995 , a1 followed in 1997 , and bruce a3 and a4 in 1998 . bruce a3 and a4 were restarted in 2004 and 2003 , respectively . bruce a1 and a2 were restarted in 2012 . bruce b8 achieved a 3 % uprate to about 822 mwe in march 2010 , the last of the bruce b units to do so through re - ordering the fuel bundles since 2004 . the bruce a units had been done prior to 2001 . [ back ]
units 1 and 2 returned to service in 2012 after an extensive refurbishment project as part of the renewal of bruce a that began with the return of units 3 and 4 in 2003 . the units have performed admirably since their refurbishment and bruce power set a site record for production in 2015 , generating 30 per cent of ontario’s electricity at 30 per cent less than the average residential price of power .
our power plants have highly - trained , internationally recognized professional security teams . need proof ?
hydro consumers shouldn ' t be concerned about the four - year delay , because bruce power found
innovative ways
to extend the life of its nuclear reactors , said president and ceo duncan hawthorne .
the refurbishment contract with bruce power continues to provide good value . a july 2009 contract amendment protects ratepayers from cost overruns – ratepayer exposure is capped at $ 3 . 4 billion . this remains unchanged .
for example , if the government decides that it doesn’t need to refurbish all six bruce reactors , it can opt out of some work—say , if a sluggish economy or new technology means that ontario’s electricity demand isn’t as high as projected . but bruce power would be compensated , in that case , with higher prices .
bruce power generating station ( bpgs ) is the first private nuclear power plant in toronto , ontario , canada . it is the largest nuclear power generating plant in north america and the second largest in the world , the first one being japan - based kashiwazaki - kariwa . owned by ontario hydro , bpgs is located on the shores of lake huron , 250km north - west of toronto .
the federal nuclear regulator , the canadian nuclear safety commission ( cnsc ) said in an e - mail it was informed of the incident by bruce power , in accordance with its licence conditions , of a failure of the primary heat transport pump seals on a pump in unit 3 at the bruce a nuclear generating station .
bruce power said early in the day on aug . 2 , 2017 , with unit 3 in a planned shutdown , crews encountered an issue with a pump as they aligned the unit for an inspection program .
plant operator bruce power received permission from the canadian nuclear safety commission in mid - march to restart bruce a unit 2 following the completion of refurbishment work on the 750 mwe candu , which has been idle for almost 20 years . however , during recent preparations to synchronize the unit to the electrical grid , an unspecified incident occurred which caused
some damage
to the electrical generator on the non - nuclear side of bruce ' s operations . the generator had been replaced as part of the refurbishment project by siemens canada . bruce power noted that the electrical protection system
worked as designed and the approach to connect to the grid was stopped .
the network has the capacity to transmit around 5 , 000mw of power from the generating station .
bruce power is excited to introduce a new service for those who are not able to make it to the site in person . the visitors’ centre now offers online presentations using the lync application . educators can connect to our meetings via computer or tablet . with an audio device enabled , students are invited to join in the dialogue and ask any questions they may have regarding nuclear power . this service is ideal for those who are located far from bruce power and are not able to orchestrate a trip to the visitors’ centre .
when turner asked if all the girls were going to get jobs at bruce power they replied with their dream careers , which included professional swimmer , veterinarian , interior designer , lawyer , financial planner and fashion designer .
a proposal to build four reactors at bruce b is approved by the ontario government . construction begins the following year .
bruce power operates two nuclear stations it leases from the ontario government at the port elgin site . in a statement , the company said it will focus on refurbishing reactors at these stations rather than embarking on new construction .
the alberta government also opened the door to considering the nuclear option , under some conditions , following a public consultation process throughout the province . after extensive analysis and environmental studies , bruce power also identified an ideal site .
many of the other teams are full - time competitors , while bruce power’s members are a cross - section of the nuclear response team , and were returned to their regular around - the - clock duties upon returning .
while bruce power’s focus continues to be on delivering safe and reliable electricity , the company has strived to be an industry leader in safety and emergency preparedness ; over the years , developing industry - leading emergency response capabilities .
in 2010 , nuclear power accounted for 55 % of ontario’s power supply . the long - term energy plan calls for nuclear to be about 50 % over the 20 - year of the plan .
bruce power is canada’s first private nuclear generator , providing 30 % of ontario’s power . our eight units provide over 4 , 000 full - time , direct jobs to highly skilled employees , and thousands more indirectly . we inject billions of dollars into ontario’s economy annually , while producing safe energy that produces zero carbon emissions .
units 1 and 2 at the four - unit bruce a plant started up in 1977 , but unit 2 was shut down in 1995 because a steam generator suffered corrosion after a lead shielding blanket used during maintenance was mistakenly left inside . in the late 1990s then - owner ontario hydro decided to lay up all four units at the plant to concentrate resources on other reactors in its fleet , and unit 1 was taken out of service in december 1997 with units 3 and 4 following in 1998 . the four units at sister power station bruce b continued to operate . bruce power took over the operations of both bruce plants from ontario hydro in 2001 and restarted units 3 and 4 by early 2004 . bruce a units 3 and 4 are likely to undergo refurbishments once units 1 and 2 are back in operation .
transcanada said it expects its share of the capital cost of the bruce refurbishment to be $ 2 . 4 - billion .
next , nuclear power requires constant vigilance and risk management for its waste and safety on - site .
bruce power will continue to be responsible for all project costs over $ 3 . 4 billion as agreed to in june 2009 , while also assuming responsibility for the lost revenue associated with the unit 2 fm event . repairs to the non - nuclear system on unit 2 are expected to be complete and unit 2 generating electricity in the fourth quarter of this year . bruce power will also continue to assume all cost and schedule impact related to the event .
transcanada corporation , which owns 49 % of bruce a and 32 % of bruce b , said that the incident
will likely mean unit 2 will not be synchronized to the ontario electrical grid as previously stated in the second quarter of 2012 .
it states that there is potential for nuclear power in alberta but , ultimately , “the government of alberta has decided to maintain its existing policy where power generation options are proposed by the private sector in the province , and any nuclear power proposal would be considered on a case - by - case basis . ”
for all residents , schools and businesses within a 50 km radius to bruce power , distribution pick - up points have been made available for you to pick up tablets should you choose . visit urltoken for pick - up locations .
the plant’s construction and installation work was completed by ontario hydro by 1987 . the first two units of bruce a started operating in 1977 and the next two units followed in 1978 and 1979 respectively . all bruce b reactors started operating during 1984 - 1987 .
the long - awaited return to service of the refurbished unit 2 of the bruce a nuclear power plant in ontario , canada , has been delayed due to damage in an electrical generator on the non - nuclear side of the plant .
housed on 2 , 300 - acre site , the nuclear power plant comprises two generating stations .
unexpectedly for a source of power that’s frequently touted as carbon - free , the greenhouse gas emissions from ontario’s electricity sector are going to increase as a result of the refurbishment process—but not from the nuclear power itself .
while bruce power has limited ability to adjust its production to follow the province’s electricity demand , natural gas plants can be turned on and off more easily than nuclear reactors and provide power at peak times . the glut of natural gas from the u . s . has also made natural gas more attractive for all - day , or “baseload” generation .
for the seventh consecutive year , bruce power’s nuclear response team’s competition team has claimed top spot at the security protection officer team competition ( spotc ) , held at the savannah river site ( srs ) in south carolina in late - april .
kelly also served as the president of the company’s power division , which constructed large - scale power plants , and as president of their project services group , the proxy company responsible for the mixed oxide fuel fabrication program .
the decision will have no impact on the company ' s interest in building nuclear power stations in alberta and saskatchewan . both provinces are expected to issue policy statements on nuclear power this year , according to the company .
bruce power president and ceo duncan hawthorne stressed “we are 100 per cent accountable for over - budget or late — no ambiguity . ”
work on unit 1 of bruce a is still underway , and operations on that reactor should restart during the third quarter of 2012 .
bruce units 3 , 4 , 6 and 7 place in the top 10 reactors in the world for the previous year’s excellent performance .
following initial inspections , bruce power said ,
it is clear repairs will need to be made to this electrical generator .
the company said that siemens canada would help assess the situation and then complete the repairs
as soon as possible .
bruce power noted ,
although the unit 2 reactor is ready to operate , the repair to this non - nuclear system will have an impact on when unit 2 will be able to deliver electricity to the grid .
it added ,
this delay will not have an impact on ontario ' s electricity system reliability due in part to the strong performance of bruce power ' s operating fleet , nor is it expected to materially change the cost of the restart project .
the visitors’ centre is an ideal field trip destination for elementary , secondary and post - secondary school groups and educators . presentations are tailored around ontario’s school curriculum . bruce power outlines its operations and provides an introduction to the candu nuclear system . a presentation that summarizes the science behind electricity and different forms of energy production in ontario can also be arranged . for those who may be interested in joining the bruce power team in the future , we are also happy to offer information on careers .
sometimes things are so obvious they don’t warrant an announcement . so you have to wonder why bruce power’s felt it needed to issue a press release today stating that it is no longer going ahead with plans to build a 4 , 000 megawatt nuclear power plant in northern alberta . everybody in alberta assumed the project was dead . was the company looking for closure ?
the government says the deal with bruce will save the average household using 800 kilowatt hours a month of electricity about $ 66 a year .
murray elston , bruce power ' s vice - president of corporate affairs , rejected mr . stensil ' s assertion , saying
it really is the fact that right now the capacity of our system to generate is well beyond what our demand is .
bruce power and the ontario government have signed an agreement that will keep the company’s nuclear plant running at least until 2064 . the price tag ? according to everyone involved , $ 13 billion from private capital and none from the ontario taxpayer or hydro customer .
len has more than 30 years of nuclear power operations experience with roles in operations , engineering , projects and maintenance .
but , over the years , nuclear power has been touted as a viable source of clean energy for the world .
“the empirical record of nuclear power safety doesn’t really match the degree of public concern . if you look at the history of coal - fired power plants and coal mining , there are much higher levels of health and environmental concerns . ”
two of the five lines are 500kv and transmit power to the major load centres , milton station and longwood station . the remaining three double - circuit 230kv lines supply power to stations in the kitchener , orangeville and owen sound areas .
aecon is currently working on a previously announced $ 17 million project at bruce a involving modifications to the station ' s secondary irradiated fuel bay .
facing an impending power shortage , the provincial government ' s ontario power authority in october 2005 agreed with bruce power to refurbish its oldest bruce a reactors , each with 769 mwe capacity ( see appendix 1 : ontario energy policy ) . unit 2 had been laid up in 1995 due to a maintenance accident in which lead contaminated the core . unit 1 was laid up along with the four pickering a units at the end of 1997 , to allow operational focus on newer plants . their operational lifetimes were extended by 25 years . refurbishment of units 1 & 2 followed units 3 & 4 being returned to service by 2004 and was completed in 2012 .
effective at the end of december 2013 , cameco sold its 31 . 6 % interest in bruce power lp ( effectively bruce b ) to borealis infrastructure , one of its partners , for c $ 450 million . borealis is a division of the ontario municipal employees retirement system ( omers ) , doubling its share to 63 . 2 % . transcanada corporation , the power workers ' union and the society of energy professionals are other equity holders , and transcanada is acquiring some of omers’ holding so that each have 48 . 5 % .
in the wake of the tsunami and nuclear incident at the nuclear facility in fukushima , japan , in 2011 , bruce power added a number of enhancements to our site to both comply with new regulatory requirements , and to ensure that we continue becoming safer and stronger .
bruce power’s team claimed first place in eight of nine events , receiving 990 . 5 of a possible 1 , 000 points . the spotc is a competition for the u . s . - based department of energy ( doe ) security forces , but is also open to us military and police swat , as well as canadian and u . k . teams , which compete in the non - doe category . bruce power was represented by officers jordan macdougall , mike mcfarlane , rob bosman , sam mcculloch , kyle roulston and jeff steven .
in 2003 , the canadian nuclear safety commission ( cnsc ) approved the environmental assessment ( ea ) for the restart of bruce a units 3 & 4 . as part of their decision , the cnsc required that a follow - up monitoring program be implemented and that the first nations be involved in the development and implementation of the program . the ea follow - up monitoring program activities involve : 1 . studying the effects of the thermal plume on spawning habitat ; and 2 . discrimination of whitefish populations in the waters adjacent to bruce power . sampling activities include impingement and entrainment monitoring of whitefish at the bruce a facility . in 2006 , the cnsc formally accepted the results and conclusions of the units 3 & 4 follow - up monitoring . saugeen ojibway biologists continue to take an active role in bruce power ' s ongoing envirionmental monitoring program .
bruce’s guarantee of 7 . 7 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity is lower than the ontario average , but it’s higher than what they’ve charged in the past . furthermore , while the government insists bruce is on the hook for cost overruns , the cost of electricity could go up for other reasons .
for $ 13 billion of private capital , ontario will get 6 , 300 megawatts of nuclear power capacity for 50 years .
proposals have also been made for a third reactor in new brunswick , mainly for the purpose of exporting power to new england .