Paul Valentine says he doesn’t give charities his time and money earned through his Calgary dealerships as a way to find new customers. Yet in what he describes as “karma,” that’s exactly what happens.
Valentine, dealer principal of Valentine Volvo, Volvo Cars Royal Oak and Jaguar-Land Rover Royal Oak, said he has met a number of executives who sit with him on the boards of Calgary charities. And those connections often lead to sales.
“I don’t buy a car from you because you sell Volvos,” one executive told Valentine. “I buy a car from you because you’re working to make Calgary a better place.”
Valentine is the third-generation owner of Valentine Volvo, founded in 1967 by Bert, his grandfather. Valentine said he learned the value of philanthropy from his father, Ted.
“My dad just used the dealership as an agent for good,” Paul Valentine said. “That rubbed off on me.”
Valentine Auto Group contributes 10 per cent of its annual profits to charities that serve Calgarians in crisis. They include the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter; CUPS, which supports people suffering from poverty and trauma; the Mustard Seed, a Christian-based charity helping homeless people; Feed the Hungry; Calgary Drop-In Centre; and Inn from the Cold.
The contributions have led to numerous honours for Valentine, including winning Volvo’s President’s Award 14 times over the past 15 years and being named the 2022 Alberta Dealer of Excellence (Metro) by the Motor Dealers’ Association of Alberta (MDA). His father received the same award in 1984. This year, Valentine said, the group is on track to sell about 800 new and 400 used vehicles, its biggest year ever.