Mike Lowe and Paul Morrison Named 2025 Alberta Dealers of Excellence

October 24, 2025

Chair Colby Longmate is pleased to announce the Motor Dealers Association of Alberta (MDA) recipients of the 2025 Dealer of Excellence awards: Mike Lowe (Northgate Chevrolet - Edmonton) and Paul Morrison (High River Ford – High River).

“Both Mike and Paul have incredible work ethics,” said MDA President Gerald Wood. “They show up ready to put in the effort and they never back down from a challenge”.

Teamwork and the importance of community involvement are also common denominators for Mike and Paul. Each has been instrumental in their dealerships’ growth and innovation. Both award winners credit the incredible support they have received over the years from mentors, colleagues, and family.

Mike began his automotive career in 2002 at just 17 years old, washing cars at a dealership in British Columbia. When he returned home to Alberta later that year, he joined South Fort Chevrolet in Fort Saskatchewan, where he would spend the next 14 years working his way through nearly every position in the store.

“Anything is possible,” Mike says. Those early years taught him the value of a good work ethic and the importance of learning from other people around you.

Even as a Dealer Principal, Mike remains hands-on. “The best part of my day is interacting with staff and customers.” Helping staff to move up in their field and be their best selves keeps him happy and fulfilled. Mike notes that this award is really for the whole dealership. He recognizes the entire team’s hard work was necessary to make this happen.

Mike’s community involvement is also a cornerstone of his work. Through the Northgate Community Reach Program, the dealership continues to give back to local organizations and initiatives across Edmonton and beyond. “We believe in investing in our community so our community invests in us.” One example of this was the wildfires in the province earlier this year – the dealership donated supplies and vehicles to deliver them. 

His advice to anyone looking to join the industry is to not give up! If someone’s willing to work and learn, this business can take them anywhere – Mike knows! He started from the bottom and worked his way to the top without connections, just hard work.

Mike and his wife, Pam, play an active role in fostering a supportive, growth-focused workplace culture. Pam leads leadership development initiatives for the Bannister Auto Group, helping employees advance and thrive.

At Northgate Chevrolet, that sense of family and teamwork continues to drive everything Mike does.

For Paul Morrison, the automotive business has always been about more than vehicles, it’s about people.

Paul began his career in 1989 in Vulcan, Alberta, as a 20-year-old apprentice technician at the local Ford dealership. With a father who was also a technician and repair shop owner, the automotive world felt like a natural place to start. “I was only going to work in a dealership long enough to save up money to go to Automotive Design School,” he says with a chuckle.

By age 26, Paul had advanced to Service Manager, and just two years later, to Sales Manager. By 30, he was a General Manager and minority partner in a Ford dealership. Since 2005, he has proudly served as an Owner and Dealer Principal of High River Ford and Foothills Ford. “Starting in service taught me a lot about process and problem solving,” he reflects, noting that those lessons translated directly into sales and leadership.

After more than three decades in the business, Paul remains motivated by what first drew him…people. “I’ve always been a people person,” he says. “The relationships, with staff, customers, and fellow dealers, are the best part of what I do. That’s what I’ll miss most whenever I retire.”

Community involvement has also been a cornerstone of Paul’s career. A proud small-town Albertan, he values the close-knit spirit that defines both High River, Claresholm and the surrounding communities. “There’s always something going on,” he says, referencing the dealerships’ ongoing support for kids’ sports, local rodeos, curling, hockey, golf tournaments, health foundations, and nearly every community fundraiser in the areas they serve. “In a small town, your staff and customers are also your friends.”

When offering advice to young people entering the industry, Paul often recalls a practice from early in his career: carrying a small piece of paper in his wallet with one long-term goal and two short-term goals he had written for himself. He looked at it every day. “It helped keep me focused on what I needed to do to become successful,” he explains. His message is simple but powerful: if you put in the work, stay focused, and do the right things, opportunities will come. “You create a lot of your own luck.”