Mayfield Toyota celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and what a journey it’s been. Over the last two decades, we’ve watched proudly as Edmonton has grown into the thriving and diverse community it is today.
When owner Jim Jiwani first opened the doors back in 1998, we were on the outermost edge of the city; just a small Toyota dealership driven to be different. Edmonton is now home to over 900,000 people and what was once considered the outskirts on the west end, is now a bustling business centre in the heart of Alberta’s capital city.
As Edmonton has grown rapidly over the years, so too have we. Today, Mayfield Toyota houses a 7,500 square-foot showroom showcasing the entire new Toyota lineup. We’ve also expanded our state-of-the-art service centre to over 50 bays to accommodate our guests more efficiently.
Over the years Mayfield Toyota has also garnered a few honours we wear proudly. Most recently, we were recognized as being Toyota Platinum Certified, a distinction only 3% of all Toyota dealerships currently have. That means we offer the highest level of customer service across both new and used sales, parts and service.
Driven to Be Different
As is the case with any industry, our team has seen a lot of change throughout our tenure. For some, careers have been born and blossomed here. For others, Mayfield has been a proud stepping stone along the way. Today, Mayfield Toyota has over 200 employees under our roof, all working hard to deliver a car-buying experience that is second-to-none.
And while some faces around the dealership have changed, there are a few that have been with us since the beginning, including General Manager David Friesen and Fixed Operations Manager Lester Paproski. General Sales Manager Frank Paonessa joined them 12 years ago and together, they’ve developed a management style and friendship that has helped Mayfield Toyota become what it is today; a place Albertans can rely on for trustworthy automotive sales and service.
Beyond all of this, it’s our customers who’ve have remained with us over the years that we attribute every last success to. We would not be where we are today, 20 years later, without the loyalty of our Mayfield Toyota family.
Thanks to everyone who has purchased a car with us over the years, came in for a service or just popped by to say hello. It is because of you that we are able to celebrate this milestone, in a city we are so proud to call home. We look forward to another 20 years of growth and success.
David Friesen
Your Favourite Memory at Mayfield: The memory of all the staff and customers throughout the years that I have had the pleasure of meeting.
Why You Love the Store/Team: I have worked with Lester and Jim for over 20 years. I have worked with many others for over 10 years. They aren’t just co-workers, they are like a fun dysfunctional family that make it fun to come to work every day. I have been lucky enough to get to know many of them as much personally as professionally. They are the real magic of what makes Mayfield Toyota great.
What You Love About the Toyota Brand: I have loved Toyota since the first time I saw an MR2. It was always my dream car and Toyota has been my favorite brand ever since.
What Excites You About the Future: Knowing that Toyota is the world leader in delivering quality vehicles that excite consumers and that I have the best team to work alongside, how can I not be excited about the future. There really are no limits to where we can grow to.
Frank Paonessa
Your Favorite Memory at Mayfield: My favorite memory is having my family participate in the fundraising events that we’ve been associated with. On Father’s Day, my entire family came down to help run the water station down at Laurier Park. Another event that I did with my daughter Kennedy was volunteering at the Mustard Seed around Christmas. It’s something that I’ll remember forever.
Why You Love the Store/Team: Working at Mayfield is really not like work. I’ve spent more time with Dave and Lester in the past 16 years than I have with my family so I guess they’ve become an extension of my family, brothers really. We’ve traveled together, shared a thousand meals, laughed countless time and have even shed some tears. There is no other place I’d rather work and certainly no other people I’d rather work with.
What You Love About the Toyota Brand: Over the course of my career in the auto business, I have been offered quite a few jobs but one of the factors that always come in to play is I don’t know if I could represent another brand. I believe in the quality, and I’m proud to put my name behind it. It’s a product I feel good about selling to my friends and family, that means something.
What Excites You About the Future: That’s really a two-part question. The future with the Toyota brand is so exciting. Toyota is certainly a world leader in terms of technology and will be pioneers in directing where the car industry goes next. Some pretty exciting things on the way.
Here at Mayfield, the future looks great as well. We are talking about a big renovation in the near future. We talk about getting bigger so we can handle all of our customer’s needs but also staying small enough to make it intimate. We want to make real connections with our guest and you can lose that in an oversized dealership. What excites me the most is really the people. We’ve surrounded ourselves with a great bunch of people who are all pulling together from all departments to make Mayfield a great place to buy and service your vehicle
Lester Paproski
Your Favourite Memory at Mayfield: In 2008 we added 30,000 sq ft and 30 service bays and did a reno on the existing bays to a state of the art facility. Now we can serve our customers and the techs have a great shop.Why You Love the Store/Team: I’ve worked with David for over 20 years, Frank for 15 years. They are friends, not just co-workers.
What You Love About the Toyota Brand: I had a 1983 Supra and loved it. I truly love the quality of the cars and the customers that own them.
What Excites You About the Future: Toyota is the leader in technology and they sell the most hybrids of any brand. They are always working on new things!
