Local car dealers say goodbye after 22 years
After more than 22 years in the business, and a string of awards for best used car dealer, Howard and Gail Baigent made their last sale on Thursday, their final day of operations at the South Railway Street location.
“The economy is a factor and two years of (road) construction didn’t help,” Howard Baigent told the News during the final day of sales.
“It’s been a good run, and we really can’t complain. Really, we just want to thank all the customers we’ve dealt with over the years.”
The pair went into business for themselves in the early 1990s, first operating Quality Autos on Gershaw Drive, then moving to the S. Railway location 14 years ago.
The dealership claimed five straight awards in the
Medicine Hat News “Best of Medicine Hat” poll since the awards’ inception in 2014.
Both Baigents are still weighing their options to stay busy, but aren’t considering full retirement just yet.
“I’m ready to be out of the car business,” said Gail. “But I’ll find something to keep me busy.”
The location, at 1229 S. Railway, is also trading hands. This week work begins to transform it into a dispatch yard and office space for Dirty Ducts furnace cleaning.
“We’ve grown and we’re trying to expand a little bit more,” said Dirty Ducts owner Dale Glasier.