Birchwood
Birchwood Automotive Group, founded in 1963 and headquartered in Winnipeg, is Manitoba's largest automotive dealership group, operating 24 franchised rooftops across Manitoba and Saskatchewan that sell and service 22 new-vehicle brands and offer pre-owned, collision, tire, and financing services to individual and fleet customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1963
- HeadquartersWinnipeg, Canada
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Birchwood does
Birchwood Automotive Group, founded in 1963 by Robert M. Chipman, is Manitoba's largest automotive dealership group and operates as a division of The Megill-Stephenson Company Limited, a Canadian-incorporated diversified entity. As of December 31, 2023, the company runs 24 franchised dealerships across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and one U.S. state, representing 22 automotive brands including BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, Lexus, Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover. It employs more than 1,200 people and is led by President and CEO Steve Chipman, continuing a multi-generational family ownership structure.
The company's product surface spans the full vehicle ownership lifecycle: new-vehicle sales, a pre-owned inventory of more than 700 units across 30-plus makes (including certified pre-owned), OEM-trained service and repair, three collision repair facilities, tire sales and installation, four Birchwood Credit financing stores, and a WeBuy online trade-in and direct-purchase channel. Distribution is anchored in physical showrooms but is augmented by an e-commerce platform at birchwood.ca that supports inventory search, online service booking, trade-in valuation, and personalized video service reports. Payment processing is handled via Stripe and the site is instrumented with Google Analytics.
Commercially, Birchwood serves two segments: individual vehicle buyers (primary), who purchase, lease, finance, service, and trade vehicles through the network, and commercial or fleet buyers (secondary), who purchase volume units and service agreements. Revenue is generated through one-time vehicle transactions, recurring service and parts work, financing facilitation, and F&I (finance and insurance) income, with pricing conducted on a quote-based dealership model rather than public list pricing. Marketing combines content (a blog covering purchasing, ownership, trade-in, and EVs), social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn), email, and promotional contests. The company is privately held, does not disclose revenue, and is recognized as a top employer in Canada.
Birchwood firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Birchwood
- Legal name
- The Megill-Stephenson Company Limited
- Website
- https://birchwood.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1963
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Birchwood Automotive Group, founded in 1963 and headquartered in Winnipeg, is Manitoba's largest automotive dealership group, operating 24 franchised rooftops across Manitoba and Saskatchewan that sell and service 22 new-vehicle brands and offer pre-owned, collision, tire, and financing services to individual and fleet customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Birchwood is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Winnipeg
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Birchwood business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- New Vehicle Sales: Sale of new vehicles from 22 automotive brands including BMW, Mini, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Nissan, Kia, Lexus, Toyota, Volkswagen, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo. Core revenue stream with transactions occurring at 24 dealership locations.
- Pre-Owned Vehicle Sales: Sale of used vehicles including certified pre-owned programs. Inventory includes over 700 pre-owned vehicles across more than 30 makes.
- Vehicle Parts Sales: Sale and distribution of vehicle parts, accessories, and vehicle care products sourced from national and international suppliers.
- Vehicle Service and Repair: Vehicle repair and servicing services at dealership service departments and three collision repair facilities. Includes routine maintenance, repairs, and specialized services.
- Vehicle Finance, Insurance and Warranty Products: Provision and facilitation of vehicle finance, insurance, and warranty products related to vehicle sales, purchases, or leases. Includes four Birchwood Credit stores.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | New Vehicle Sales |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Pre-Owned Vehicle Sales |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Vehicle Service |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Birchwood product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Birchwood Automotive Group operates a network of 24 dealerships across Manitoba and Saskatchewan selling new and pre-owned vehicles from 22 automotive brands, complemented by in-dealership vehicle servicing, three collision repair facilities, tire sales and installation, online trade-in purchasing (WeBuy), and vehicle financing through four Birchwood Credit stores. The integrated retail platform also distributes vehicle parts and accessories and operates a reconditioning facility supporting the franchise network.
Product overview
Birchwood Automotive Group is Manitoba's largest automotive dealership group operating 24 dealerships across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The company offers a comprehensive automotive retail ecosystem built around new and pre-owned vehicle sales across 22 brands (BMW, Mini, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Nissan, Kia, Lexus, Toyota, Volkswagen, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo), complemented by vehicle servicing, collision repair (Birchwood Collision), tire services (Birchwood Tires), trade-in and direct vehicle purchase (WeBuy), and financing solutions (Birchwood Credit). The products operate as an integrated dealership network with shared services including a reconditioning facility and online booking capabilities, allowing customers to purchase, finance, service, and trade vehicles across the brand portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- New Vehicle Sales
- Pre-Owned Vehicle Sales
- Vehicle Servicing
- Birchwood Collision
- Birchwood Tires
- WeBuy Trade-In Tool
- Birchwood Credit
- Electric and Hybrid Vehicles
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 700 pre-owned vehicles and 22 automotive brands available
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Birchwood
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Birchwood technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
Birchwood partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- ToyotacoreBirchwood acquired Funk's Toyota in Steinbach, Manitoba in October 2024, renaming it Steinbach Toyota. The acquisition was approved by Toyota as the franchisor. This represents a dealer-authorization relationship where Toyota grants Birchwood the right to operate a Toyota franchise dealership.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Birchwood competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AutoCanada Inc. AutoCanada is one of Canada's largest publicly-traded multi-franchise dealership groups operating ~80 franchised dealerships across Canada and the U.S. It is the closest direct comparable to Birchwood: same multi-OEM, multi-province model, similar F&I and fixed-ops ecosystem, and overlapping Canadian consumer base.
- Dilawri Group of Companies: Dilawri is one of Canada's largest privately-held dealership groups with ~40 dealerships across Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Quebec. Closely comparable to Birchwood as a privately held, multi-franchise, multi-province Canadian dealer with a captive financing arm.
- OpenRoad Auto Group: OpenRoad is a large BC-based Canadian dealership group operating ~25 dealerships across Western Canada. Directly comparable to Birchwood as a Western Canadian multi-brand retailer with luxury and mainstream OEM exposure and integrated service operations.
- Pfaff Automotive Partners: Pfaff is a Canadian multi-brand dealership group with concentration in luxury and performance brands (Audi, BMW, Porsche, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz). Comparable to Birchwood's luxury mix (BMW, Lexus, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo) and integrated service/collision offerings, though more luxury-weighted.
Broad incumbents
- Sonic Automotive, Inc. Sonic Automotive is a U.S.-listed multi-franchise dealer (~140 stores) with EchoPark used-vehicle stores. Comparable as a publicly-traded, multi-OEM retailer with both franchise and stand-alone used-car strategies; U.S. focus makes it a broader-incumbent rather than a direct Canadian peer.
- Lithia Motors (Lithia & Driveway): Lithia is one of the largest publicly-traded dealership groups globally with 300+ U.S. and Canadian stores. Comparable to Birchwood in multi-brand, multi-segment retail with growing digital channel (Driveway); much larger and publicly traded, placing it as a broad incumbent rather than a direct competitor.
- AutoNation, Inc. AutoNation is the largest U.S. auto retailer with ~300 stores across 19 states. Comparable as a multi-franchise, multi-segment retailer with significant F&I and parts/service revenue; a public-company broad incumbent relevant for benchmarking rather than direct Canadian competition.
- Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. Asbury is a U.S.-listed dealer with ~150 new-vehicle franchises, recently expanded via Larry H. Miller acquisition. Comparable in multi-brand, multi-region model and Total Care Auto F&I product strategy; larger scale and U.S.-only footprint make it a broad-incumbent peer.
- Group 1 Automotive, Inc. Group 1 operates ~200 dealerships across the U.S. and U.K. Comparable to Birchwood's multi-franchise, multi-region model with material parts/service and F&I revenue mix; functions as a broad incumbent comparable for valuation benchmarking.
Emerging players
- Crestview Auto Lease / Clutch (Canada Drives): Clutch is a Canadian online used-vehicle retailer offering financing and home delivery, with overlapping used-vehicle and financing offerings against Birchwood's WeBuy and Birchwood Credit. Comparable as an emerging digital channel that competes for Birchwood's used-car and credit customers, though not a direct full-line dealer competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Birchwood social profiles
Digital presenceBirchwood compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Birchwood financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Birchwood leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Birchwood subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries26 records
Birchwood funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Birchwood M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Birchwood
What does Birchwood do?
Birchwood Automotive Group operates a network of 24 dealerships across Manitoba and Saskatchewan selling new and pre-owned vehicles from 22 automotive brands, complemented by in-dealership vehicle servicing, three collision repair facilities, tire sales and installation, online trade-in purchasing (WeBuy), and vehicle financing through four Birchwood Credit stores. The integrated retail platform also distributes vehicle parts and accessories and operates a reconditioning facility supporting the franchise network.
Is Birchwood a public or private company?
Birchwood is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Birchwood founded?
Birchwood was founded in 1963. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Birchwood based?
Birchwood is headquartered in Winnipeg, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Birchwood make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. New Vehicle Sales are the primary driver. The others are pre-Owned Vehicle Sales, vehicle Parts Sales, vehicle Service and Repair and vehicle Finance, Insurance and Warranty Products.
Who are Birchwood's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AutoCanada Inc., Dilawri Group of Companies, OpenRoad Auto Group and Pfaff Automotive Partners. Broad incumbents are Sonic Automotive, Inc., Lithia Motors (Lithia & Driveway), AutoNation, Inc., Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. and Group 1 Automotive, Inc.. Crestview Auto Lease / Clutch (Canada Drives) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Birchwood have an API?
No public API is recorded for Birchwood.