For 50 years, the Brasso name has represented the pinnacle for car sales in Calgary, and it’s all thanks to a simple philosophy that put the focus where it should be – on the customer.

“When I was first starting in the business, I was just a hard-core used car guy. I didn’t know a lot about the business” explained Einar Brasso, owner of Brasso Nissan. “I had to get people who knew how to work. I was always good at giving direction and getting the right people to buy into the philosophy.

“It’s a philosophy that was handed down from my father – you’ve got to treat people the way you want to be treated. It’s the Golden Rule.”

That focus on customer satisfaction, which permeates every aspect of how the business is run, has delivered. Brasso Nissan has been the leading seller of Nissans Canada-wide, several times over the years. It also received the prestigious Nissan World Leader Award in 2008 and the Award of Excellence over 20 times.

“Over the years, we’ve had over 1,000 employees,” Brasso said. “Somehow all of those employees, bless their hearts, bought into that theory and they were committed to doing it each and every day. Today we have almost 80 employees and half of those have been here five years or more.”

The dealership got its start when Brasso purchased a local Datsun dealership in 1969. Currently, the business sells almost 1,000 new vehicles 700 used per year.

Brasso has long believed in the value of supporting the community. You can find Brasso’s influence in many parts of Calgary, ranging from local kids’ sports teams, emergency shelters, the Calgary Food Bank, the YWCA, and Habitat for Humanity. The son of immigrants from Denmark, Brasso’s commitment to the city is partly fuelled by his appreciation for what Calgary has meant to him.

“At this stage, I’m well past my due date. Every day I think about how fortunate I was to be born in Calgary – and at that particular time. It was a magical time in history,” he said. “I knew what it was like to live in a house without running water and electricity. I’m thankful for what we’re blessed with.

“We can’t cure all the ills, but we’re trying to do a little.”

Currently, Brasso is in semi-retirement and has stepped away from the day-to-day running of the business “My two partners run the business far better than I ever did,” he added, laughing. And though he’s in regular contact with the business (“I have a computer and an iPhone and we talk regularly”), after half-century in the business, Brasso’s winding down the best way possible.

“I’m spending my time fishing.”