There are cars that come onto the lots and into the shops of CRS Automotive’s two Southern Ontario, Canada locations that evoke in co-owner Ahmad Liaqat a near- Pavlovian response. Ferraris. Lamborghinis. A 1967 Mercury Cougar. A 1978 Chevrolet Corvette. A 2015 Jaguar F-Type S Coupe. A 2008 Porsche Boxster S Limited Edition. A 2012 BMW Z4. These are the kinds of Sirens that beckoned to Liaqat from his father’s original shop and moved a newly-graduated software engineering specialist to steer a course for a career as a brick and mortar and e-commerce Automotive Manager.
By David MacDonald W hen Mohammed Liaqat opened the first CRS Automotive in Hamilton, Ontario in August 1998, his son, Ahmad, sought to match his father’s ambition. He went to college. He took up a modern trade. He earned his diploma. And while Ahmad was paying his dues as a rookie software engineer, he again looked to his father. “About four years after he opened the business I stopped by one day to ask him for a part-time job to earn a little extra money,” Ahmad explains. “Of course he said “yes” and was excited to bring me on board. I really didn’t have any intention of joining him for long because I was considering upgrading my software training. A few months into the job my father asked me to work with him full-time. I agreed and I took on a new challenge.”
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AUGUST 2016 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS
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