Meet Mike Hochwald: Toyota Product Adviser Serving Newfoundland and Labrador

If you're about to spend this much money, you should know who you're talking to. So here's who I am.

I'm Mike Hochwald, a Product Adviser at Toyota Plaza in St. John's, and I serve customers across Newfoundland and Labrador. I've been selling cars since 2009, in Calgary and here at home. Sales is a people business, and my reputation is the thing I value most in it. I want to be someone you'd feel good buying a vehicle from, and someone you'd happily send your family to.

I live in Torbay, where my wife and I are raising our young family. When I talk about what works in this province’s winters and roads, I’m talking about my own driveway too.

What five years of used cars taught me

For five years I ran the used side at an independent dealership here in St. John's, selling every brand. I did a lot more than sell. I bought at auction, coordinated reconditioning with the service department, handled lot presentation and photos, and ran the marketing, from websites to ads. I built my own software tools along the way too, because I'd rather solve a problem than put up with it. I loved having regular vehicles for regular folks, which is what this market is really made of.

That job also taught me something about this province. On the mainland, a well-kept vehicle can reasonably last 15 to 20 years. In my experience, Newfoundland's climate doesn't give you that same runway. Salt, damp and long winters take a toll, and I saw the results up close. That's a big part of why I moved to new vehicles.

Why Toyota, and why Toyota Plaza

I wanted to sell something I'd put my own family in. Toyota has earned its reputation for quality, durability, reliability and resale value over decades of careful, conservative improvement. Toyota Plaza is one of the highest-volume dealerships in Newfoundland, which means I can help people with very different needs and budgets, from a first new car to a family SUV to a work truck.

How I work

• Straight answers. If something isn't right for you, I'll say so, even if it costs me the sale.
• No pressure. Take your time. Big decisions deserve it.
• Personal service. You're not a file number to me. Buying a vehicle is a human conversation, and I treat it like one.
• I stay in touch. I'm here for the long run, before and after the purchase.

I plan to build the rest of my career at Toyota Plaza, and the way to do that is to earn trust one customer at a time.

Let's talk

• Send me a message and I'll get back to you personally.
• Browse the inventory to see what's on the lot and on the way.
• Join the watchlist and tell me what you're looking for. I'll let you know when it arrives.
• Or come see me at Toyota Plaza, 73 Kenmount Road.

Mike Hochwald is a Product Adviser at Toyota Plaza, St. John's. This site supports his role and is not a separate dealership.