The Point S Annual Meeting Marks Ten Years of Success

From September 7 to 10, Unimax hosted its annual convention in Ireland, bringing together members of its Point S and V1 Auto Service dealer networks. The event welcomed over 400 participants, fostering collaboration, networking, and the sharing of best practices across the organization.

“The goal of the annual meeting is to celebrate the strength of the network across Canada, bring together this community of seasoned entrepreneurs, and learn from one another. It is also an opportunity to align our efforts for the next phase of this growth,” explained Jean Novak, President and CEO of Unimax. “Our dealers are ambassadors for our network, and they frequently share their experiences with colleagues from other territories. This collective strength is what drives our success.”

Taking to the podium at the plenary session, Novak highlighted the industry’s resilience. “The overall Canadian fleet size remains stable and vehicles are remaining in service longer.”

Bringing dealers together with their suppliers provides a valuable opportunity to exchange best practices. Fabien Bouquet, International CEO of the Point S Group, also highlighted the immense collective expertise powering 7,500 locations globally.

Growth built on solid foundations

Representatives from Unimax’s distribution and retail network joined the event. Alongside dealers from the Point S and V1 Auto Service banners, participants included members the Unimax distribution network, reflecting the strength and collaboration across the Unimax organization.

Addressing the strategy, Novak revisited Unimax Group’s approach in Canada, which is built around distribution. “Distribution is the true backbone of our retail network. With more than 30 distribution centers nationwide, our goal is to guarantee our dealers swift access to the tires and wheels they require. In this setup, service quality and an extensive catalogue are paramount.”

It is worth noting that the Point S network established its successful presence and solid reputation in just ten years, a historic milestone highlighted during the event.

Patrick Lavoie, Vice President – Retail for Unimax, summarized that since its launch in Canada, the network has grown into a complete ecosystem. He noted that the ongoing rollout of tech solutions will drive value for dealers. “We can share valuable market intelligence pulled from network data with our members. Our goal is to optimize inventory and stay close to the end customer through dependable service. With these field insights, dealers can tailor their offerings to local demand. For example, in areas with high EV adoption, specific tires are needed, and we deliver that data right to the dealer.”

Lavoie emphasized the strong surge in new dealers joining the group. “Our banners have experienced 30% growth over the last two years, with store count outside Quebec climbing by an impressive 113%.” The solid consumer reputation of the Point S and V1 brands continues to drive expansion throughout the rest of Canada.

The Vice President also pointed to ongoing efforts to deliver a consistently superior customer experience across all locations. This focus on customer care is rooted in staff expertise, a core value reinforced with dealers at the annual meeting and throughout regional and national gatherings. To support this, Mastershop, a full-day training program was created to embed best practices into every step of the client experience. It serves a double purpose: delivering consistent, high-quality service at any Point S or V1 dealer in Canada, and fostering financially healthy locations capable of funding their own long-term success.

Turning to technology, the conference provided a platform to showcase the network’s digital strategy and its tangible results. The Point S online platform reached a milestone by directly linking product searches to local dealers. As a result, the Point-S.ca website welcomed 1.8 million unique visitors over the past year, an impressive volume of traffic that generated 65,000 direct actions driven to repair shops.

“That is huge,” said Lavoie. “Our website is a market benchmark for tire information, but it is also a powerful driver for our network. It is a modern tool tailored to today’s online shoppers, allowing us to showcase our expertise.”

This annual meeting served as the ideal setting to recognize excellence among Point S and V1 Auto Service locations nationwide. “Our annual meeting is also a time to celebrate those who stand out,” Novak added. “Over a dozen individuals were honored during the event. They were recognized for extraordinary careers or outstanding performance. In short, these are respected individuals who are committed to the network and their communities, serving as an inspiration to all our dealers.”

Here is the list of Point S and V1 Auto Service dealers honored during the event:

2026 PERFORMANCE AWARD
Highest Sales Growth: Tires – Point S
Pneus Ratté St-Laurent

2026 PERFORMANCE AWARD
Highest Sales Growth: Tires – V1
Ouellet Box Mécanique

2026 PERFORMANCE AWARD
Highest Sales Growth: Mechanical Repair – Point S & V1
Mécanique générale Denis McGraw

2026 PERFORMANCE AWARD
Highest Sales Growth: RSSW Wheels – Point S
Reach Tire Kelowna

2026 PERFORMANCE AWARD
Highest Sales Growth: RSSW Wheels – V1
150 M&S Tire & Service Center

UNIMAX HERITAGE AWARD
In recognition of an outstanding career within Unimax
Daniel Bélisle, Silencieux Bélisle

2026 NETWORK BUILDER AWARD
In recognition of exceptional contributions to network growth and development
Villemaire Pneus et Mécanique
Desharnais Pneus et Mécanique
Pneus Ratté
Robert Bernard
Point S Golden