renewed emphasis on helping dealers with big issues like technician recruitment. Giving back to the community is a big part of the culture of his dealership, and he told us of various projects they had undertaken. One of his favorite community-oriented projects is their program to honor a veteran each quarter on their Facebook page. “It’s an opportunity for us and our more than 7,000 Facebook followers to thank (the veterans) for their service. We invite the honoree to our quarterly team lunch and we donate $500 in the veteran’s name to the Horses & Heroes program at McCormick Research Institute in Saint Cloud, which provides equine-assisted therapies to wounded warriors.” A valiant pursuit, indeed. Additionally, Bobby and his wife, Sherri – along with their Labrador retriever, Joie – participate in special community programs, as volunteers in comforting children dealing with illness at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando. “Joie is a therapy dog,” Bobby told us. “And I think what Sherri and Joie are doing is wonderful. The therapeutic value of petting or being with Joie is extraordinary. Sherri and Joie also take part in reading programs at local schools and libraries, where kids can read to Joie. She’s a great listener!” Bobby, his wife, and his team are also committed to educational initiatives. They donate school supplies each year during an annual drive for A Gift for Teaching in Osceola County, and they participate in Ford’s Drive 4 UR School program, donating dollars for every test drive. “It’s important for me to encourage our team members to participate in our community,” Bobby explained. “I think it’s important that we all give a little in helping as many as we can. We’re a small dealership, but we try hard to never say no.” We next asked him if he were to look back on his career and his life, what would be three things he’d learned that he could pass on to a younger member of the industry? He reminded us that customers have so many choices when it comes to where to go to buy a car: “Be nice,” he said first, then: “Say thank you. And appreciate that customers chose you.” When we asked Bobby to describe what a “best day” in the car business would look like, he said, “There is nothing better than a busy day selling and servicing cars at a dealership. The customers are happy, the sales and service teams are happy, everyone is busy and having a good time.” Moving on to more fanciful pursuits, we asked him to describe his all-time favorite vehicle – whether he’s owned it, or it’s on his wish list. He said, “So many favorite vehicles . . . probably the Ford GT. I currently drive a Ford F150, (which is) a spectacular vehicle.” We wanted Bobby to tell us more about his family and his home life. He told us he is married to his wonderful wife, Sherri, and that he has two great adult children, Sean and Ashley. He and Sherri have two precious granddaughters, Emily and Logan, and in his spare time, he loves to golf and run in a bunch of charity 5K races. And finally, when asked what the most rewarding part of his career was, Bobby said, “I loved the car business from the very first day. The people, the activity, the pressure, what we are able to do in the community – it was and continues to be awesome.” I loved the car business from the very first day. The people, the activity, the pressure, what we are able to do in the community – it was and continues to be awesome. 10 Pub Yr 2 | Issue 4
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