Getting to Know Taylor Whatley Taylor Whatley is a second-generation new car dealer and managing partner at Mike Whatley Honda, located in Brookhaven, Mississippi. Taylor has spent a cumulative 20 years in the automotive industry. He grew up around the car business, often going to work with his father, Mike Whatley. Early in his career, Taylor made the decision to leave the retail automotive side of the industry and the family business. He spent five years working for the Acura Division of American Honda Motor Co. before returning to the family business. Having worked on both sides of the industry, Taylor gained a uniquely broad and strong foundation upon which he is building a successful career. We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Taylor and learned more about his career path, his membership in MADA, and what the future holds. The following are excerpts from our conversation. Please tell us about Mike Whatley Honda. What makes the dealership unique? Our story starts back in 2005 in Louisiana. My father and mother, and their business partners expanded outside of the state and made an investment in this dealership. After about six years, my family was able to purchase it outright. That started the Mike Whatley Honda era. Next year, we will be celebrating 20 years in Brookhaven. Our longevity and many accolades are because of the people who work here. The team makes it all possible, as do our loyal customers. We have been acknowledged as a president’s award-winning dealership five times and were one of the first dealerships in the state of Mississippi to receive the Council of Parts and Service Professionals award. Last year, we were recognized for our overall customer experience satisfaction, finishing in the top 15 in the nation out of over 1,100 Honda dealerships. Recently, we discovered that our dealership won the Council of Excellence Award for the second consecutive year and only 1 of 2 Honda dealers in the state! As I mentioned, all of this goes back to our people. Many of whom worked here before we purchased the dealership. Our employee longevity speaks to the uniqueness of the store and the familiarity within the community. In addition to our upcoming 20-year anniversary, we have some huge employee anniversaries — 22, 24 and 25 years working here. Have you had any specialized training or education? When I graduated from Mississippi State with a degree in business and communications, I started doing some digital marketing for the dealership, helping to build up our online presence and assisting with the website. I was also attending finance school prior to my opportunity with the factory. In January of 2016, I started with American Honda Motor Co. Acura Division, serving a multitude of roles for the OEM and building on my automotive foundation. By the time I came back to the dealership, the COVID pandemic was raging. We didn’t know what one day looked like to NextGen Dealer 14
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