SPOTLIGHT ON WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRY: Tammy VandenBos As a part of our ongoing series, we highlight exceptional women in the industry. There is a misconception that the auto industry is only for men, and it is time to break this stereotype. The best way to encourage women to explore career opportunities in auto retail is by highlighting the success stories of women who have made it in the industry. In this edition of Montana Auto Dealer, we are featuring Tammy VandenBos, general manager at Van Motors in Conrad, Montana. We recently sat down with Tammy and talked about her career, her experiences in the industry and what can be done to encourage others to choose this career path. The following are excerpts from our conversation. Please tell us about yourself. How did you get into the business? I’m a second-generation dealer. My father, Kenny VanDyke, owned ITB Intercontinental Truck Body, which manufactured high-cube vans in Conrad, Montana. He had a bailment pool with Chevrolet, GMC and Ford, where he received chassis from the manufacturers, built the van bodies and wholesaled them to dealers in several states. In 1987, a small GM dealership came up for sale in Conrad. My father wasn’t interested in being a retail dealer, but there was a beautiful paint facility at the dealership that he thought would be a great place to paint his vans. That was the beginning of Van Motors and my career, little did I know at the time. I was attending college in Sioux Center, Iowa, pursuing a degree in business management. Just as my senior year started, my father called me and asked, “Tammy, do you have any interest in coming home and working at the dealership?” I didn’t know anything about the car business, so I decided I should find out more about the industry. I did an internship at a small family dealership in Sioux Center. What an awesome experience it was. I graduated in May of 1990 and began my career at Van Motors in sales and finance. Back then, district managers from every franchise would visit the stores on a quarterly basis. On one occasion, our Buick rep, Bill Miller, was visiting, and my father asked him, “My daughter’s here, and I really need a good general manager for three or four years to train her and get this business on its feet. Do you know anyone who would be interested?” About three weeks later, Bill called my dad back and said, “Kenny, I found you a general manager.” My dad replied, “Wow, that’s great. Who?” Bill said, “Me!” Bill had put in for his retirement with Buick, unbeknownst to us. He had always wanted to run a small dealership. Bill moved from Michigan to Montana and was here for about three years, training me, building trust with the community and making Van Motors a thriving business in Conrad. What is the greatest accomplishment of your career? In this area, agriculture is the primary industry. When I first started, not only was I the owner’s daughter, but I was also 40 MONTANA AUTO DEALER
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