I remember all the bigger-than-life dealers who were characters in their own right — that’s the other thing that’s changed, we don’t have as many characters in the business as the industry has become more corporate. I appreciate my employees, some who have been with me for almost 30 years. Watching them mature and grow has been a blessing. When I started out, I had 30 or so employees, and I knew every one of them personally. I knew about their life, their spouse and their children. I would talk to them all the time. Now we’ve gotten bigger, and as I head into retirement, my son has that job as he is taking over the dealership. How long have you been involved with MTADA and NADA? I’ve been a member of MTADA since I started as a dealer. I’ve stayed very active in the association because of the advice I received from a mentor. He was very active in MTADA, and he told me how important that was. I will never forget that. We’re better as a unit. One person doesn’t have a big voice, but when all the dealers in the state of Montana come together, we have a strong voice. I’ve been the state NADA director for nine years. I’ve been able to serve on the finance, regulatory and legislative committees. There is a lot of travel involved, going back and forth from here to D.C., but it’s worth it. What advice do you have for the next NADA director? Craig Tilleman will be taking over from me. He’s a solid second-generation dealer. Craig is very, very smart, smarter than I am, and he’s going to represent Montana very well. He’s politically involved, not to the level I am, but he will be. I advise him to get more politically involved because that is what it takes to represent automobile dealers. I would also say get to know everybody and work on your relationships, get on some boards that you’d like to serve on and have some fun! Any last thoughts to share with your fellow dealers? Well, I think the biggest thing is that you are very lucky if you’re a car dealer. We are in one of the last entrepreneurial businesses out there. You get to be a big part of your community. In a state like Montana with many small towns, the communities count on you, and you have an opportunity to give back. The Lord has blessed you, so give those blessings back. You have the opportunity to develop people within your organization. And if you develop them, it will make your job very easy. You are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. I learned that the hard way when I used to think I could do it all myself. As I got bigger, I couldn’t do it myself anymore, and I had to learn to rely on people. As long as I treated them well and paid them a living wage, they did not disappoint me. At the end of the day when they put you in the ground, the only thing you’re going to have is the way you treated people — your customers, your team members, your business and all the people in your community. You have an opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, don’t waste it. Congratulations, Don! Thank you for your years of service and leadership. Your hard work, dedication and achievements may never be matched. Thank you for setting the standard for all of us. We wish you the happiest of retirements! 10 MONTANA AUTO DEALER
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTg3NDExNQ==