Pub. 1 2021 Issue 2

17 A: I was fortunate to learn from three real ly, real ly good people in the auto industry: my dad, my uncle and Bil l Cantwel l. Al l three men had different strengths for me to learn from, and it was like having three dads when I was growing up. Bil l has been very much part of our family since before I was born. Q: What is the most rewarding part of your career? A: Helping the people around me. I enjoy doing things for my employees because I consider them to be fami ly, and I also enjoy giving back to the community in many different ways. Many people don’t realize how much a dealership in the community contributes, but even though people may not see that help, for me, making contributions is certainly rewarding. Q: What do you think will be some of the dominant trends within the auto industry in the next 5-10 years? A: Without a doubt in my mind, the most dominant trend will be the evolution of the electric vehicle. Many people are putting a lot of research, time and energy into electric vehicles, and the federal government is pushing for them, too. As people see more and more EV products, dealers need to embrace EVs and get them into the retail marketplace. The major automakers have been building vehicles since at least the 1930s. The brightest minds work for them, and their engineers have the most advanced technology and the best resources. They got off to a slower start on EVs than Tesla, but they are not far behind, and they bring products and a level of service to the table that Tesla does not have. The products include the trucks or SUVs we all like. Manufacturers are starting to provide electric versions of the big vehicles, like the F-150 Lightning or the Hummer brand. People will be pleasantly surprised. Service is important, too. Having an actual dealer network throughout the country is a huge advantage for manufacturers once their vehicles really start to hit the marketplace. Customers can get their EVs serviced at most dealerships across the country. I also expect the franchise dealership network for EVs to expand in the coming years, making it even more attractive for consumers to purchase an EV from a franchise dealership. Most states, including states like Montana and Texas, have a business model that requires manufacturers to sell through a dealership instead of factory direct. Elon Musk does not want to use franchise dealerships and is fighting the franchise system. He is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to change the rules. But not having a dealer network in place hurts Tesla. Another trend is autonomous cars, but I don’t feel comfortable saying fully autonomous cars will be here in the next 5-10 years, although they are tied to electric vehicles. Right now, you can drive autonomous cars the same way you are accustomed to. The rest of the technology isn’t here yet. I am interested to see how the technology will evolve. I can see using autonomous cars for long-haul trucking, but even then, somebody still has to be there to stop the vehicle, recharge the engine and unload goods. There just won’t be as much driving. Also, engineers are still figuring out how to get more range out of electric vehicles. If you switch to a semi, the power to make the load go will be pretty intense. Q: Why is it important to be an MTADA member? What makes it beneficial? A: A lot of dealerships in Montana pay dues but don’t know what the MTADA does for them. They just know it is important for a new car dealer to be a member. But a state association for auto dealers has many moving parts, and membership is actually a critical component. It’s pretty incredible what dealers get for the $250 membership fee. When they find out, that’s when they often say, “Wow, you guys are doing a lot to protect the auto industry.” Obvious benefits are the health insurance program, dealer’s suppliers and business with vendors. But there is a big part that most dealers don’t see because it is behind-the-scenes work. We carry our voice into the political arena, and we have been able to get laws passed to protect dealers. A large amount of work has gone into that. Manufacturers arbitrarily closed dealerships during the Great Recession. After that, we reviewed the franchise laws and spent the next 10 years forming relationships with lobbyists and working on those laws to protect dealerships from something like that happening again. The state Legislature only meets every two years, but we found people to carry our bills to the legislators. Even though manufacturers have spent millions with their lobbyists, we have won multiple battles and have gotten our bills passed. Now we have some of the toughest laws in the country to protect our business. We are treated fairly on all levels, and we have made it difficult for manufacturers to tell us how to run our business. That is the biggest benefit the association has given its members. Q: In looking back at this year, what stands out for you? Are there any accomplishments you are especially proud of? A: The thing that stands out for most dealers is the pandemic. Nobody has ever been faced with anything like this before. But our employees excelled, we all got creative, and we have come out the other side feeling pretty good. We had a local Chevrolet dealership, Duane Sparks Chevrolet, which was on the verge of being eliminated by General Motors. Duane had been struggling, and General Motors gave him a year to sell the franchise, but he had been closed for a year and hadn’t been able to find a buyer. We wanted to keep the franchise in the community. It’s still a viable brand, and it wasn’t just Duane who would have been out of a job. I was able to help Duane out and work CONTINUED ON PAGE 18