CHAD NOTBOHM Title: General Manager Company: Notbohm Motors NADA Academy Graduation Date: October 2022 — NADA Graduating Class 393 How did you get into the industry? Back in the good ‘ol days, my father was a band and choir teacher. After some years, he realized he couldn’t make much money teaching. In 1984, he approached a couple of friends from church and purchased their Chevrolet store from them. They were advanced in years, and it was a perfect time for them to retire and help with the transition — working with my family. I was 10 at the time, and I often went to work with him. I would clean the shop and the showroom and would work on little things that needed to be done. There were eight employees at the dealership who taught me about parts, service, selling and much more. My interest in the industry took off from there and I never left. I attended North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo, ND, and received a degree in business. I worked at Gateway Chevrolet during that time in the parts department and was promoted to Service Manager. Then in 1995, they weren’t renewing franchise agreements in small towns. My father had the option to close the dealership or move. He found an opportunity in Miles City, MT, and moved. In the summer of 1999, my father asked me to come home because the business was growing and he needed help. I worked as a Service Manager until about eight or nine years ago. At that point, I became General Manager as my father wanted to start slowing down and move toward retirement. Why did you decide to attend the NADA Academy? We started with the Dealer Group when I was Service Manager. We then branched off and added a Fixed Ops Group. Now active in two 20 Groups, the group moderators always asked me, “Have you been through the Dealer Academy yet?” I hadn’t. I wasn’t big on traveling and being that far away from my young family at the time. Then COVID hit and I heard that they were doing the Academy online; I jumped at that opportunity. Please share one of the key takeaways you learned from the NADA Academy. There are so many takeaways, but I think the biggest thing was learning in-depth about the different parts of the dealership. I knew a lot about the dealership, but the approach the instructors took got really deep into many things — from financials in the back office to the financial statement plus different ways to look at service or parts. I learned so much. Do you have any advice for your peers that might be considering going to the NADA Academy? Go when you are ready. If you are being pushed to go, make sure you feel you have enough dealership experience and it’s the right time in your life to go. I’m glad that I waited as long as I did. My work experience from years at the dealership and my understanding of the industry allowed me to jump in with both feet at the Academy. I was ready to learn and I retained more. I think it made for a better experience. MIKE SCHNEIDER Title: Owner Company: Jim Taylor Motors NADA Academy Graduation Date: August 2019 — NADA Graduating Class 361 How did you get into the industry? I grew up in the car industry. My dad ran a few stores when I was young. I remember when I was in the 4th grade, my dad had a bad experience with an employee at a Ford store. I told myself then that I wanted to own a Ford store someday and do better. That experience stuck with me, and I made ownership my goal. I had to figure out a way to become an owner, and my partner from my last company knew that. We had been good friends, and he knew that Jim Taylor of Jim Taylor Motors was looking to retire and didn’t have a solid succession plan for the store in Fort Benton, MT. My friend helped Jim and me connect. I got along great with Jim, and we figured out a way for me to buy him out and take over the dealership. Why did you decide to attend the NADA Academy? Two weeks after I took over and began running Jim Taylor Motors, the service director quit. I had come from the sales side of the business, and I knew the metrics of service, but my depth of knowledge in parts and service was not where it needed to be. I decided that the quickest way to gain the depth of knowledge needed was to enroll in the NADA Academy. That was a decision I will never regret. The NADA Academy really helped and gave me the tools and understanding that have carried me to where I am today. Please share one of the key takeaways you learned from the NADA Academy. It is difficult to say there’s just one, that diminishes the million other things I learned while attending. 21
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