Pub. 1 2021 Issue 1

30 The auto industry is fantastic, as pretty much every person from sales to the service bay can be an entrepreneur of sorts. You can do well and build your own clientele, a business within a business, if you will, without the overhead. The sky is literally the limit when it comes to income. in an airplane crash on his way to a Ford Motor Company show and dealer meetings. After Roy’s passing, Suzi and I moved to Great Falls and part- nered with Dick Olsen — another outstanding individual. I was able to buy into the Great Falls store, and eventually, we moved to Helena, and I was able to purchase this dealership, Helena Motors. We have Ford, Toyota, Lincoln and Honda. We’ve been here for 20 years, and it’s been amazing. Do you currently have family members in the auto industry? Suzi handles our special projects. Both my kids spent some time at the dealership while going to school. My daughter has a career working with the federal government on water quality here in Montana, and my son is a software engi- neer. So, no. No family is working in the industry. Describe your educational background. What did you study? My educational background is in accounting. I went to BYU in Utah, and I took the CPA exam. Are there any specific individuals who had a major impact on your career? I have been fortunate. I have had quality people guide me, mentor me, and support me along the way. Roy Raymond, who hired me into the auto industry, was one of the finest people I ever met. He taught me the car business, and in return, I worked hard to learn the business and safeguard his investment — which, as it is for most dealers, was substantial. One of my best memories of Roy came early on in working for him. He had an offset account that hadn’t been audited in a long time, which I set about doing. I found some missing credits, went to the bank, and got a check, which I presented to him. That was fun. I felt like I earned my start in the business. Roy was very appre- ciative, and he was generous with his knowledge. The colleagues I have met in my 20 Group involvement has been invaluable. What is the most rewarding part of your career? For me, it’s able to see my business get better and better — working together, accomplishing goals, and seeing my employees do well. We’re goal-oriented. I think that makes us successful. We set goals at the end of the year, and then we meet monthly to see how we are doing. We work hard as a team. Most employees have been here a long time — we have very little turnover, so it’s rewarding to see us get better and better at doing what we do, year over year. What do you think will be some of the auto in- dustry’s dominant trends in the next 5-10 years? If I look back even five years, it’s not the same industry as it is now. The thing I find so fascinating, though, is how regardless of the changes in efficiencies and high tech, it’s still a people business. Even during this last year, during a pandemic, people still wanted to come into the dealership. Now granted, we need- ed to do our part to make sure we followed safety protocols, but our customers wanted the engagement. I think it’s essential to have the online purchase options available — it needs to be seamless — but I still believe that at some point in the process, people want to know that there is someone behind the process who they can turn to for help, follow up service and after-sales support. So yes, I see changes. This industry is continually changing and evolving, but I don’t see it moving away from the people aspect. What is the most significant impact of being a MTADA member? What makes it beneficial? Many of us, especially those with single stores, are not big enough to get quality health insurance for an affordable price, for instance. Through MTADA, we get great benefits that make us more competitive in attracting talent to our businesses. We have the best health care for the price. As a group of dealers, we can band together and accomplish things that we never could alone. There’s a wealth of knowledge. Take 20 Groups, for in- stance. I have been active in those for years, and I am still learning and gaining new and better perspectives. When we have an organization, like MTADA, behind us, focus- ing on how to make our lives as dealers easier, it’s a good thing. Are you involved in any civic or charitable organizations? Suzi and I are on a lot of boards within our community. We sponsor many positive initiatives, particularly in edu- CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29