way we don’t want, and can’t possibly foresee all of the repercussions. The consumer now has the ability to negotiate anywhere in the U.S. for a vehicle, and we deliver them. The opportunity to shop very competitively and get the best deal would stop if we were to go to a direct sales model, an agency model. There would be one price selling, and it would become a monopoly. How do you think the industry will change in the next 3-5 years? I think we’re going to be responding to all this electrification that the manufacturers are encouraging us to get ready for. It’s incumbent upon each of us to be positive about the changes that are ahead. A lot of it’s going to depend, though, on the charging station infrastructure, and I don’t think the infrastructure is in place at this point. There are also issues with the batteries; they don’t do as well in We’re always the first people that are asked to support Little League and youth sports, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Kiwanis, Rotary, and activities at local schools. The impact that local dealers make on communities is noticeable. We live in and are involved in our communities as opposed to a company that has 50 dealerships throughout the U.S., headquartered in New York or somewhere, and nobody can get to them and ask them to engage. Being involved in the local community makes a really big difference. How long have you been a GADA member, and why did you get involved in the association? I’ve been a member since I started in the industry in 1985, and my dad had been a member since 1975. He was a longtime board member of GADA representing District 4, and I’m now serving on the board in the same position he was in. He set a good example. What do you see as the benefit of being an association member? How has membership benefited you specifically? The opportunity GADA provides to connect with leaders from all over the state is really invaluable. When we’re at meetings, getting to talk and learn so much from fellow dealers, it really helps. As relationships grow, you can call fellow dealers and ask for advice. Representing the interests of the new franchise and new car dealers is probably the biggest benefit. If we have a legal question, we’ve always been able to talk to the GADA legal counsel. And, of course, GADA helps with titling; they offer excellent training courses that we send our title clerks to. The association covers a myriad of aspects of the car business, not just protecting the franchise system; they have classes about and offer help on advertising practices, workers’ comp, and so much more. Wanda serving Coca-Cola at the grand opening in 1985 extremes of heat and cold, so there’s a lot to be determined. The switch to EV may not be moving as quickly as some of the manufacturers are projecting, but we need to prepare. Our Nissan store is already EV-ready because they had a big rollout years ago. We’ve sold and leased a lot of Nissan Leafs and had to have the charging stations and special booths in the service department where they can be worked on. We have the equipment for the Chevrolet Buick GMC store and have ordered the equipment for the Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram store, which is currently undergoing a major renovation. Why are franchised dealerships important? Besides the benefit of competitive pricing for the consumer, the many people we employ, the boost to the local economy, and the commitment that the dealers make to their own individual communities is enormous. THE GENERATOR 16
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