Automotive News - August 11, 2008 - (Page 37) AUGUST 11, 2008 • 37 ■ 50 with Ford ■ 50 with Chevrolet Charles Abraham, center, president of Charles Auto Family (Chevrolet-BuickPontiac) in Garrettsville, Ohio, receives a 50-year award for Chevrolet from Rob Patterson, right, Chevrolet’s zone manager. With them is Bruce Abraham, the dealership’s vice president. The Rost family of Rost Motors in Manson, Iowa, receives a 50-year award for Ford. Pictured, from left, are Kevin Klossner, Ford Motor Co.’s Kansas City regional sales manager; Del Rost, a dealer partner; Leo Rost, the founder; Bernie Rost, a dealer partner; Tom Evans, Ford Motor Credit Co.’s territory sales manager; and Colleen Kaiser, a dealer partner. ■ 35 with Mazda Ernie Brandolini, left, and Jim Brandolini of Modern Mazda in Thomaston, Conn., received a 35-year award for Mazda from Mazda North American Operations. ■ S.C. dealers elect officers Members of the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association elected officers. Pictured, from left, are Patrick Watson, the association’s executive vice president; Graham Eubank Jr. of Palmetto Ford in Charleston, treasurer; David Herndon of Herndon Chevrolet in Lexington, president; and John Jones Jr. of Jones Chevrolet Co. in Sumter, first vice president. ■ 50 with Ford David Kassen, right, of Kassen-Earickson Ford-Mercury in Carrollton, Mo., receives a 50-year award for Ford from Kevin Klossner, Ford Motor Co.’s Kansas City regional sales manager. Milestones David Reed Estabrook III and James Estabrook of Estabrook Lincoln-Mercury in Pascagoula, Miss., received a 25-year award for both franchises from Ford Motor Co. Pat McKeown of Pat McKeown Ford in Charlevoix, Mich., received a 25-year award for Ford from Ford Motor Co. ■ 35 with Honda Alan Pflueger, left, and James Pflueger of Pflueger Honda in Honolulu received a 35-year award for Honda from American Honda Motor Co. Dealer anniversary awards We invite news items and top-quality photographs for the dealers section. Please include your telephone number or e-mail address. We do not run items for anniversaries of fewer than 25 years. Photos for 25-45 years (one-column photos) should include only two people posed shoulder to shoulder. Photos for 50 or more years (twocolumn photos) should have no more than six people. Please include names (left to right), titles, dealership name and city, franchise(s) held and franchise for which award is given. You may send a photo electronically in jpg format and at high resolution (300 dpi). E-mail items to: autonews@crain.com Or send them to: Dealers Section Automotive News 1155 Gratiot Ave. Detroit, MI 48207-2997 ■ 30 with Cadillac Douglas Thomas, left, and Calvert Bowie Thomas of Thomas CadillacJaguar in Hartford, Conn., celebrated 30 years with Cadillac. Cadillac gave them a plaque for attaining Master Dealer status. ■ Silver dealer Gregory Santo, right, of Santo Lincoln-Mercury in Moosic, Pa., receives a 25-year award for both franchises from Len Yankelunas, Ford Motor Co.’s Philadelphia market representation manager. ROBERT GARFF ON THE SPGT: A CUDL conversation with the owner of what may be the nation’s fastest growing dealership group — the $1.4 billion Ken Garff Automotive Group of Salt Lake City, Utah. ON THE SPOT: What do you contribute to your family’s success? GARFF: Garff’s never, never give up. You know that speaks to longevity, that speaks to doing things right. That means stick-to-itness. ON THE SPOT: How involved are you with the communities you serve? GARFF: One of the main ingredients of our success is that we play an active part in the community. As much as 20 to 30 percent of our lives are spent giving back to the communities we serve. ON THE SPOT: How do you feel about CUDL in terms of what it’s done for you? GARFF: The main thing about CUDL is that it provides us with a different avenue of buyers. It’s another opportunity to get in front of another group of customers. ON THE SPOT: How many of your buyers go through the CUDL system? GARFF: Approximately 15 percent. And that’s 15 percent of buyers that maybe we wouldn’t have otherwise. ON THE SPOT: How do feel about AutoSMART and being able to showcase your inventory online? GARFF: For us, it’s another way of having a storefront. I think in the fourth quarter alone, our organization attracted 967 buyers from CUDL’s AutoSMART system. ON THE SPOT: CUDL did $12 billion in auto loans in 2007. What does that mean to you? GARFF: Well, it means that they’re one of the major players in the auto finance arena. G *Interview conducted February 2008. Log onto www.CUDL.com/robert to read the entire interview. 877.744.2835 It’s another On the Spot interview brought to you by www.cudl.com FAST, FRIENDLY CREDIT UNION FINANCING http://www.cudl.com http://www.cudl.com http://www.CUDL.com/robert
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