Automotive News - March 3, 2008 - (Page 16)

16 • MARCH 3, 2008 ADVERTISING STAFF JM exec Czubay: A taste for hogs, pierogi E ither one of Ken Czubay’s jobs at JM Family Enterprises would keep most people busy. As president of Southeast Toyota Distributors LLC, Czubay wholesaled one-fifth of Toyota’s U.S. volume last year. Between meetings and phone calls, Czubay also is president of JM Lexus in Hollywood, Fla., the world’s vehicles last year. Name: Ken Czubay Title: President, Southeast Toyota Distributors LLC, Deerfield Beach, Fla. Age: 59 Family: Married to Jane, two children Lives: Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Wayne State University, Detroit Big break: “Joining JM Family and having the opportunity to work with Mr. Moran.” I recently saw a photo of you sitting on a Harley-Davidson. What motorcycles do you ride? I have the Harley and also a Yamaha and a Ducati. It depends what I’m in the mood to ride. Where do you take the Ducati? I take it where I can go fast. Let’s just leave it at that. Circulation 313-446-0450 Advertising 313-446-6790 Classified Advertising 313-446-6065, 800-388-1800 E-mail lschlagheck@crain.com Web site www.autonews.com ADVERTISING AND SALES DETROIT 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, MI 48207-2997 313-446-6790 Fax: 313-446-8030 Larry Schlagheck, Advertising Director lschlagheck@crain.com, 313-446-6790 Rick Greer, rgreer@crain.com 313-446-6050 Kathleen C. Lightbody, klightbody@crain.com, 313-446-6037 Russ Procassini, rprocassini@crain.com 313-446-0350 Karen Rentschler, krentschler@crain.com 313-446-6058 Jerry Salame, jsalame@crain.com 313-446-0481 Regional Sales Managers Bryan Foster, Marketing Director bfoster@crain.com, 313-446-6013 Ellen Dennehy Director of Relationship Marketing edennehy@crain.com, 313-446-6039 Cheryl Rothe, Marketing Manager crothe@crain.com, 313-446-6767 Lance Graves, Promotion Art Director lgraves@crain.com, 313-446-0469 Brandi Johnson, Marketing Coordinator bnjohnson@crain.com, 313-446-0326 Marie Hingst Classified Advertising Manager mhingst@crain.com, 313-446-6065 Dolores Lanivich, Denise Hendricks Classified Advertising Sales LOS ANGELES Justus Breese jbreese@crain.com, 323-370-2446 Pacific Region Sales Manager Lauren Ford, lford@crain.com 323-370-2447 Todd Landau, tlandau@crain.com 323-370-2466 Regional Sales Managers 6500 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048-4947 Fax: 323-655-8157 NEW YORK Scott Ghedine sghedine@crain.com, 212-210-0126 Henry Woodhouse hwoodhouse@crain.com, 212-210-0125 Regional Sales Managers 711 Third Ave., New York, NY 10017-4036 Fax: 212-210-0489 CHICAGO Jim Farnan, Regional Sales Manager jfarnan@crain.com, 312-649-5257 360 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60601-3806 Fax: 312-649-5265 Person to person largest-volume Lexus dealership. The store sold 7,727 new Lexus Ken Czubay: Rides motorcycles, but not to work: “I’m a corporate guy.” into making me something. Back in Detroit, it’s a different story. Every time I’m there, we get some people together and go down to Lafayette Coney Island in Hamtramck. Or Buddy’s Rendezvous (pizza). How much time do you spend at NASCAR events now that Toyota is involved? As much as possible. We turn the races into big dealer events. We run sales contests and gave tickets away to the Daytona 500 to dealership salespeople. Our dealers really love it. I’ll go into the pits and watch the race — wherever they’ll let me go. What’s it like competing with Rick Hendrick? You know, that’s kind of funny. Rick is one of our Toyota dealers there in North Carolina, right in the center of NASCAR country. His team is the one to beat, as everybody knows. He’s tough competition. I see him at the races. I’ll go over and wish him well, and he wishes us well. But then we go back to our corners and go at it pretty vigorously. In addition to running Southeast Toyota, you also run the biggest Lexus dealership in the world. How do you divide your time? I set aside Wednesdays and Saturdays just for the dealership. I go work there. I’ll spend the day meeting with all the departments and help out on whatever they need me to do. But here’s the trick to that: Have great managers. My general manager at the dealership, our sales manager, service manager, they’re all really good. They know what they’re doing. My role when I’m there is to coach, solve problems, if there are any. Southeast Toyota always seemed like the shadow of the man who founded it, Jim Moran. Has the culture of the company changed at all since he passed away last year? I think a lot of people assumed that that would happen, but I can tell you that it won’t happen. I worked for 17½ years sitting 35 feet from Mr. Moran’s office. He influenced me. He was a huge mentor to me. His DNA is alive in this company. He inspired his managers and all of our people with his attitudes about how to treat the customer. And that’s never going to change. — Lindsay Chappell The NEW way to eW y buy & sell NEW y lW vehicles with other s h r same-brand dealers! d r ter Early-Adopte Early-Adop Us Use Do you ride the Harley to work? Oh, no. I’m a corporate guy. I can’t do that. • Fix your inventory mix • Reduce floor plan costs • Buy & sell inside & outside of your district • Peer-to-peer pricing • Keep a more profitable inventory You’re a Detroiter, aren’t you? From Hamtramck, no less. Yes, I am. So where do you go in south Florida when you get homesick for golabki and pierogi? Ah, that’s tough. There’s not much available in the area. I’ll tell you my secret. We have a guy at our JM Lexus dealership who makes great krushiki, which is a Polish crispy wings thing, with pastry. It’s great. The Salon at the dealership makes some wonderful international food. When I get in the mood, I can talk them FER NO R ISK OF It e It FREE ! 2008 30,, 2008 Unti April 30 Untill April Join the Evolution! www.thirdlot.com CONFERENCES Libby Irwin, Conference Director lirwin@crain.com, 313-446-0420 Shauna Vercher-Morrow Special Events Manager svercher-morrow@crain.com, 313-446-0485 WWW.AUTONEWS.COM John Fitzgerald, Director of Business Planning and Online Commerce jfitzgerald@crain.com, 313-446-1679 CIRCULATION subs@crain.com 888-446-1422 (U.S. & Canada) 313-446-1662 (all other locations) Fax: 313-446-6777 To subscribe via the Web www.autonews.com/subscribe.htm Patrick Sheposh, Circulation Director Lauren Cialella, Circulation Manager Jennifer Natone, Circulation Coordinator Subscriptions U.S. 1 year, $155; 2 years, $266. Canada $239 (U.S.); other countries, $395. Single copy sales, $5 per issue plus shipping. Reprints Kristi Fulkerson, The YGS Group, 800-494-9051, Ext. 144 kristi.fulkerson@theygsgroup.com Microfilm ProQuest Information and Learning Co. 800-521-0600 PRODUCTION Terry Driscoll, Production Manager tdriscoll@crain.com, 313-446-6062 Larry Williams, Production Supervisor AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE www.autonewseurope.com Jason Stein, Publisher jstein@craincom.de/+49-8153-907522 Nina Sauer, Sales and Marketing Director nsauer@craincom.de/+49-6992-884646 AUTOMOBILWOCHE www.automobilwoche.de Helmut Kluger, Publisher hkluger@craincom.de/+49-8153-907402 Thomas Heringer Sales and Marketing Director theringer@craincom.de/+49-8153-907404 http://www.autonews.com http://www.thirdlot.com http://www.thirdlot.com http://WWW.AUTONEWS.COM http://www.autonews.com/subscribe.htm http://www.mudd.com http://www.yourchevyagency.com http://www.autonewseurope.com http://www.automobilwoche.de

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Automotive News - March 3, 2008

Bob Nardeli's new big-idea guy New Kia boss reaches out to restless dealers Scion hits a wall Lithia losses raise caution flag Detroit 3 shun talk of NAFTA do-over Lincoln names new marketing manager Mercedes to launch hybrid sedan in '09 Mazda has new top marketing exec M-B will hit the road with 50-state diesels Pontiac puts big ad bucks into traditional media for G8 Reynolds, ADP diverge on growth strategies Ford plans to cut fleet sales 10% in 2008 Mazda: New models, styling will boost its loyalty rate Run-up to axle strike adds to supplier woes Webasto's fast heater will debut by 2010 Russian plant wants to be world's biggest A Lancer is hatched Chrysler throws out purchasing rulebook Honda sets lofty hybrid goal, with Civic's help Honda: Use of ethanol limited, must be biomass Honda CEO Fukui: No recession in U.S., despite soft sales in spots 550 hp? 620 hp? Is GM crazy? Doug Fraser was a great leader How ironic: Lyons learns caution Well done, Doug Don't let Calif. impose fuel rules on the nation Blame the dealer, not the brand Cutting weight doesn't cut safety When Lutz dumps on global warming ... JM exec Czubay: A taste for hogs, pierogi Doug Fraser: A good man to have known Fraser led UAW with 'combination of substance, politics and charm' Autonet finds success at NADA with wi-fi for cars GM to sell medium-truck business, keep dealer network Web classified ad firms renew marketing to dealers, buyers Chery designs venture's vehicles China venture eyes 20,000 Fiesta hatchback sales Toyota plans crossovers in China Dongfeng, YuAn plan minicars BMW shakes up global marketing, sales ranks Delphi divestiture boosts forging supplier Is Blackhawk purchase bucking a trend? Repair company grows as Detroit 3 struggle BorgWarner unit expands German automakers seek more parts sourced in North America Hyundai picks ArvinMeritor Japan parts firm to build Miss. plant Nissan to increase spending on IT Purchase keeps Tenn. plant open Automakers hit with apartheid claims Mexico sales flat in January Ford prices '09 Flex atop crossover line Hamp rejoins Visteon board RV deliveries decline 3.4% in December Subaru lowers Forester price Personnel Bright future for LED headlight suppliers? Valeo's Morin to Pardus: Learn before you leap German automakers aren't worried about U.S. recession Porsche's Wiedeking: We must retool VW Europe's loud debate over quieter tires Noise level depends on the tires, the road Auto industry robotics spending jumps 43% in 2007 Electronic brakes struggle to get traction Big Texas dealer returns to some domestic brands AutoNation chief sees tough '08, better '09 In downturn, Sonic looks beyond new cars GM promotes service, parts leads for dealerships 10 cool dealership technologies found at NADA Dealers Kia will build transmissions at Georgia plant Gibson leaves DealerTrack board Akebono closing Kentucky plant Feds issue Ford fire warning Magna net income drops VW to use Siemens' software A tale of 2 exhaust systems EU wants CO2 in ads; battle looms Maize malaise stalls ethanol Tata to siesta during Ford's Fiesta Honda moves its American bike offshore Honda will recycle cycle plant Tom LaSorda's multimillion-dollar smile

Automotive News - March 3, 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.