SAT #28 - 🥳 43 Years And Counting

Did you know that our first speaker set live on the ASOTU CON website accounts for representatives from dealers and groups representing over 1000 rooftops? Ok, cool, now you do.

Real conversations about real operations and collaboration (and Jesse Cole). Get those tix now!

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, & Chris

INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHT

Embracing Everything with Tony Owens

ASOTU's Chris Reeves spoke with industry veteran Tony Owens, Assistant Service Manager at Germain Motor Company. With over four decades of experience in the automotive world, Tony's unique perspective on leadership, resilience, and change is both enlightening and inspiring. He's seen everything from the rise of social media and the internet to the emergence of electric vehicles, all while nurturing a lifelong passion for cars and people. Today, we'll dive into his journey, his predictions for the future, and his plans before and after retirement.

Thanks for taking some time for us, Tony. Your online presence screams, "More Than Cars," our favorite language, so a talk was overdue!

My passion is to inspire other people. That's what I want to do every day. Auto is a people business. So, customers or teammates, the people, come first.

When did you start in the industry? 

July 15, 1980. My career just turned 43 years. I've loved every day of it.

I want to make it seven more, an even 50.

What have been some exciting moments in that 43 years? Any fads that stuck, or apocalypses that fizzled out?

There are so many! In my mind, the biggest thing has been COVID. It has totally changed communication.

It helped me realize that if you manage 50 people, you manage them in 50 different ways. Everybody has their own motivation, and you have to find that motivation. Managing people is the toughest part. But man, when you do it right, it works perfectly.

I kinda learned that by accident. Back when I started, I didn't have access to social media, which makes learning from other peoples’ experiences so easy.

I guess you saw the rise of cell phones, social media, and even the internet as we know it today in your career. Were you a quick adopter or a holdout like me?

I'm not afraid to say it. I managed a Ford dealership, and I was the last person in the dealership to get rid of my flip phone and get a smartphone.

And now I never get off it. I spend 20 hours a week learning this business, front and back because there's so much information out there. I'm like a sponge. I want to read as much as I can and know as much as I can. It's been revolutionary.

What about the future? What do you see coming up – opportunity or challenge – that you think people should be watching close?

EVs, definitely. I'm a big fan of EVs. I like the driving experience. The acceleration is crazy.

It's an opportunity because I'm not sure the US is ready for them. There are 54,000 people in my hometown with only eight chargers.

Read the full interview with Tony on ASOTU.com!

CONTENT RECAP

The Week in the Rearview

EMAIL RECAP:

• Patriot Subaru of Saco has planted over 250K trees as part of their carbon-offset program. 🌲

• ASOTU parties with West Herr at their company picnic. 🎠

• More than 80 new-car dealerships in Chicago teamed up for the 10th Annual Barbecue for the Troops. 🎖️

PODCAST RECAP:

We released our 100th episode of “In The Dirt” yesterday with our interview of Michael Himes, Master Service Technician at Two Rivers Ford. 🎉

🎧🎙️ Check out the full podcast here! 🎙️🎧

SOMETHING FUN

Don’t Smudge The Hat, Y’all…

More Than Cars episode 2 will be here before you know it. Help us reception this picture from our time with the Beaver Toyota of Cumming team.

Find out how you can get in on the paradigm-shifting docu-series at MoreThanCars.TV!

SAT