Articles by Kimberly Long - Assistant Editor

SF Newsletter

SF Newsletter

The dealership, located in Greeley, Colo., could have easily become a casualty of the credit crisis and recession like so many other businesses. In April 2009, the bank holding the dealership’s line of credit failed and was taken over by the FDIC, freezing that line of credit. “We’ve been operating without a line of credit. It’s been very interesting,”

Tray Bournazian drastically underestimated his abilities when he got into car sales about four years ago. “When I first began selling cars, I didn’t think I was going to make it,” he said. Fortunately, that assessment turned out to be way off base.

Training is of course important to becoming a great salesperson, but sometimes a person just has the knack for it. That seems to the case with Auto Dealer Monthly’s 2009 Sales Professional of the Year, Darrell Lee of Hare Chevrolet in Noblesville, Ind.

The name Sonic Automotive is well-known to anyone in the industry, and with good reason. It is the third-largest automotive group in the country with 153 dealerships and more than 30 collision centers and a Fortune 300 company. Carrying more than 30 different vehicle brands, its reach stretches literally across the country, from California to the Carolinas.

With 15 used car stores in Michigan and Illinois and about 650 employees, RightWay Automotive Credit as it exists today is a far cry from where it began.

Kimberly Long - Compliance in general is an ongoing headache for dealers. Adverse action, in particular, is something many have been struggling to get a handle on for quite some time ... Compounding their worries, dealers will soon have to contend with the new "Red Flags" rule.

Kimberly Long - Compliance in general is an ongoing headache for dealers. Adverse action, in particular, is something many have been struggling to get a handle on for quite some time ... Compounding their worries, dealers will soon have to contend with the new "Red Flags" rule.

Riding out the rough waves of the economy hasn’t been a breeze for anyone, but Phil Smith Acura in Pompano Beach, Fla., seems to be weathering the storm quite nicely. The store, which has been a part of Phil Smith Automotive Group for three years, focuses intently on attracting and engaging customers online.