Ken Rodgers

Greater Washington D.C. Area Will Relocate 571-***-****

I am seeking a long-term opportunity to operate and develop a dealership or group into a top performer.

My career history is building highly successful automobile dealership operations from underperforming dealerships.

Among those who have known me for 25 years and will attest to my career history and character include Toyota Motor

Sales VP George Christoff and JM&A VP/GM Mike Casey.

I believe there is a Science of Winning, a "Formula" for success, in operating dealerships. My core "Formula" principles

are: (1) grow excited, well-coached people, (2) design systems and processes with strong open lines of communication,

(3) create a winning dealership culture with a "Wow" customer experience. My application of these "Formula " principles

has resulted in: The Nation's #1 BMW dealership... The Nation's #7 and the Southeast's #1 Nissan dealership... One

of the Nation's top 10 Ford dealerships... And a Toyota dealership which was about to be terminated that became one

of the Region's success stories for market share, customer satisfaction and net profit.

I am a lead-from-the-front, disciplined, hands-on coach, teacher and team builder. I am thorough and highly responsible.

I have a strong work ethic and a high will to win. My success always includes creating a “Wow” customer experience that

brings them back for more and inspires them to want to recommend us to their family and friends. I market the store by

creating a dealership "Brand", a compelling narrative of "Fast & Easy Car Buying", that sets the dealership apart from the

competition. In the New York Times best seller, "Selling To The Affluent", author Dr. James Stanley devotes a chapter to

the impact of the marketing "Brand" and the unique customer experience of the BMW store. This book is standard

curriculum in many college business and marketing courses.

My expertise is developing and leading people. It's always all about people. You can pay people to perform, but you can't

pay them to excell. Therein lies the problem standing in the way of real success in many dealerships. For people to

excel, they need to learn and believe-in what they are capable of achieving. This is done by replacing their limiting beliefs

with new belief systems and by teaching them new processes to fuel their success. I know that most people will never

reach their full potential without someone else believing in them and driving them to new heights of performance. As the

son of a teacher and Kentucky High School State Championship basketball coach, I learned early on that success

requires inspired people, high skill development and committed leadership.

I am a Pre-Med/ BS graduate of the University of Cincinnati. While in college I bought used cars, one at a time, from

private individuals, then reconditioned and resold them. I am married and have 4 sons.

Career History...

Frank Hilson Nissan Ft., Lauderdale, Fl.

1983-1990 Executive Manager & Operator

Frank Hilson BMW Ft., Lauderdale, Fl.

1983-1990 Executive Manager & Operator

Nissan became #1 in retail sales in the Southeast Region and #7 in the Nation. BMW became #1 in retail sales

in the Southeast Region and #1 in the Nation. Both were #1 in Customer Satisfaction. The BMW dealership and I are

chronicled in a chapter of Dr. James Stanley's New York Times best seller, "Selling to the Affluent", must-reading in many

college business and marketing courses. These had been two troubled dealerships. Two separate locations. And two

very different vehicles, each with unique clients and needs. I was able to fully apply my " Formula" of processes, systems,

culture, and philosophy, to simultaneously rebuild them from the ground up. My first step was to grow excited, well-

coached people. I hired men and women who had never before sold cars, dressed them in white shirts and ties (in sunny

Florida!), equipped them with word-tracks and demanded they become walking information brochures. I daily roll-played

with them and evaluated them in their knowledge and effective use of my selling system and in their total learning curve

progress. We counted every up and desked every up. I created "Fast & Easy Car Buying" and new unique, customer-

friendly marketing such as "We Make House Calls ", taking cars to people's homes and offices. Each salespeople would

"Adopt A Business", only marketing to people in a designated occupation, such as only prospecting dentists, or only

teachers, or only boat captains. Our dealership atmosphere was warm and friendly and fun. In the third month, my

primary focus shifted to the people and processes in Parts, Service and Clean-up.

Mullinax Ford Ft., Lauderdale, Fl.

1991-1992 General Sales Manager

This store became a Top Ten Ford dealership in the Nation... with a best month of 1167 retail vehicles sold. It was

a One Price store with a great owner who wanted to have the biggest and best Ford store in America. It began with our

"green" people in white shirts and ties who grew into a team of successful and excited, well-coached people. Our daily

classes taught them our unique selling system, our word-tracks, and our philosophy. Because of the sheer size of the

operation, and the belief system change required for pure One Price selling, being management intensive was a

necessity. With 70+ green salespeolple, thousands of cars in inventory, and the market's largest ad budget, we also had

to have well-designed processes and systems in place to guarantee that our "Wow" customer experience didn't turn into

confusion and chaos. The dealership became well-known by Ford dealers everywhere. At Ford's request, each week we

welcomed dealers from all over the Nation who visited us hoping to duplicate our success in their stores by learning our

selling system and processes. This dealership became so successful that it was AutoNation's first dealership purchase

and was to be their operations blueprint for all future AutoNation purchases.

Consultant to Troubled Ford Dealer Development Dealerships Southeast,USA

1993-1997 Consultant/ Interim Operator

Sent by Ford to assume the position of Operator while training its dealers and getting market share and profitability.

These were all from-the-ground-up, total turn-around situations. Each store required a new culture, new people, new

training, new marketing, and systems and processes designed to make it flow effectively and profitably.

Templeton Dodge Tysons Corner, Va.

1997-2000 General Manager

Templeton Oldsmobile Tysons Corner, Va.

1997-2000 General Manager

Oldsmobile became #1 in retail sales in the market. Dodge became #3. We also received Chrysler's first 5-Star

Dealer Award in our market. Two underperforming dealerships in beautiful facilities in a great location. By applying the

"Formula" for success that I had served ne so well elsewhere, both stores enjoyed strong market share, customer

satisfaction and net profit.

Fitzgerald Toyota Chambersburg, Pa.

2001-2006 General Manager

Fitzgerald Nissan Chambersburg, Pa.

2001-2006 General Manager

The Toyota store became the Region's turn-around success story for Market Share, Customer Satisfaction and

Net Profit. These two underperforming dealerships were part of a large group owned by a successful Washington, D.C.

dealer. To "Brand" the dealerships as something unique and different from our successful competition, I marketed them

as pure One Price stores with "Fast & Easy Car Buying". I hired 'green" people, dressed them in white shirts and ties and

taught them my One Price selling system, with all of its nuances and word-tracks. I conducted daily training, monitored

their learning curves, and taught them to create a "Wow" customer experience. By combining excited, well-coached

people, solid processes and systems, and a winning culture, the results were almost predictable. Our volume used car

operation, also One Price, that we developed and marketed through internet and newspaper ads, made us the premier

destination for used car buyers in three different counties. It was common for people to travel two or more hours to get to

us. Our strong internet presence brought us sales from as far away as Indiana, Florida, and Michigan. During this time

my "Formula" for successs and its results caught the attention of the late Bob McCurry, Vice-Chairman of Toyota, who

had other plans for me.

Coleman Toyota Bethesda, Md.

2006-2007 General Manager

Toyota Vice-Chairman Bob McCurry designated this major metro store as underperforming and needing change.

Through his Toyota Regional Executive son-in-law, Jim Rapp, I was recommended to the dealer. However, with the

dealership management staff remaining in place, this soon became an awkward situation that could not become

productive.

Harrisburg Toyota Harrisburg, Pa.

2007-2008 General Manager

Harrisburg Chrysler- Dodge Harrisburg, Pa.

2007-2008 General Manager

Another operation designated by Mr. McCurry as needing change. These three franchises in new facilities were

severely damaged by the area's failling economy and were eventually sold by the quality, veteran dealer who was tired of

fighting the financial and emotional battle.

Consultant to Troubled Dealerships

2008 - Present

Some dealers seek to bolster their operations only as an exit strategy, moving from a desperation sale position to a

blue-sky sale position. Others simply want to build better stores. Regardless of their motivation, the transparent Day of

the Customer requires a new culture of systems, processes and people.

References...

George Christoff

310-***-**** - Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. Vice President - Known 25 years

Mike Casey

561-***-**** - JM&A Vice President and General Manager - Known 25 years

Don Pollock

954-***-**** - VP JM Family Enterprises/ Pres. Southeast Toyota Dealer Develop. - Known 15 years

Michael Hinson

443-***-**** - JM&A Regional Manager - Known 12 years

Jim Mueller

703-***-**** - JM&A Divisonal Manager - Known 12 years

Jim Rapp

410-***-**** - Toyota Central Atlantic Regional Executive - Known 9 years

Dr. Rev. Bob Cook

717-***-**** - United Methodist Church Senior Minister - Known 10 years

Professor James Chandler

202-***-**** - International Intellectual Property Law Attorney / Longtime Advisor to President Obama /

Former Harvard Law Professsor- Known 11 years

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