From the Motor City to the Auto Mall of America

Spring has finally sprung here in the Midwest. Baseball is back, the NHL playoffs are underway, and I recently hit the road again with Reynolds President Christopher Walsh to meet some of our dealer partners.

These customer visits continue to be the best part of my job. Chris and I always come back with fresh perspectives, new insights, and a better understanding of what our dealers are thinking about on a day-to-day basis.

Our latest trip started in Detroit for a visit with the Penske Automotive Group ’s leadership team. We’ve been operating as their exclusive automotive DMS provider since 2004 and were thrilled when they signed an extension with us last year. I love meeting with the folks from Penske because they always share great ideas and they help us evaluate how we’re performing together as partners.

The next stop on our tour was Tom Kadlec Honda in Rochester, Minnesota. We talked with Chief Operating Officer Tyler Kadlec about our ongoing relationship and what Reynolds can do to help the dealership succeed. It’s not always easy for dealers to take time out of their busy schedules. In fact, Tyler had some great advice for anyone coming in to speak with him: “Be brief. Be bright. Be gone.” He shared some of the things that keep him up at night and I’m grateful for all of the feedback. As we look at how we can help dealers in today’s world, his candor is much appreciated!

From Rochester, we traveled north up US-52 to Minneapolis to touch base with leaders from the Luther Automotive Group , including CEO Andrew Gadient and Fixed Ops Vice President Mark Morcomb . Our partnership with Luther continues to deepen and we value the ongoing insights they provide about the business and how they solve their challenges. While we were there, they also were kind enough to give us a tour of the Luther Technical Training Center. What an impressive facility! It’s an amazing resource for people interested in pursuing a career as a service technician. Kudos to Mark and the entire Luther team for designing a fantastic program.

We wrapped up our time in the Land of 10,000 Lakes with a stop at Borton Volvo , a dealership that recently returned to Reynolds. In addition to getting their perspective as a dealer who just came back, we also got a chance to check out their collection of vintage Volvos. Dealerships are often filled with unique memorabilia and I always enjoy seeing what's on display. It’s just one more perk of being chief customer ambassador!

Spending so much time traveling might seem exhausting sometimes, but I never get tired of talking with dealers. It’s an honor and a privilege to call them our partners. As Chris often says, “Reynolds wouldn’t exist without our customers.” Thank you to everyone I spoke to on this trip and I look forward to visiting more dealers soon!