Pub. 2 2019-2020 |Issue 2

20 How did you become a car dealer? Did you always aspire to be part of the automotive industry? I actually never planned on becoming a car dealer — I was planning on becoming a doctor. I was going to the U of U, studying biology and chemistry. After my sophomore year, I went home for the summer. I was able to “shadow” a doctor in our hometown, which was eye-opening and set me on the path of becoming a dealer. Two things happened that summer; the first was a conversation with the doctor I was shadowing. I asked him for career advice, specifically what would he do if he wasn’t a doctor — and he told me that he would still be a doctor, but he would also own a car dealership. Interestingly, I had family in the car business and thought that might actually be a possibility. But I had never seriously considered the auto industry as a career. My stepdad had a Lincoln Mercury dealership in Phoenix, so the auto industry was certainly in my peripheral vision, so to speak. The second thing that happened was that I didn’t get accepted into the medical school I wanted. I decided to think about it — in Phoenix. I started working at my stepdad’s dealership and decided to take a serious look at the car business. I worked my way up through parts, service, sales and the accounting office. My stepdad sent me to the NADA dealer academy. I never retook my MCAT. When my stepdad decided to sell his dealership in 2001, I knew I wanted to get my own dealership back in Utah. I started calling on dealerships, and in the same year, was able to buy a Chevrolet Pontiac Buick dealership in Heber. I have been here ever since. Do you have family members in the auto industry? My daughters, Savannah and Kenadee, both work in the dealership. Savannah works in F&I and Kenadee is a lot tech. Also, my brother works with us in sales. Describe your educational background. What did you study? I have a degrees in biology and chemistry from the University of Utah. Are there any specific individuals who had a major impact on your career? My stepfather, Ron Covey, and my uncle, Jeff Covey, both put me through the ropes. They gave me a chance and spent a lot of time teaching and mentoring me. I really appreciate their influence. Also, I had many managers while I was learning the business who stepped in and helped to develop my skills. I think good managers — especially in this business — find it rewarding to mold young talent. What is the most rewarding part of your career? The relationships that I have formed over the last 19 years. We have two programs that we sponsor locally that, for me, are incredibly rewarding. The first one is called Cool2Care and we’re in our ninth year of sponsoring this program. Our dealership gives away a car every year to a deserving high school student whose behavior and academics are exemplary. The other program is geared toward teachers. It’s called Cool Teachers Care. We have eight schools in our district, and between them, they choose one “teacher of the year,” and we give that teacher a one year lease on a new car. We do a lot in our community, but these two programs speak to me personally. What do you think will be some of the dominant trends within the auto industry in the next 5-10 years? I think any time an industry has as many potential disruptors as ours does right now, it signals change and lots of it. How it will all shake out, I think, is a big unknown. I know that electrification is here and here to stay. I think it will take a long time to see the effects of self- driving cars if we ever completely see it. As dealers, we need to get good at embracing change. Change is uncomfortable, but there are also lots of opportunities and I am confident that as dealers, we can find a way to be successful. I have a great story along these lines. I was slow to get on board with electric vehicles. I finally signed up with Ford’s program, and the next Getting to Know Incoming President, Danny L abrum