In the late 1990s major consolidation started in our industry. The consolidators were either public or going public. Wall Street wanted them to get big, fast. These companies did not just buy single stores; they bought whole groups and spent many mil

Dealers more frequently finding themselves on the receiving end of a surprise lawsuit In the past 18 months, there has been a clear trend of manufacturers going on the offensive against dealers. In a number of unrelated matters, manufacturers have br

Making progress on the allocation front In my April 2012 column in Dealer magazine, “Allocation – Where Have All the Vehicles Gone?” we talked about the challenges facing certain dealers with regard to receiving a fair and adequate allocation o

As a business succession planner I believe family harmony is a component of the Succession Matrix. On a day-to-day basis I deal with the good, the bad and the ugly of family business.  The good gives me encouragement that family business succession

Any time I break the light in the door of a dealership there is discussion on the topic of leadership. Common comments include: “I don’t know who will lead the group after I am gone”, “We cannot find good people who want to lead”, “My kid

The auto dealership business is very cyclical. It goes up and down with the economy. When the economy is strong, auto sales usually rise. Alternatively, when the economy is weak, auto sales usually fall. The most recent cycle was a particularly drama

As we anticipated, the 2010 census data has made its way through the manufacturers’ computer systems and has resulted in changes to many dealers’ areas of responsibility. Chrysler, Ford, Nissan and Toyota have already sent notices to dealers of c

I am pleased to have Bob Glaser, the CEO of the North Carolina Automotive Dealers Association (NCADA), as a guest columnist this month.  Mr. Glaser has been the CEO of NCADA for the past 16 years.  He is a CPA by profession and has written extensiv

As a family business succession planner I am commonly asked: How do I help families find harmony? And then more specifically. How do I convert skeptical, envious, petty, self-serving, back-biters into unified families? How do I help them find agreeme