Don Hall’s Post

Today we celebrate Charles Richard Patterson, who formed C.R. Patterson & Sons at the onset of the 20th century's Automobile Age. Remarkably, it stands as the only African American-owned and operated car company in history, renowned for producing high-quality carriages. When Charles passed away in 1910, his son Frederick took the reins. Sensing the decline of horse-drawn carriages, Frederick transitioned the business into auto repair in 1913. This experience paved the way for a historic move in 1915 when C.R. Patterson & Sons introduced the Patterson-Greenfield automobile. The vehicle garnered praise for its build quality. Despite initial optimism, the company faced challenges in an era dominated by mass production from larger Detroit-based car manufacturers as well as The Great Depression, which ultimately closed its doors in 1939. While no Patterson-Greenfield automobiles remain today, the legacy of Charles and Frederick Patterson endures, marking a lasting impact not only in African American history but also in the annals of transportation history. #TrailblazingHistory #BlackHistoryMonth #UniGroupCelebrates

These gentlemen are the personification of “best practices”. They increase the value of your busines. Essentially, the best investment you can make in human capital.

Sullivan Tire And Auto Service's very own Paul Sullivan recalls the good old days of working in the tire business. 🛞 In the latest episode of Johnny g & friends, Paul Sullivan digs into the company's storied history and how it's looking to usher in the third generation. Watch the full video: https://lnkd.in/gUNPrm6r #cars #tires #tireshop #tireindustry #tiredealer #familybusiness

More sales records broken with Absolute Results. Congratulations, Myers Orléans Chevrolet, and thanks for once again putting your trust in us to help your dealership unleash its potential and sell more vehicles. . .. ... #AbsoluteResults #Selling #Marketing #Vehicles #Sales #NewCar #Dealership #Automotive #SellCars #Event #VehicleSales #Sell #Agency #Energy #Cars #MarketingAgency #Appointment #Experience 

Why have many of the powersports vendors chosen to remain locked in battle with their franchised dealerships? A couple of times a year I post personal stories from my time in the US Army, a very formative time of my life. This one ties in to many of the current struggles that we are dealing with today. I've provided a summary but the link to my blog post contains much more detail. Have a happy Memorial Day, and don't forget to pay your respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. 1st Armored Division In Summary: 35 years ago, I found myself in the midst of Desert Storm, assigned to the 1/37 Armor's Bandits, an experience that shaped my perspective on leadership, teamwork, and what it means to earn a victory. Our success wasn't due to luck but superior training, equipment, leadership, and collaboration. Fast forward to today, I see a troubling parallel in the powersports industry. While dealers are attempting to focus on moving forward, we are taking shots in the rear from our vendors, and they are incredibly distracting. Many vendors, including Polaris Inc., are in a constant struggle with their franchised dealerships. Instead of fostering partnerships, they choose the path of resistance, inundating us with burdensome tasks and unrealistic demands. My day-to-day involves dealing with an endless stream of vendor requirements—mandatory training, unannounced rep visits, angry customer calls, excessive inventory, and endless certification checklists. This bureaucratic overload leaves little time for what truly matters: training and selling. In contrast, the auto industry offers a lesson. Toyota Motor Corporation’s success stems from its collaboration with franchises. They lead by partnering, not battling. As a shareholder, dealer, and rider, I challenge Polaris to rethink its strategy. It's time for a major executive shakeup (the current leadership team must go), a board expansion to include dealership representation, and a focus on long-term performance. The road to success lies in partnership, not in attrition. Let's choose to work together and achieve great things, rather than remain locked in a futile battle which will inevitably lead to your irrelevance. To read my full post click on through.... https://lnkd.in/eus6KSt7 #Powersports #Leadership #Dealerships #Partnership #Toyota #Polaris #BusinessStrategy #DesertStorm

As we say at Ford, be curious! Rearview Monday - Did you know the best-selling car in America is not a car, it's a truck? Let's ride with former President Bush as he gives Jay Leno a lift on a road in Texas. Listen in as the former president talks about the still-at-work 2013 F-150 King Ranch and the former first lady puts Jay to work. Go Positively Speaking Up, Go Standing on the Shoulders of Giants, Go Always Deliver, Go Outpace the Competition, Go, Ford, Go Engineering, Go EV Revolution, Go Customer Experience, Go Design and Software Teams, Go UAW, Go Strategy Team, Go Auto, Go All Industries! #innovationliveshere #aheadofthecurve #diversityandinclusion #careabouteachother #opportunities #strategy #manufacturing #EVs #Blueovalcity #deliver #innovationneversleeps #changingthegame #relentleespursuitofperfection #newageautomotivehistory

Fascinated by celebrity cars? Ever wondered about the emotional attachment buyers feel towards the prior owner? The big question is: what does it do to the value? Well, former President Trump's previous Diablo set a world record at Barrett Jackson selling for $1.1M. Check out this article to learn more about other presidential cars and celebrity vehicle sale histories and see how they compare. #CelebrityCars #PresidentialCars #CarCollectors #BarrettJackson #HagertyAuctions https://lnkd.in/grcpfNHm

You know, the funny thing about knowledge is that we generally take it for granted. We amass so much over our lifetime, that it never seems like that big of a deal. The fact is, it's a huge deal when you dedicate your entire career in a single space like Automotive. I'm just one member of the team at Quantum⁵ who have dedicated our lives to the auto industry, adult education and technology design. Let me know if you'd like to talk about how Quantum⁵ may be able to help your organization transform. Also, reach out if you'd like talk about cycling or skiing. I can hold my own on those topic too! #automotive #autodealership #automotivetraining #salestraining #oemservices

#tbt The largest (literally) and most expensive (duh) vehicle I’ve ever purchased. Ok, it wasn’t my dough exactly, hence the “justification” presentation I had to give to the LDI board. And no, I didn’t pour through AutoTrader searching for the rig….what do I know about over the road trucks anyway? Fortunately we had the one and only Don Stewart to lead the way (truth be told there wouldn’t be the truck in the pic without him), he not only found the tractor, negotiated the price, and drove it home, but he also located that bitchin’ ex-John Force Racing Featherlite trailer. Next came the wrap (ok there were a million other details to sort out….yep, Don again), we did about three, each one better than the last thanks to Jacob Vaughn (the one in the pic is V2 if memory serves). What was the point? Simple, to give Bikers Choice an effective activation platform to compete with Drag Specialties at V-Twin events and dealer shows/sales. Thanks to Don (that guy was everywhere!) we kept the rig on the road for over 30+ weekends a year, plus all the major V-Twin happenings like Daytona, Sturgis, etc. Was it worth it? Maybe. Certainly our BC sales growth over the three years in which our team lead the project would indicate very positive results (BTW, the true “Tucker era” ended with the LDI 2016/17 MAG merger disaster, bankruptcy, and Monomoy ownership). Bottomline is these rigs are $$$$$$ to purchase (even used), and even more $$$$$ to keep on the road, it’s not for the faint of heart. But if you’re competing in an arena where one requires a mobile brand platform, it’s hard to beat these 18 wheelers for impact.

Use your company downtime to make long-overdue improvements. Before writing our "Quality Progress" article from October 2009 (during a Recession!), Chad Vincent and I noticed that a NASCAR driver won his first race after taking a late Pit Stop under a yellow flag. Why? When he took a Pit Stop while cars were driving slowly, the added fuel and new tires provided for the car cost "less racing position" than when the cars were driving at full speed before the yellow flag. So consider this: What if you don't lay off people during this current downturn? What if you muster the courage to keep your staff, improve your processes and infrastructure...and then be more ready once the "yellow flag" is lifted...and outrace your competitors! Your "race team" will appreciate it and hang around for many more "laps around the track".