I want to start this off by saying sorry for not getting this out last month, but between factory meetings, dealer meetings, and construction projects I was not able to spend much time writing this. I will try and make sure going forward that does not happen again. With that said, let’s get right into things.
Our People
There are some great stories coming from the markets in regards to recent car care clinics that were done in St. Joe and Lincoln. The focus of both clinics was on veterans and people in need and I know that everyone involved in receiving this gift is very appreciative. In Lincoln the vets even came back and brought t-shirts for the techs. Grand Island is planning on doing their first Car Care Clinic here in October. Stories on that will follow in future editions. “Working to together as a team of teams” and using their strengths, our technicians and volunteers are living our Anderson Value of TEAM when they help those less fortunate in our communities.”
I want to thank all the techs and everyone else involved in finalizing these Andy awards for our upcoming Christmas party. Those techs involved in leading out on this are Jerry Jelinek, Scott Weber, Mark Andersen, Eric Edwards, Michael Sparks, Brian Stump, Steven Lantis, and Bryan Meinders. Thanks guys for all your work on this. Your EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP is helping to “inspire people about the common cause of our Mission”.
Our Communities
There are quite a few impact stories going on in the different communities. One impact area that Mike Heller is working on with some of the tech’s in the Lincoln market is an Automotive Mentoring Program (AMP) where we are partnering with a local outreach organization that deals with troubled youth or kids that don’t have much direction in life. We’re partnering with The Bay (local skatepark in Lincoln) to pilot a mentoring program that matches kids with our techs. Youths with an interest in auto maintenance will shadow our techs on the job, starting them on a career path that aligns with their interests and gifts. The first round of this kicks off next month. There is exciting momentum with this, including interest from Lincoln Public Schools to give the program some more legs. Our hope would be to create a program that we can roll out company-wide. By “promoting the interests and well being of others”, those involved are modeling the Anderson value of HUMILITY.
One other great thing that happened just recently in St. Joe was we had our first vehicle donated in over 2 years to BPM. Our plan is to ensure it is safe and in good working order so we could provide to a needy family in the St Joe area. Great job to the sales team there. By “listening and responding with care to create relationships we can rely on” you made this possible. Another great example of an Anderson Value…TRUST.
St. Joe also just wrapped up their 3rd annual Charity Classic Car Truck & Bike show. This event is in benefit of the local chapter of the Dream Factory. “You cultivated the mindset that all people matter” and lived the Anderson Value of MOTIVATION. Nice work!
Our Industry
A lot has happened over the last month-and-a-half. Construction has begun at the Mitsubishi Dealership in St. Joe. and we’re looking to have that completed before year end. We have finalized our Kia and Ford plans for the remodels in St. Joe and have hired an architect who is currently working on putting those plans into construction documents to send out to bid. I am hoping that we can have those finalized and a builder chosen before year-end. Our goal is to start Kia and have that under way as quick as possible, following up with the Ford project soon after. Our goal would be to have Kia done by the Spring at the latest and Ford done sometime during the Fall of next year. Ford visited our Grand Island store in September and has come up with some great ideas on how we can add a delivery bay and another service drive to the location. We are still working on those plans but plan on doing something to upgrade the facility next year also.
The gas station project in Lincoln is still moving along. Last time I mentioned we were going to put in a Maid Rite franchise, but since then we have decided to not do a franchise and just put in a drive thru for any item that you could find in the C-Store. This idea should make it easier for parents with small kids, handicapped people, elderly, or just lazy people like myself that don’t want to run into the store but would rather get it in a drive thru. I’m pretty excited about that idea.
Our World
With all the exciting things going on close to home, we are also committed to providing help to people in need that live elsewhere. With recent flooding in Colorado, several have expressed a desire to do something to provide relief. One of the biggest immediate needs is for everyday home supplies, and we’ve organized a drive to gather and deliver these items to the people that need them in Colorado. Check out the post on AAGConnect for how to help out with that. There have also been individuals that have expressed an interest in being a part of quick response teams that can go provide rapid aid in the event of a disaster. This is a great idea that we want to support, and we are currently working to draw up some guidelines for how these teams can form and function.
We are also looking at opportunities to help out beyond our borders. We are taking a careful look at select places internationally that we can meaningfully contribute to by sending a team of people to serve. More specifics will come as we continue to explore these options.
Thanks for reading this and thanks for all you do for the company. On a side note, on October 1st, the health care exchanges will be opening up. I would encourage each one of you to go to healthcare.gov and begin looking at your options. If you have any questions about this, we’re here to help. Please send us an email at healthcare@andersonautogroup.com. Right now there is still a lot to for us to learn from a company standpoint, but I encourage you to understand it yourself to ensure you pick the options that will be the most cost effective for you and your family.
-Mike
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