Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez
Bob’s team keeps winning and winning, even under the most trying times. The Chevy Dealer of Year 2020 is a recognition that all 3,200 dealerships nationwide aspire toward, but it’s not for everyone. Only one percent of the Chevy dealers get to enjoy this honor. Robert C. Vackar once again becomes ‘el número uno’ and is one of thirty-two dealers in the U.S. to savor the success.
It can be said that this victory is worth more because 2020 was also the most challenging year due to the pandemic since the Great Recession. However, there was demand from customers wanting to buy a new vehicle, and the Bert Ogden Auto Group enacted a safe protocol to interact with customers. Bob and his team achieved what seemed impossible, the 2020 Dealer of the Year, the 2020 Mark of Excellence, and the 2020 Elite Leaders awards. These national recognitions were presented to him during a celebration on December 13, 2021, which also happened to be his birthday. Talk about birthday gift to remember!
The event took place at the Fiesta Chevrolet dealership in Edinburg, Texas. Two large, outdoor, upright white tents became the venues for this unique celebration. The event was more than special for Bob and Janet Vackar. After nearly two years of all Bert Ogden team members taking special precautions to protect one another, Bob and Janet especially missed the usual closeness and frequent face-to-face interaction with their team that the pandemic had prevented. While Bob joked that it wasn’t easy teaching an old dog new tricks, no one can deny that he has become exceptionally proficient at working via ZOOM. Nonetheless, the opportunity to gather in a safe and a socially distanced manner was such a joy as they got to visit with their team as a whole.
He thanked everyone for their hard work, and commitment to the company. He said that this accomplishment was due to great teamwork at the management level, while he recognized a few key employees by name, he was quick to remind us all that it takes everyone and the unified dedication of their over 1000 employees as a whole was the real gift. Mr. Vackar went on to recognize the strong leadership and partnership of the manufacturers as a key component to success.
Billy Kelley, General Manager told Texas Border Business, “We’re celebrating Mr. Vackar winning Dealer of the Year, that’s the top 1% of dealers in the country.” He continued, “We are measured by multiple factors; customer satisfaction, volume of units for the year and taking care of the community.” He said, “It’s very rare for someone in our size market to win this award. So, it’s an awesome feat for Mr. Vackar.”
He pointed out that they sell between 350-400 units a month. “The customer experience is significant to us. It’s what drives the culture inside the store. And you see the results in our scores with the factory.”
Billy said that the pandemic was scary. “That is why we put practices in place early, we were able to protect our customers and our staff. Through that protection, we created confidence and brought people back to the market.”
He said that there are going to be challenges in the future. “But I believe that no matter what the challenge is if we operate together as a team, we will be able to overcome them.”
“The team and I are grateful to the Vackars. Their engagement with the communities is admirable, and for what they represent in the lives of our families.”
What do you expect sales to be in 2022? “To be a remarkable year,” he said.
Being the recipient of three country-wide recognitions is probably the top of anything you can experience in the business. However, Bob was also celebrating his birthday. Janet, his wife, led the group in congratulating ‘the man of the hour,’!
“It is so exciting.” Natasha del Barrio, CEO, said, “It’s an honor, only 1% of Chevrolet dealers across the country earn. It is the most all-encompassing award you can win from General Motors.”
She continued, “Not only does it focus on sales volume, but it also focuses heavily on customer and guest experience, our community interaction and philanthropic efforts.”
“I’m proud to know that Bob and Janet received this recognition; there’s nobody who loves this Rio Grande Valley and our employees as much as they do. I said it before, and I’ll repeat it. One of the best things about this award is that it was won by virtue. Just living out the characteristics that Bob and Janet live by every day.”
Craig Vickers, the Chevrolet Zone Manager for the south, central, and west Texas regions, participated in the celebration. His territory is the third largest zone in the country, only behind Detroit and Los Angeles.
“We sell a whole lot of trucks in south, central, and west Texas. And it’s because of folks like the Vackars, the recipients of the Dealer of the Year. It doesn’t get any bigger than that from Chevrolet. Those are our most prominent, and our best, it’s not only high volume in sales, it’s what you do for the communities and how do you take care of customers, so they keep coming back.”
He also said that it was an honor for a zone manager to have a dealership owner win. “There’s a lot of cache there.”
He continued, “What did it take to be the dealer of the year last year? Well, a lot was going on in 2021, but 2020 was no picnic either. And y’all were up 47% at retail for Chevrolet; that is certainly an honor. Janet mentioned it, and I’ll validate that this is a team sport. The Vackars are standing up here today, but this is a team sport,” he said.
Bob mention that Janet checks product inventories, and when some brands are going out slow, she starts promoting through social media every day to create the sales action. Again team work.
During the ceremony, Natasha introduced a video that stated the following: “Mr. Vackar is a man of great vision and a role model to many, but mostly he’s a man of great compassion. His eagerness to share his knowledge and help others grow has made a profound impact on each of us. His drive and passion for the industry are paramount. His foresight for inventory production trends and keen relationship-building with manufacturers coupled with pure instincts have kept us ahead of the curve. Even during the most challenging times. All in all, his visionary leadership has been a source of inspiration to us all. This award could not be more deserved. So, from your team at Fiesta Chevrolet and the Bert Ogden Auto Group, congratulations Bob in being a Chevrolet Dealer of The Year.”
To finalize, Bob stated “The goal is that we continue to see significant retail increases in 2022. So, Billy, take a deep breath,” Bob said smiling.
