Team building is key to Matthews Auto Group's success

Given the opportunity, Rob Matthews thinks his Matthews Auto Group team of skilled salespeople can sell to virtually anyone.

That same attitude holds true when it comes to the dealership’s staff of roughly 300 workers at their six dealerships across three markets.

“The first couple months can be tough, but we have very long-term employees,” Matthews, the 42-year-old president of the second-generation, family-owned business, told Mega Dealer News of the company’s retention and job-training program. "Once they figure out the job is right for them, we have very strong retention."

To make the transition easier for workers to adjust to, Matthews and his team of senior management staffers are willing to go above and beyond.  

“We found success restructuring some of our payment structure,” Matthews said. “Sometimes, the person might end up earning less but they’re happy because they feel more stable.”

It all seems to be working for the Vestal, New York-headquartered dealership that has seen annual sales swell from roughly $60 million to $200 million over the last decade and is still looking for more.

“We’re always anticipating growth, but it has to be measured and it has to be right,” Matthews said. “We’re trying to push aside the traditional day-to-day way of doing things.”

The dealership’s “One Price” approach has been a big part of that growth.

“At Matthews Auto, we give you our best price on every vehicle, every day,” the company adds on its website. “You get our bottom-line Matthews One Price, without having to haggle or play any of the games that traditional dealers play. Matthews Auto has increased our sales by close to 40 percent since the introduction of One Price, and we believe this pricing approach has been key to our growth.”