Zeigler Automotive boosts employee pay, insurance coverage during pandemic

Aaron Zeigler
Aaron Zeigler | Facebook


In Aaron Zeigler’s mind, keeping all the workers at his 75 Zeigler Automotive Group franchises safe and healthy through the COVID-19 pandemic should rightfully take on different faces.

“First and foremost, we want to keep all our workers and their families healthy from the virus,” Zeigler told Mega Dealer News. “But here at Zeigler, we’re all like a big family and taking care of family means making sure they’re alright on every level.”

To that end, Zeigler, the group’s president and owner, recently announced that over the next two months he will be offering free health insurance to all employees who were on the company payroll as of May 1.

The so-called Zeigler Stimulus Reopening Plan also includes the dealership bumping up the pay rate of all hourly workers by $10 per hour through June and guaranteeing all flat rate techs 40 hour work weeks.

In addition, the company also recently gave away $100,000 in scholarship money to help employees with children offset rising school costs.

“These are crazy times and we don’t want our employees struggling any more than they have to over this period,” Zeigler added. “We’ve been very fortunate as a company, but the only reason we’ve been so successful is because of our employees and we’re always looking to give something back.”

Zeigler said it all seems well worth it when staffers flood his voice mail and emails with thank-you notes and testimonials about how much the gestures have helped.  

“I had one receptionist come up to me crying and talking about how much everything has helped her family at a time when they didn’t know where to turn,” he said.

With more than 1,800 workers, Zeigler Automotive is one of the largest privately owned dealer groups in the country with more than 30 locations spread Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Founded in 1975, the company ranks among the top 1% of automotive dealers in the U.S. and has earned recognition for its commitment to both customer service and employee satisfaction, recently bagging honors as one of the 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in Illinois and Michigan.