Carter Myers Automotive president and CEO Liza Borches said the year 2020 will always stand out as a time like no other for the Virginia-based dealership, just not for the reasons some may think.
“I look back on 2020 and yes it was a year of learning how to adjust and adapt to changing market conditions because of the COVID pandemic, but more than anything it was a time for investing in our people, learning to bond with one another about some of the things that matter most,” Borches told Mega Dealer News. “I know there’s a lot of negativity and it’s a year everyone wants to put behind them, but when it comes to the way we were able to come together it was one of the best years for growing a business anyone could have.”
Borches said she’s just as proud of the way Carter Myers staffers were able to adjust to the added needs and concerns of its customer base during such troubled times.
“I think we already had a level of trust with our customers but the way we were able to adjust to provide them with a safe environment in these times scored even more points,” she said. “Our associates came together as one team and that went a long way in making our bond with our customers stronger. In our community, we stepped up and those changes will help carry us forward and help us to be even more relevant.”
Borches said it all went a long way in also making it a better year for sales for Carter Myers than some might think.
“I would say it was a good year considering everything thrown at us with the virus,” she said. “The changes we made internally to make profits more efficient are things that helped create better results. I would say we had a good year compared to other crisis times like the 2008 recession.”
Finally, Borches said she is proud of the way stayed the course in being true to who the 96-year-old, family owned dealership has always strived to be.
“I’m very proud of our leadership team for the way we didn’t rush or overreact when the virus first hit,” she said. “I think a lot of businesses felt the need to make immediate decisions that included laying people off and cutting budgets. We’ve been fortunate enough to keep all our full-time employees and found a way not to have to cut our marketing budget. That’s helped keep our name in the community and I would say our team has come to understand the mission of the company in a way like never before.”
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