Wednesday, July 8, 2015

RON GARRETT CHEVROLET IN GREENVILLE BECOMES SVG CHEVROLET

Jordan Blanson, District Sales Manager, Manny Sosa, Zone Manager, Ron Garrett, former owner, Steve VanGorder, new owner, Steve Surman, District Service Manager
Manny Sosa, Zone Manager, Steve Surman,
District Service Manager, Ron Garrett, former owner, Jordan Blanson,
District Sales Manager, Steve VanGorder, new owner, seated
In 1979, Ron Garrett realized his lifelong dream of owning a Chevrolet dealership. The small town of Ft. Recovery was home to Ron Garrett Chevrolet until 1991 when Barb and Ron Garrett relocated their dealership to Greenville. Now, after 37 years of living that dream, the Garretts have retired and passed the torch on to another young entrepreneur with a dream in his heart. On Tuesday, June 30, Ron Garrett Chevrolet in Greenville became SVG Chevrolet under the new ownership of Steve VanGorder.

The Garretts have had a successful 37 year run, surviving the slippery slopes of economic uncertainties with perseverance and a steadfast commitment to their product, the satisfaction of their customers and their beloved community. Their lifelong commitment to customer service is reflected in the dealership’s most recent Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) score -- which was 100% -- placing the dealership in the top 5% of the country!

Garrett admits that the car business “gets in your blood” and attributes his success to being a hands-on, upfront dealer. He recalls with a grin, “In 1979, I could not get to work early enough!” Even as retirement approached, he was there every single day.

Garrett takes great pride in the fact that he personally met most of his customers either on the showroom floor or on the lot. One customer who had bought several used cars from him finally realized that Garrett was the owner and said “I never realized you were the boss!” and that was just fine with Garrett.

He always thought of his employees as “family,” not “just employees" and his “work family” obviously felt the same as several were with him over 20 years. One employee just celebrated his 40th birthday and has been employed there since high school.

Garrett’s dealership was a Monday-Saturday operation from the very beginning, always closing on Sunday to allow the Garretts and their employees to enjoy their families. As Garrett explained, “I’ve always said if you can’t get it done in six days, you can’t get it done in seven either. People deserve a day off, including my wife and me.”

The Garretts have been two of Chevrolet’s biggest cheerleaders. They reminisce about friendships they formed with other Chevy dealers over the years and the exciting dealership events they
attended annually. The dealership office was decorated with a beautiful Chevrolet mirror listing all of their employees' names -- a gift from those employees – and a wall full of Chevrolet collector cars. In 37 years, the Garretts saw many Chevrolet slogans come and go, but they admit that their favorite was always “Heartbeat of America” because it represented what Chevrolet has always been to them – a true American icon.

While retiring is never an easy decision, Garrett said, “It’s time. I feel good about turning the reins over to Steve. I believe that he will continue to run the dealership the way that I have with the same goals – keeping the customers happy and satisfied. I am glad that this is a big dream for Steve as my own dream is now coming to an end.”

The Garretts are very grateful for their customers and want to thank them for their trust over the years. Ron said, “I thank them for making me who I am and who I was. They gave me my reputation – I just earned it!”

And what about this VanGorder fellow? VanGorder has been in the auto business for 22 years and in the Dayton area for 20 of those. He is President of SVG Motors in Vandalia, known for making notoriously painful used car purchasing a pleasant and satisfying experience by presenting all of the facts to the customer and enabling them to make an informed and comfortable decision about their purchase.

Along with that transparency, SVG Motors also promises great selection, financing assistance and impeccable customer service. Locals will readily recognize him from his past “Get In Here!” commercials and, most recently, his unique SVG Motors commercials.

Owning a small town Chevrolet dealership has been VanGorder’s dream for as long as he can remember. “Acquiring Ron Garrett Chevrolet is beyond exciting. I am walking on air!” he said. He will continue to run the dealership with the same integrity as the Garretts, not only by taking exceptional care of the customers but also by being actively involved in the community. SVG means “Superior Value Guarantee” and is a slogan that defines VanGorder’s style of customer service and satisfaction.

The Garretts wish Steve all the best and hope that he continues to be this excited until he, too, can retire. They expressed their hope that their customers will welcome Steve and allow him the opportunity to show that only the dealership name has changed while the employees, dreams and goals remain the same.

Garrett will certainly not be a stranger to the dealership. He will be hands-on during the transition and VanGorder is excited about tapping into the knowledge and experience that Garrett can obviously offer. Their mutual respect for each other is evident and one cannot help but get a bit misty eyed as each of them embarks on a new and exciting future. As they discussed their plans for July 1, VanGorder told Garrett, “I’ll be there Wednesday morning.” Garrett replied, “I’ll probably beat you there.” And he did.

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