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When Byers Auto Group first opened for business in 1897, it wasn’t selling the high-quality, cutting-edge automobiles it is today. In fact, it wasn’t selling automobiles at all – it was selling horses and buggies.
Now in its fourth generation of family leadership, President Blaine Byers is proud of its 127-year heritage.
“I don’t think anybody in the United States has a history like that in the transportation business,” he tells The CEO Magazine. “It makes us a little different from the rest.”
His introduction into the family business came following his graduation from college when his grandfather invited him to enter the fold.
“I knew the expectations were high that I‘d contribute to the long-term success of the company,” he says. “Since we had such a long history, he did not want me to ruin it.”
Looking back, he is grateful that his grandfather made sure he had a solid grounding in the different areas of the business.
“The good thing is he made me do every single difficult job from the ground up,” he recalls. “I cleaned cars, I drove the shuttle bus, I worked in the parts department. If it needed to be done and it was hard work, I had to do it.”
Running a business where your team is also your family presents its own unique challenges.
“There are some negatives. But the great thing is that across the family you have a variety of different skills and talents,” he says.
“Some are very creative, who work in advertising, some have great people skills so they work in customer-facing roles, and some are better at making business decisions, which is where my expertise lies.”
The key to maintaining success, according to Byers, is making sure each person has responsibilities that match their unique skill set.
“As long as you can fit people into the right roles, it works out pretty well,” he says.
True to the ethos of the company, the family’s youth continue to be ushered in.
“Three of my children work with me, who are now the fifth generation in the business,” Byers says. “We’ll probably have a sixth-generation person here in the next couple of years.
“Honoring my family members who came before me and continuing the legacy is a big motivation for me.”
Byers’ leadership style is characterized by a collaborative, ego-free approach that allows his team to best contribute their expertise to the benefit of the business.
“I collaborate with everybody, get everybody’s opinion as best I can and let everybody have an equal voice,” he says.
After 36 years at the company, Byers is aware of his own strengths. But perhaps more impressive is that Byers also knows his own limitations and is a strong proponent of delegation.
“If I know somebody is more talented at a particular subject, I gather all the information from the smartest people in the room and take their advice,” he says. “I know there are things I don’t know about this business, and in those areas I let the experts run the show.”
The company has an impressive offering of 16 brands of new cars of the highest quality, but this is not the entirety of its offering. Byers Auto Group has a plethora of options for the auto demands of the people of Ohio.
“We have a full range of services,” Byers explains. “So we sell new cars and used cars, we rent cars, we have a body shop, we have a repair and parts department, and we service all types of vehicles.”
With such a wide range of services, it is a challenge to maintain the highest levels of quality across all these facets. Byers says this is ensured via two main strategies.
“First, we make sure our people have the tools they need to succeed. We train our staff to every level of certification they can get and we invest in any technology that’s out there,” he says.
“Then, as far as used cars go, we have an inspection process that we follow to a tee. We never want somebody coming back dissatisfied and never want to have to fix something that we should have caught originally. We don’t want to deal in future problems.”
Byers Auto Group also offers customers the choice to purchase in installments.
“If you’re going to finance a vehicle from us, you have a multitude of options,” Byers says.
The company works with a collection of financial institutions, such as Huntington National Bank, to finance both new and used vehicles. It has also been investing in new digital technology to improve the purchasing experience.
“Something we’re working on right now is to provide the financing options for customers on iPads,” he points out. “This allows the customer to have all the options in front of them, rather than the traditional way where you’re talking to a finance manager and they sell you options.”
Byers Auto Group currently has this technology in one store, but thanks to its reception they will be installing it into its other stores as well.
“We’re getting great feedback. Customers love it,” he confirms. “It provides them with a more comfortable experience in the buying process, which is what we want.”
Byers believes that Byers Auto Group’s status as a legacy family business gives it a unique relationship with its suppliers.
“Since we’ve been around so long, we value long-term relationships more than anybody else,” he says.
Its partnerships will help it achieve its long-term goal of building more stores in the state of Ohio, alongside trusted partners such as Renier Construction.
This philosophy extends to its employee–employer relationships.
“We treat our people like family, and they stay with us. They are then encouraged to treat our customers like family,” he says.
With the assurance that the company is not here simply for short-term profits, customers can put their faith in Byers Auto Group to provide automobile services of the highest quality.
“Family members are directly involved in dealing with customers at every level,” Byers explains. “We want to carry on the family legacy, and give our kids the opportunity to work for a great, great business.”
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