Thomas Rhodes

Our Group's Motto "Never forget your customer - Never let your customer forget you!"​ comes straight from the mind and heart of the William E. "Bill"​ Holler, the first Mr. Holler to go into the automotive industry. Long before motivational speakers became fashionable, Bill Holler was an institution! Automotive News described him as a spellbinder, a table-pounder, an evangelist. But he didn't sell cars on personality alone. By understanding customer wants and needs, Bill was able to develop innovative programs to inspire dealers to establish new sales records. Roger III, Chris and Jill Holler Rogers, Vice-Presidents of our automotive group are the great-grandchildren of the fabled Bill Holler. He founded the General Motors Dealers'​ Son School established to prepare dealers'​ offspring to inherit the family franchise and his son, grandson and great-grandchildren were all graduates. From 1929 when General Motors Chairman, C.S. Mott, hired Bill to be Vice President of GM and General Sales Manager of Chevrolet until his retirement in 1945, Bill Holler earned a distinguished reputation as a tireless listener to the dealer, implementing trend-setting innovations and establishing programs to teach the fundamentals of auto sales and quality service still in use today. A believer that a good sales person is critical to our economy, Bill elevated the standards of our profession. In sales literature and speeches he often pointed out that the commander who leads the troops in battle...the volunteer who raises funds for charity...the homeowner who gets the neighborhood involved in a community project...is doing a sales job.