Congratulations to Prerna Patel-Hernandez, her husband Ray and now Big Brother Aryan. On September 8th, at 1:30am, they welcomed a little boy into the world!
Rushil Jigar Hernandez weighed in at 8 pounds and 19.5" long. Rushil and his mom are in good health and home resting.
Monday, September 13, 2010
AFLA, automotive fleet and leasing association
Last week Rick & Laurie Nicoletti, myself and my husband Dan, had the pleasure of attending the AFLA conference in Las Vegas. While Rick knows everyone there and is a past president, I was a first time attendee. I had heard many positive comments about the conference before going, and I have to say, it did not disappoint. They had over 400 attend. There was 2 and a half days of seminars and dinners. And of course plenty of opportunity to meet new faces and catch up with old friends.
The theme of the conference was "turn change into opportunity". Everything in the world seems to be changing and we all need to make this time one of new chances for us, both professionally and personally. The seminars were relevant, interesting, and educational. We heard inspirational stories about not giving up. We got expert opinions about fleet vehicle longevity, the global fleet market, the US toll system (far more interesting that it sounded!), fleet legal liabilities, the overall auto industry health, and social networking. Bob Lutz received the lifetime achievement award and was refreshing as usual with his direct opinions on the auto industry and a few other topics! Each topic was fresh for today and I learned a lot over the 2 days.
My husband and I had a great time with many people. Fleet Street, Union Leasing, State Farm, Auto Truck, Farmers Insurance, the LDS church, the Farm Bureau, and many others, had representatives there we had the pleasure of spending time with this year.
I would like to throw a shot out to Marcene Oberholtz, who's husband Dave is with the Farm Bureau, and Corey Stanley of Auto Truck. My husband Dan finally met his match in the Iowa/Iowa State world of statistics!! Who knew we had to go to Vegas to get his fill on Iowa sports talk! As an Indiana University Hoosier and DePaul University Blue Devil, I just can't relate to his love of Iowa sports! These 2 completely understood (even if Marcene is a Cyclone fan)!
The theme of the conference was "turn change into opportunity". Everything in the world seems to be changing and we all need to make this time one of new chances for us, both professionally and personally. The seminars were relevant, interesting, and educational. We heard inspirational stories about not giving up. We got expert opinions about fleet vehicle longevity, the global fleet market, the US toll system (far more interesting that it sounded!), fleet legal liabilities, the overall auto industry health, and social networking. Bob Lutz received the lifetime achievement award and was refreshing as usual with his direct opinions on the auto industry and a few other topics! Each topic was fresh for today and I learned a lot over the 2 days.
My husband and I had a great time with many people. Fleet Street, Union Leasing, State Farm, Auto Truck, Farmers Insurance, the LDS church, the Farm Bureau, and many others, had representatives there we had the pleasure of spending time with this year.
I would like to throw a shot out to Marcene Oberholtz, who's husband Dave is with the Farm Bureau, and Corey Stanley of Auto Truck. My husband Dan finally met his match in the Iowa/Iowa State world of statistics!! Who knew we had to go to Vegas to get his fill on Iowa sports talk! As an Indiana University Hoosier and DePaul University Blue Devil, I just can't relate to his love of Iowa sports! These 2 completely understood (even if Marcene is a Cyclone fan)!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Hello all you Bloggers : ) I am Lisa Mastrodomenico and this is my story...
I was raised on a Ranch in Northern Minnesota. My family owns and operates one of the largest “open door” Rodeo’s in the USA. I try to go home at least 3 times a year to visit. One of the “required” times I do go is to assist with running the hometown Rodeo, which takes place the last full weekend every July. This year will mark the 56th Annual North Star Stampede.
As I am not much of an out-doorsy kind of girl, I moved to the Big City after I graduated. I met my husband here and we have two wonderful children. A son age 11 and a daughter age 16. I say wonderful children to convince myself we can get thru the pre-teen and teenage years : )
Prior to having children I started working at a large life insurance company in the Annuity Department. I handled tax reporting of 1099’s and 5498’s. After 10 years and two kids, the company moving 45 minutes north and our family relocating 45 minutes south, I had to resign in order to spend some quality time with my kids at home and not in the car.
I was hired by Rick Nicoletti in May 2004. My initial responsibility was processing Vehicle Billing / CD Paperwork and have since slowly moved into the Vehicle Registration Renewal role. I do have to say that Illinois is not a bad state to live in as far as purchasing and licensing and titling a new and/or used vehicle is concerned. There are some states out there that are kinda difficult to work with.
So if you have vehicle registration, renewal, and/or replating/re-titling needs, give me a call or an email and we can discuss them!!
630-455-2913
lmastro@napletonfleet.com
Later for now : )
I was raised on a Ranch in Northern Minnesota. My family owns and operates one of the largest “open door” Rodeo’s in the USA. I try to go home at least 3 times a year to visit. One of the “required” times I do go is to assist with running the hometown Rodeo, which takes place the last full weekend every July. This year will mark the 56th Annual North Star Stampede.
As I am not much of an out-doorsy kind of girl, I moved to the Big City after I graduated. I met my husband here and we have two wonderful children. A son age 11 and a daughter age 16. I say wonderful children to convince myself we can get thru the pre-teen and teenage years : )
Prior to having children I started working at a large life insurance company in the Annuity Department. I handled tax reporting of 1099’s and 5498’s. After 10 years and two kids, the company moving 45 minutes north and our family relocating 45 minutes south, I had to resign in order to spend some quality time with my kids at home and not in the car.
I was hired by Rick Nicoletti in May 2004. My initial responsibility was processing Vehicle Billing / CD Paperwork and have since slowly moved into the Vehicle Registration Renewal role. I do have to say that Illinois is not a bad state to live in as far as purchasing and licensing and titling a new and/or used vehicle is concerned. There are some states out there that are kinda difficult to work with.
So if you have vehicle registration, renewal, and/or replating/re-titling needs, give me a call or an email and we can discuss them!!
630-455-2913
lmastro@napletonfleet.com
Later for now : )
Thursday, June 17, 2010
The Second Part of the Story
Kristen took the lead to tell a little bit about the Napleton family and their history in the automobile industry. I’m going to take you back to 1992 and my arrival at Napleton.
For those of you who are long-time customers and friends, you’ll remember that I was at the Faul Fleet Group (along with Sue Gathercoal, Jack Carder, Diane Wick to name just a few) during the ‘80’s and early ‘90’s. We had some problems with our floorplan source at Faul and suddenly I found that I needed to make an employment change. With the help of some friends at GM Fleet and Chrysler Fleet, I interviewed with a number of dealers in the Chicago area.
My first interview at Ed Napleton Oldsmobile (remember when Oldsmobile was a hot fleet car?) was with the General Manager John Brakulis. John and I hit it off immediately. John was very upbeat but said that I would need to meet with Ed Napleton.
A week later I was back, spreadsheets in hand, with a projection of what we could sell in Oldsmobile, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Honda. I carefully went through the forecast detailing sales, gross, expenses and personnel. Ed listened but asked few questions. After probably 30 minutes of me talking almost non-stop, Ed looked up and said, “Tell me about yourself”
“What do you want to know?”
“Are you married?”
“Yes.”
“Any kids?”
“Yes, 2 a boy 12 and a girl who just turned 11.”
“Where do you live?”
“Naperville.”
“I like Naperville, nice town.”
“Where did you go to school?”
“High School Quigley North; College Loyola.”
“Loyola! I graduated from Loyola.”
After a couple of more minutes of chatter about Loyola, we realized that we graduated a couple of years apart and use to hang out at the same bar (Mr. Jones). The next thing I knew I was in Ed’s 1962 Imperial convertible going to visit an office building he just purchased. He was talking and planning the remodeling that needed to be done for the new Napleton Fleet Group. I was hired!
I started on October 5, 1992 with Sue Gathercoal. Within a couple of weeks Jack Carder had joined us. By Thanksgiving, Diane Wick was back with us. Just before Christmas, June Levin and Laurie were back on the team. We moved into our brand new offices in January, 1993…and the rest is history.
For those of you who are long-time customers and friends, you’ll remember that I was at the Faul Fleet Group (along with Sue Gathercoal, Jack Carder, Diane Wick to name just a few) during the ‘80’s and early ‘90’s. We had some problems with our floorplan source at Faul and suddenly I found that I needed to make an employment change. With the help of some friends at GM Fleet and Chrysler Fleet, I interviewed with a number of dealers in the Chicago area.
My first interview at Ed Napleton Oldsmobile (remember when Oldsmobile was a hot fleet car?) was with the General Manager John Brakulis. John and I hit it off immediately. John was very upbeat but said that I would need to meet with Ed Napleton.
A week later I was back, spreadsheets in hand, with a projection of what we could sell in Oldsmobile, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Honda. I carefully went through the forecast detailing sales, gross, expenses and personnel. Ed listened but asked few questions. After probably 30 minutes of me talking almost non-stop, Ed looked up and said, “Tell me about yourself”
“What do you want to know?”
“Are you married?”
“Yes.”
“Any kids?”
“Yes, 2 a boy 12 and a girl who just turned 11.”
“Where do you live?”
“Naperville.”
“I like Naperville, nice town.”
“Where did you go to school?”
“High School Quigley North; College Loyola.”
“Loyola! I graduated from Loyola.”
After a couple of more minutes of chatter about Loyola, we realized that we graduated a couple of years apart and use to hang out at the same bar (Mr. Jones). The next thing I knew I was in Ed’s 1962 Imperial convertible going to visit an office building he just purchased. He was talking and planning the remodeling that needed to be done for the new Napleton Fleet Group. I was hired!
I started on October 5, 1992 with Sue Gathercoal. Within a couple of weeks Jack Carder had joined us. By Thanksgiving, Diane Wick was back with us. Just before Christmas, June Levin and Laurie were back on the team. We moved into our brand new offices in January, 1993…and the rest is history.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Detroit-Car City
A couple of weeks ago Rick and I went to Detroit Michigan for the Chrysler Fleet Preview Meeting.
First, Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Chysler and Fiat came to speak to our group. While this may not mean a whole lot to everyone, this was a huge deal. A person in this position does not often show up at events like this. He was casual and spoke to us about everything happening at Chrysler and in the market. Then he sat down on a 3 person panel and answered questions from the audience. He was very direct, blunt, up front, funny, and realistic about Chrysler. The intelligence he had about the global markets was beyond incredible. Mr. Marchionne has a challenge in front of him because it is not easy to redirect a company of this size. However, he seemed to welcome the challenge with open arms. I think all were very impressed with him and his business plan for Chrysler.
The 2nd day we did a ride and drive at the Chyrsler test track in Chelsea.
-We drove current product, including the 2011 Grand Cherokee and the Fiat 500. The new Grand Cherokee is strong and smooth. Neither Rick nor I got to drive the Fiat, but those we did said they were impressed with car.
-Then we took some 2010 Wranglers off roading. I knew those Jeeps could perform in the urban landscape, but they were unbelievable off road. I felt in total control the whole time. The Wrangler really felt solid in the rugged terrain.
-Next we hit the 2011 Chrysler Preview tent. There are some exciting things coming from Chrysler in the next year. The new Durango is the biggest change, a total redesign, and I really liked it. The other things they have done are not as dramatic as a total redesign, but they show off some great new interiors and new exterior lines.
-And last but not least, we got to drive big trucks! The Ram Truck section allowed us to drive these trucks in the element they are designed for...towing and moving things. They handle great and the interiors are more than comfortable, they are practically luxurious.
Overall it was a great 2 days. Chyrsler was a gracious host in their home town. We stayed at the MGM Detroit Hotel and Casion, which was a beautiful hotel with excellent service and food. If you are ever heading that way, I would check it out.
First, Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Chysler and Fiat came to speak to our group. While this may not mean a whole lot to everyone, this was a huge deal. A person in this position does not often show up at events like this. He was casual and spoke to us about everything happening at Chrysler and in the market. Then he sat down on a 3 person panel and answered questions from the audience. He was very direct, blunt, up front, funny, and realistic about Chrysler. The intelligence he had about the global markets was beyond incredible. Mr. Marchionne has a challenge in front of him because it is not easy to redirect a company of this size. However, he seemed to welcome the challenge with open arms. I think all were very impressed with him and his business plan for Chrysler.
The 2nd day we did a ride and drive at the Chyrsler test track in Chelsea.
-We drove current product, including the 2011 Grand Cherokee and the Fiat 500. The new Grand Cherokee is strong and smooth. Neither Rick nor I got to drive the Fiat, but those we did said they were impressed with car.
-Then we took some 2010 Wranglers off roading. I knew those Jeeps could perform in the urban landscape, but they were unbelievable off road. I felt in total control the whole time. The Wrangler really felt solid in the rugged terrain.
-Next we hit the 2011 Chrysler Preview tent. There are some exciting things coming from Chrysler in the next year. The new Durango is the biggest change, a total redesign, and I really liked it. The other things they have done are not as dramatic as a total redesign, but they show off some great new interiors and new exterior lines.
-And last but not least, we got to drive big trucks! The Ram Truck section allowed us to drive these trucks in the element they are designed for...towing and moving things. They handle great and the interiors are more than comfortable, they are practically luxurious.
Overall it was a great 2 days. Chyrsler was a gracious host in their home town. We stayed at the MGM Detroit Hotel and Casion, which was a beautiful hotel with excellent service and food. If you are ever heading that way, I would check it out.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The First Part of the Story
I will be the first to venture on this blog. My name is Kristen Napleton. I am new to the Napleton Fleet Group, but I have been in the auto business my whole life. My family's story is something we are all very proud of and I wanted to share a quick snapshot of that story. This picture is where much of our family's story came from, 119th and Vincennes in Chicago.
My Great-Grandfather, Edward W. Napleton, entered into the auto business in the 1930s. He had a gas station on Chicago's south side that he turned into a Buick Service Center. De Soto was the first franchise he had where he could sell cars, not just service them. When De Soto announced they were going out of business, Edward and, my grandfather, Fran quickly turned to Chrysler Plymouth as their successor franchises. Fran worked very hard at building his clientele and reputation. Fran's 8 children all worked at the store. Eventually 6 of the 8 went into the auto business. My Great-grandfather could have never imagined that his small gas station would have turned into a national group with 54 stores amongst his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. (I'll quit now....I won't bore you with every detail right from the start, even though I could :))
I have worked full time on the retail side of the car business for the past 10 years. South Florida was where I spent a lot of those years. After having 2 kids, my husband and I decided to move back north to the Chicago area to be closer to family. And that is when I joined Rick Nicoletti and his incredible team at the Napleton Fleet Group. So for me, all of this is a new experience, not just the blog! It has been great so far and I am learning EVERY day!
All of us here will keep you posted as we go! Feel free to let us know what you think!
Welcome to the NFG Blog
Welcome to the Napleton Fleet Group Blog. Our group of 11 employees hope to share with you their experiences, both professional and personal, here. We are learning as we go with this blogging thing...which is part of the experience for us!
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