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.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
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.
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