Pub. 2 Issue 1

12 13 www.glancda.org SPRING 2014 An Interview with Mike Sullivan of LAcarGuy How did you become a car dealer? Did you always aspire to be part of the automotive industry? My dad, with whom I was very close, was a Volkswagen dealer in Santa Monica so I always knew I would end up there. I was 23 when I got into the business full time. Do you have family members in the auto industry, any children that work with you or have dealerships? I have three children, 30, 33, and 34 that are in the car business with me. That’s what keeps me in the business. It makes every day fun because what’s old for me is new for them. Rather than doing the same thing over and over, it’s a training cycle now. My son, Sean runs the Lexus store in Santa Monica. Kelly was in the Fisker dealership in Santa Monica, but he now does real estate for us. Meghan is in my marketing department and will be the CMO someday. She recently started our Allstate Insur- ance division. Describe your education background. What did you study in college? Have you always lived in California? I have a BS in Psychology from UC Irvine and a minor in busi- ness. I was born in Santa Monica, and so were my kids. We were all born at St. Johns. My dad moved to Santa Monica when he was four, so we have almost 3 generations born and raised in Santa Monica. That is a big part of what LAcarGuy is. All our dealerships are in one area. Are there any specific individuals that had a major impact on your career? There were three guys between my age and my father’s age: Fritz Hitchcock, Howard Keyes, and Dave Wilson. They all had multiple franchises and platforms. They showed me how to expand and grow my own platform, so I learned to go from one dealership to a chain of dealerships. What’s the most rewarding part of your career? The family aspect of it. I got to work with my father, best friend, and partner for 20 years. Now, having my three kids with me is by far the most rewarding. It’s so much more than being in the car business and it’s much more than just a job. Its’ a family empire and something we are being careful to transfer to the next generation. What do you see as the dominant trends for the industry in the next 5-10 years? Clearly, the internet marketing model is what is changing our industry. There’s a lot of people that are in the industry that are providing a new internet marketing model where there is complete transparency and consumers are told they can buy a car at no profit to the dealer. The industry is leaning this way and it’s really an interesting challenge for us all to be involved and be transparent. What do you think makes GLANCDA membership invaluable? Being members of GLANCDA gives us a link back to the com- munity. Everything circles back. It’s a net that pulls in this LA group of guys and ladies. Everything comes back through us, whether it’s hiring practices, sales or advertising, or charitable or political contributions. Are you involved in any civic or charitable organizations? I’m very involved in a number of environmental groups, such as Heal the Bay, Global Green, Environmental Media Associa- tion. I’m very active in Big Brothers Big Sister, Boys & Girls Clubs, and the Richstone Halfway House for Battered Women and Children, and I’ve been fortunate to be honored by them. Describe your all-time favorite vehicle (it can be one you’ve owned, or something on your wish list). What are you driving today? My all-time favorite is the Porsche 911 C4S. Today, I’m driving a Fisker Electric Sports Car that’s gone out business. And I have a Porsche 918 on order that gets here in the fall. What’s your favorite way to spend your free time? I live in Park City, Utah most of the winter. I enjoy helicopter skiing, motorcycling, and surfing. My family lives a very ac- tive lifestyle as well, and skiing is something we do as a unit.  I LIVE IN PARK CITY, UTAH MOST OF THE WINTER. I ENJOY HELICOPTER SKIING, MOTORCYCLING, AND SURFING. MY FAMILY LIVES A VERY ACTIVE LIFESTYLE AS WELL, AND SKIING IS SOMETHING WE DO AS A UNIT.