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A Simple Man Leaves Big Footprints And The Shoes To Fill Them

Monday, January 9th, 2012
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Denny Mullis, Bob Ambrose, Benny Robles Sr.

Bob Ambrose, Denny Mullis, Benny Robles Sr.

After graduating with a degree in Business Administration from the University of South Florida, Denny Mullis secured a position working at Ford Motor Credit where he would work for 12 years. It was there Denny would befriend colleagues Benny Robles Sr. and Bob Ambrose. As fate would have it, the three friends would later become partners in owning Bartow Ford Co.

Denny began working at Bartow Ford in 1984 as the Finance Manager and in 2001 he became Secretary/Treasurer. After working at Bartow Ford for 27 years, Mr. Mullis says, “The best part of Bartow Ford is the people that work here. It’s like one big family.”

Raised in Mulberry, Florida, Denny is a simple kind of man to all that know him. A married father of two and grandfather of five, he is an avid hunter and fisherman, and loves Clay Pigeon Shoots. He enjoys sports, and is an alumni USF football season ticket holder.

Denny Mullis_The MoveBenny Robles Sr., President &Chairman of Bartow Ford, has known Denny for over 40 years. “In the many years I have known Denny, he has been my co-worker, my boss, my partner, and my friend. I hope to be associated with him for another 40 years.”

Hazel Kendrick, F&I Executive Officer at Bartow Ford, spoke of her experiences working with Denny. “I have worked with Denny since he began his employment with Bartow Ford.  He is a genuine, caring gentleman. What a blessing and a joy he has been to Bartow Ford and to me.”

The sportsman also loves to help others and this shows through his dedication to the community. He is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the largest Christian sports organization in America. He is also very passionate about his involvement with the Peace River Center in Bartow.Polk County Youth Fair

Mr. Mullis is on the steering committee for Peace River’s annual event, “Full Moon Howl”, an event sponsored each year by a group of local business people to raise money for The Peace River Center. He also represents Bartow Ford at the Polk County Youth Fair every year.

Reba Zoellner, Advertising Rep at 97 Country/WPCV, has known Denny since he was in diapers. “He has always been a super nice person. He was the whole neighborhood’s kid, everyone loved him. Denny is one of my favorite people.”

January 1, 2012 marked a significant turning point for Denny as he will no longer hold stock in Bartow Ford. He will, however, remain a consultant for Bartow Ford although spending less time at the dealership.

Bartow Ford Moves

Denny added, “The last 27 years at Bartow Ford have been the most rewarding and enjoyable of my career. The employees (friends) have made my job enjoyable and I will still get around to everyone on their birthday and anniversary when I am here-old habits are hard to break.”Ernest Smith & Denny Mullis

One of Denny’s favorite mission statements is from Ernest Smith, founder of Bartow Ford: “Mr. Smith always said if we take care of our employees they will take care of our customers. Bartow Ford goes above and beyond to take care of its employees, and I think that’s why everyone cares so much about each and every customer.”

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The Unclothing of a #1 Salesman

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
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Marty Wilson started out in the clothing business long before he ever thought about selling cars. Actually, he was in the clothing business for 22 years before coming to Bartow Ford. In high school he worked in a department store, and then in college he worked at Myrick’s Men’s Store. He later became a traveling clothing sales representative, covering Florida and South Georgia. After traveling for a few years he decided to work for White’s Men’s Shop, and bought it after 11 years as store manager. He then came to Bartow Ford in February of 1993, and hasMarty Wilson been on a ladder of success ever since.

On Marty’s very first day at Bartow Ford he sold a car, and had to run back and forth to a manager for help because he didn’t know what to do with all of the paperwork. It’s hard to believe this same confused rookie is now the top performer at Bartow Ford. He has been salesperson of the month 147 times and salesperson of the year 15 times. In 2008, Marty was awarded number one retail salesperson in the state of Florida. His favorite vehicle to sell is the F-150 and his favorite vehicle in general is the Ford Flex.

When asked what his favorite memory at Bartow Ford has been, Marty told a story of a time he called a customer to wish him a happy birthday. When he called the customer, his wife answered the phone, and was shocked because she had completely forgotten her husband’s birthday. She told Marty she needed to run down to the store to get groceries so that she could make him a cake. She did not let Marty talk to him, in fear that he would realize she had forgotten. The following year Marty called again, and the wife answered. He Marty's trophiesasked her “Do you know what today is?”, she laughed and said she would never forget it again after Marty’s phone call last year. When he finally got to speak to the customer and wish him a happy birthday, he was so happy and said that no one had ever called him to wish him a happy birthday before. “It’s times like that when you realize what life is all about”, Marty said.

Marty has been with Bartow Ford for 18 years now, and would not want to be anywhere else. “Bartow Ford is home to me. I spend more time here than I do at my own house. I feel like I have a lot of brothers and sisters here, and a few distant cousins. I would never work anywhere else. If you’re going to be in the car business, this is the place to be.”

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Writing a Recipe for Success

Friday, July 22nd, 2011
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David Willoughby_2Young or old, veteran or “newbie,” anyone can be successful at Bartow Ford if they put their mind to it. David Willoughby has done just that by becoming the number one Pre-owned Salesperson for 2010.  David was named top salesperson in the Pre-owned department at this year’s Sales Banquet, held at The Columbia restaurant on May 1, 2011.  Much more goes into car sales than meets the eye, and if you ask David he will tell you that it is all about how successful you decide to be.

David started his journey at Bartow Ford in January 2009. In his two and a half years here, David has abided by three important words: Trust, Integrity, Honesty. These three words embody the premise on which Bartow Ford was founded. Ernest Smith, Founder of Bartow Ford, once said, “Bartow Ford is obligated to conduct our business in such a manner that there is never any doubt about our ethics or moral standards.”

David is no rookie in the automotive business. “Before I got into the automotive business, I was drafted for Vietnam and trained as a mechanic in the Air Force,” David reminisced, “when I got out, they weren’t hiring any aircraft mechanics so I bought a service station.”

David’s business, Mac Tools, was located in Jacksonville, FL. After 15 years, David sold his business and started work at Duval Ford.

“I got into the car business in the early 90’s because it looked like a good business to get in to – turned out to be a perfect fit for me and the way I do business,” said David.

Around 1994, Duval Ford asked David to come to Bartow Ford and see how they were doing business and why they were doing so well but he could not report why.  The way Bartow Ford operates is unique amongst other dealerships, which David would later learn.  “What I’ve found is that Bartow Ford is successful because they allow us to treat our customers with honesty, integrity and trust,” said David. After working at a few other car dealerships, David decided to come join the team at Bartow Ford.

The way David operates is a testament to his success at Bartow Ford. He attributes a majority of his success to the team that supports and stands with him.  This company has been built on a strong foundation of family and that’s why it is referred to as the “Bartow Ford Family.”

When asked about his future goals, David said, “My biggest goal is to maintain salesperson of the year for the next five years and I have a strategy in place that will hopefully help me accomplish this.”DavidW_spotlight1

David hopes to slow down, after the next 5 years, and travel with his wife.  Some of David’s hobbies include riding his Harley Davidson and spending time with his family.  He is very involved with his church and different ministry outreach programs there.

David shared that, “The measure of success depends on how much you believe in yourself, the internal goals you set and your work ethic.” Every individual has their own “recipe” for success but how it’s cooked determines the flavor of the end product.

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Home Grown at Bartow Ford

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011
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Rob Kendrick started out at Bartow Ford at a very early age – in fact, much earlier than anyone might think. His journey began as a small child, when his mom, Hazel Kendrick (Finance and Insurance executive officer), brought him to Bartow Ford every day after school while she finished her shift. “When I was younger, the daycare’s would close at 6, but my mom had to work until 8 or 9 at night,” Rob continued, “she would have to go pick us up from the daycare and we would do homework or sleep on the salesman’s couches until it was time to go.” Rob recalls, as a child, being here for company picnics and other events. Rob Kendrick-Child

As with most any company, one begins at entry-level positions, working their way up in the company.  Rob followed suit with this premise, “I started working in the cleanup department while in high school, and then became a rental agent. After I graduated high school, I started working here full-time. I didn’t want to work here when I was older, at first, because I didn’t want people to think that the only reason I had my job or was successful was because [my mom] made it so.” To his credit, Mr. Kendrick has achieved great success at Bartow Ford.

During his early years of employment, Rob continued to date Lee Ann, his high school sweetheart. Lee Ann eventually took an open position and they worked together briefly before Rob and Lee Ann married. Shortly after, Rob took a leave from Bartow Ford. “I was gone for about 3 or 4 years but then Benny (Robles Sr.) started calling me wanting me to come talk to him,” Rob explained, “I finally decided to come back and I was hired as a Commercial Sales Assistant.”

After 2 years of working in sales, Rob was promoted to Sales Manager. As he recalls, this happened unexpectedly. “I hadn’t been here for long but one of the sales managers that used to work here quit and the day he was supposed to work a night shift he ended up leaving,” Rob continued, “Benny Sr. called me into his office and handed me a key to the dealership saying, ‘The show is yours tonight.’”  Needless to say, Rob was nervous and did not know what to expect, but with more experience he has become a refined leader.
Robert Kendrick
10 years later, Rob and his team has led the Commercial/Fleet department, spearheaded changes, applying efficiency and processes that have kept Bartow Ford a leader in the commercial transportation industry.

Many people have inspired him and helped guide him to where he is today. “Bob Ambrose gave me great advice, I value his advice so much, he really helped me through many things,” Rob said. “John Hunt, Herb Duff and Mike Bedenbaugh Jr. are others who I admire and have learned much from, over the years.” The Fleet department added Government Municipal sales two years ago increasing business significantly. “Government Municipal sales have become a large part of our business,”  Rob stated, “Most of the businesses we were selling to decreased when the economy crashed and so we had to get resourceful and find other areas to sell – that’s where the municipalities came in to the picture.”

The success of the Commercial Fleet department is attributed to the entire team of commercial sales representatives.  Rob commends each one saying, “Success is achieved when you have good, quality people that are trying to achieve 110% of their capability and this sales team has a good set of morals and values which help them build a good rapport with each customer that comes in our doors.” Rob continued by saying that his department always treats their customers like family. “I operate on this premise: If I was selling to my brother or family member, I would make sure they got the best and most honest deal possible – that’s how we want to treat all our customers.”

Rob is not all business. Some of his favorite things to do outside of Bartow Ford are hunting, fishing, and golfing with family and friends. He is involved with the Bartow Chamber of Commerce and coaches Little League baseball.

Benny Robles Sr., President of Bartow Ford, adds, “I have watched Rob grow from a ten-year-old industrious “good boy”, through the formative challenging years of high school, to becoming a successful commercial sales manager at the number one (commercial) Ford store in Florida.”  Being homegrown at Bartow Ford turned out to be a very good thing for Rob Kendrick and he continues to find new, innovative ways to keep top status in the commercial and fleet transportation business. Rob says, “There has never been an ‘I’ in team and every member of our team contributes to our great success.”

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Advancements Strengthen Bartow Ford’s Leadership Team

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010
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Carlos Sandoval, Bartow Ford Fixed Operations Manager

Carlos Sandoval, Fixed Operations Manager

CARLOS SANDOVAL

Promoted for his educational background, experience and ambition, Carlos Sandoval, now Fixed Operations Director, is enjoying his transition into overseeing the service department operations at Bartow Ford Co. “The service department is the backbone of the dealership,” Carlos asserts.

Upon graduating from Arizona State University with a degree in Business Management, in addition to certification in Automotive Entrepreneurs and Leaders, Carlos persisted to continue his education. Post-graduation he was selected for a new program, in conjunction with Arizona State University, for Ford’s initiative in Automotive Dealership Education Program for Minorities (ADEPM). Ford’s program was designed to transition graduates into owning their own dealership. However, due to the economy and industry slump, program adjustments were required.

National Automobile Dealer Academy

National Automobile Dealer Academy

Ford extended additional education for one year into the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Dealer Management Academy. NADA has its own training program for future dealers and managers to ensure a smooth-running, profitable dealership through leadership transitions.

While attending the Academy, Carlos learned how to comprehend dealership financial statements and his education encompassed
comprehensive overviews of a Ford store including in-depth working knowledge of each department within the store. His final project involved evaluating a dealer’s processes and making recommendations for improvement. Upon completion graduates were encouraged to seek management positions.

Accepting a golden opportunity to be aligned with one of Ford Motor Company’s top 100 dealers, Carlos moved from Phoenix to Lakeland with his wife, Laurie, their son Enrique, now 12 and accepted a sales manager’s position at Bartow Ford 6 years ago.

Benny Robles Sr., President of Bartow Ford, incites “After Carlos’ program ended we promoted him to Fixed Operations Manager.
I found Carlos to be an industrious young man with a potential to become a very successful Ford dealer”.

“Bartow Ford embraced me as part of their family when I relocated from Phoenix. I didn’t know anyone here.” Carlos added,
“Benny Sr. (president), Bob (vice-president), and Denny (secretary-treasurer) have all been great mentors to me.”

Bartow Ford’s new Fixed Operations Manager will be participating in the Leadership Bartow program this year with the Bartow Chamber of Commerce.

In his free time Carlos enjoys road biking, running, and spending time with his family. In June, he and Laurie were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Phoenyx. “Bartow is a great place to raise my family,” he says.

Greg and Joanie Corbin

Greg (New Vehicle Sales Manager) and Joanie Corbin

GREG CORBIN
As Greg Corbin tells his story of great fortitude with his start at Bartow Ford in 1989, you are instantly warmed by his grand smile and boyish face.
As a young man, Greg started out working for an outside company contracted by Bartow Ford for cleaning new vehicles. Jonathan Smith, Used Car Department Service Manager, offered Greg his first position at Bartow Ford as a lot porter for used cars.

A few years later at the age of 21, recently marrying his wife Joanie, Mr. Corbin decided he needed to take the next step with his career.
So in 1992 he began training with the Sheriff’s Department. Having learned Greg had decided to attend school, Benny Robles Sr. offered him a career opportunity. Greg confirms, in retrospect, the event that changed his life.”Benny gave me a week off to watch training videos and suggested to buy myself some nice clothes. I came back a salesman.”

Greg’s first few months as a salesman didn’t go very well. “Benny came to me every month saying ‘You’re only selling 5 or 6 vehicles a month, we can’t keep you!’ Les Lawn (a legendary Bartow Ford salesman) took me under his wing and taught me how to sell.  After that I was winning trips to Vegas and cruises every year!” he beamed.

Having wanted to become a manager for years, Greg persevered in learning from other leaders in the organization.”Benny would give me
bits and pieces of things to read and learn. When the manager position opened up, I was ready. I learned a lot from Benny Sr.,
especially people skills. Benny is the biggest reason I am where I am today.”

“The first car I ever sold was a 1992 Explorer Sport to a Lakeland Police Sergeant. I still remember the color! It was green.”
Greg continues to get excited when he reminisces about his sales career over the years. “Bartow Ford has grown and moved in the last
20 years, but we’ve always done business the same way. We’re a family operated company with family values. My favorite thing about
Bartow Ford is the people I work with. That’s where the fun is. I also have great customers. One buys his vehicles all the way from
St. Croix and even came to visit me!”

A favorite memory of Bartow Ford, about 10 years ago, is the day a customer brought along his spider monkey to shop for a vehicle.
Greg laughingly adds “Someone opened the car door and the monkey started running around the dealership!
Everyone was trying to help the owner catch him.”

21 years later Greg is impassioned about his career as a manager at Bartow Ford. His plans may also include a new purchase.
“My dream car is a red 2005 Ford GT. Those things are just cool.”

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Commercial and Fleet: All your questions answered

Friday, May 21st, 2010
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Ford Commercial Vehicles

Q: How long has your dealership maintained a commercial and fleet department?

A: Bartow Ford is a leader in the commercial industry, equipped with dedicated expert staff, commercial service facilities and one of the largest inventories in the country, for over 30 years. That’s before the first IBM-PC, disposable camera or digital phone.

Q: Does your commercial sales staff know what they’re talking about?

A: Combined, our 12 commercial sales representatives have over 300 years experience with commercial and fleet sales. They understand custom creations for your growing business. Call them, they’ll prove it.

Q: Do you provide premier commercial services?

A: Our commercial department is among the top 25 Business Preferred Network dealers in the country for business credit and for our quality certified technicians. The pampering is complimentary.

Q: Is your service department equipped to service large vehicles?

A: Bartow Ford is one of the few dealers in Florida to sell and service medium duty trucks. With a dedicated service lane for commercial vehicles only, CAT and Cummins certified service technicians, you can have assurance we provide top quality care and support after your purchase. Call our heavy duty service manager to visit the facility.

Q: Are there tax benefits?

A: There are new tax reasons to ask about vehicles for your fleet.  New laws can provide you with great tax savings on commercial vehicles. Alternative-fuel vehicles and bio-diesel vehicles with advanced lean-burn technologies are eligible for additional tax credits. Be certain to speak to one of our dedicated commercial representatives to see what these incentives can do for your business.
*Bartow Ford as an institution does not advise on any personal income tax requirements or issues. Use of any information from this site or any other web site referred to is for general information only and does not represent personal tax advice either expressed or implied. You are encouraged to seek professional tax advice for personal income tax questions and assistance.

Did you know?

Our commercial department provides vehicles for many municipalities in the central Florida area and out of state governments. We have a wide range of options available and are able to create a fleet of vehicles for one or hundreds that could lift, turn, empty, transport, pull or move just about anything. You configure, we deliver.

Community Corner: People are the most important part in making Bartow Ford’s commercial department such a success. Our team is made up of great people that as a whole supports and sponsors various community events. They are very active with the Bartow Chamber of Commerce and are members of many organizations such as Ducks Unlimited and NTEA.

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$7.2 million in sales and 285 years of Parts experience.

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
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After 61 years Bartow Ford Parts Department has flourished to a $7.2 million operation in parts sales yearly. With 285 years of combined experience, the 17 member staff team continues to dedicate their expertise to sustained growth.

Ford OEM Parts

We believe convenience is key. Having three delivery drivers and two outside sales representatives covering territories from Dade City to Clewiston, Plant City to Celebration and two Ford authorized distributors coordinating deliveries 3x a day, you can be assured your part will be delivered in a timely manner.

A night drop is always available for 24/7 service making it easier to have the part you need when you need it.

With almost $1 million in inventory, we’re likely have the parts you need in stock or most parts are available over night out of our local depot.

Every year, Ford makes improvements to availability and pricing. If you haven’t shopped Ford Original Equipment parts lately give Bartow Ford Parts Department a call and see how affordable the prices are.  You might be surprised.

“Being with Bartow Ford for 31 years I have seen many changes in the parts business and the way Ford Motor Co has been there to help us and encourage us to grow our business” says Nancy Stone, department manager. She adds “Through the last few years Ford has been restructuring the way they handle parts and the amount of vendors they have producing parts, trying to simplify and lower expenses to help us to be comparable to the aftermarket parts houses.”

DID YOU KNOW? The Original Manufacturer Equipment parts we sell are the parts that were made specifically for Ford vehicles and are exactly the same as the ones that were built on your new vehicle.

Ford Motor Company gas engines and transmissions have a 36 month/100,000 mile warranty. That is the best in the industry.

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