“I am set up to retire but I love what I do so much I don’t want to go.” With a twinkle in his eye and a huge smile on his face, Dan Gobble clearly expresses why he has been a part of the Bartow Ford family celebrating 41 years this past October.

Dan Gobble Parts Sales Bartow Ford

“Bartow Ford has been so good for me. They have treated me really well and always have taken care of me all these years. But if I knew I was taking away from someone’s job and I told them if they had to layoff, I wanted to be the first one to go to give someone else a chance.” Nancy Stone, Parts manager, asserts “Dan is such a great all around guy, always a pleasure to work with.”

Dan started as a counter man at a local Ford Dealer in Wauchula. In his 6th year a vendor told Dan that Bartow Ford was growing and needed more help.

In 1964 he made the decision to join Bartow Ford as a counterman,  and then as a manager through 2000. “Bartow Ford is a great place. I worked directly under Ernst Smith (founder); then Benny Robles (President/Chairman), Bob Ambrose (Vice-President) and Denny Mullis (Treasurer/Secretary), and they are all just great people. It’s hard to leave good people;  that’s why so many have been here so long.”

Transitioning to an outside Parts & Service representative has allowed Dan to make a change to be in the field calling on accounts, fulfilling orders and servicing fleet accounts for parts and service. “If a customer is out in the field and they have a problem I guide them into our service department.”

Mr. Gobble lives in Fort Meade and was born in Tennessee. His daughter was 6 months old when he started at Bartow Ford. Today he enjoys spending time with her and his three grandchildren when Dan is not golfing or spending time in North Carolina with his wife. Dan also works with the Fort Meade High School Athletic Department. “I thoroughly enjoy being a part of the athletic department’s “chain gang” at Fort Meade High School football games since 1978.”

Reflecting over the years Dan admits the industry has become easier because of computers. “But the auto industry,” he adds “has always been great, still is great and always will be great. I’d give anything to be thirty again. I’d start this all over again with the automotive industry, it’s exciting times. I’ve made what I needed to be set for life, but business is only getting better and Bartow Ford is still growing every day.”

Tags: Bartow Ford, Department Spotlight, Ford dealer, Ford parts, OEM parts, parts department, service, Wacuhula