The squeeze on margins, incentives, and workforce churn has forced dealers to rethink how they operate. Few know that better than Alan Brown, GM of Sam Pack’s Five Star Chevrolet in North Texas.
At a high level: Brown described dealership management today as a constant balancing act—meeting the demands of OEMs, vendors, margins, and the workforce. Speaking with Daily Dealer Live hosts Sam D’Arc and Uli De’ Martino, he explained that his team recently adjusted its strategy.
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“Over the last…30 days or so…we’ve actually taken a step back because a lot of our team is very long term and paid from a gross perspective. And we’ve kind of pulled back on being hyper-competitive on those negative growth deals,” said Brown, who competes directly with Chevrolet Classic, the number one Chevy dealership in the world.
On the ground: That mindset carries into his EV strategy.
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Right now, the Equinox EV is attracting buyers with monthly payments in the $220–$240 range, as customers rush to take advantage of the $7,500 federal tax incentives before they expire.
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And while the dealership averages eight new EV sales a month, Brown worries about the future of the segment down the road, given the residual values.
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“What does it look like, as a retailer, for us when we try to put a ‘Mr. Smith’ back in an EV Equinox in 24 to 36 months?” he asked. “Are we going to have a massive delta between the current payment and the new payment? And is that gonna put the customer in an adverse situation? Is it going to put us in an adverse situation?”
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For now, the focus is simple—sell like hell until the tax credits disappear.
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Zooming out: Amid these pressures, culture remains central to Brown’s strategy. Every month, the dealership hosts a pep rally with 70–80 team members to celebrate personal and professional milestones.
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“We have the factory show up, the financial arms show up, the accessory side of General Motors, and everyone on our team,” Brown explained. “We literally go through birthdays, anniversaries, top performers of the month. We go through how we did as a team against forecasts—and I’m fully transparent with every number. Then we talk about the new month that we’re walking into together.”
The 20-minute event—recognized with the General Motors Financial President’s Club Award—features 12 employee recognition categories, a Blackjack wheel with prizes up to $500, and sometimes even a local marching band.
Big picture: Having a people-first culture is paying off.
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Turnover at Sam Pack’s Five Star Chevrolet sits at just 7%, compared to an industry norm of roughly 40%.
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The dealership has also been named one of the top 100 best places to work for five years running, while delivering strong performance in fleet, parts, and service.
Bottom line: Some subsidies will vanish, payments might reset, and residuals could disappoint, but the only constant advantage a dealer controls is whether it’s built a workforce that sticks around long enough to see them through.
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