Bill Cole Automotive Group

7 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 10 B I LL COLE AUTOMOT I VE GROUP Bill Cole, founder and owner of Bill Cole Automotive Group, entered the auto dealership business in 2000, although his family was already involved in the industry. “I bought Honda and Nissan stores in Bluefield, West Virginia, in 2000,” he recounts, “and then subsequently added both KIA and Subaru to that operation. And then in 2010, I bought Nissan and Honda stores in Ashland, Kentucky, and in 2017 added Ford and Lincoln stores also in Ashland, Kentucky.” Today, Bill and his two sons, Jason and Lee, run the family-owned company, which is a proud member of the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association. A valuable employer in the communities it serves, Bill Cole Automotive Group currently has a staff of 300 workers across its eight stores, including sales, service, and administrative staff. Bill Cole admits that one of the main administrative challenges the company faces is employee turnover, which he says is common in auto dealerships because of the general volatility of the auto industry. He notes, “Turnover is very costly to the business because it is disruptive to the team and customers and must be avoided at all costs. Training, remuneration, and taking care of our employees in many other ways are some things we do to retain staff.” Underpinning these HR practices is an inclusive culture that fosters a sense of belonging among employees, helping them understand that they have a significant role to play in the company, no matter their position. “One aspect of our culture is helpfulness,” says Jason Cole, Executive Vice President at Bill Cole Automotive Group. “Everyone in our stores, no matter their department or position, knows that if you see a customer, you immediately greet them and offer to help them find someone to assist them. This culture of helpfulness trickles down to how we work as a company, with everyone willing to help everyone else.”