Business View Magazine | April/May 2022

109 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 4 MONACO FORD more comfortable for the customers. Chrissy reports, “We were very lucky in Connecticut where we didn’t have to shut down. We did need to keep the doors closed, so a lot of business was done remotely over the phone, through email, via text, in the parking lot… but we were fortunate that we could still offer our services to the public.” The Monaco Ford dealership has had a ton of interest in the F150 Lightning (electric) and a lot of orders, but only had allocation for 20 percent of those orders. Mike confirms, “There is a huge demand. People are really excited for it. That and the Mach E (the all-electric Mustang). We sell every Mach E as soon as it lands, if we happen to have any for stock. We’re really into renewable energy; we have two charging stations at each store, we also have solar at the big store.” Giving back to the community is a time- honored tradition for the Monaco family and that commitment held strong during COVID. As Chrissy shares, “That’s one thing that was passed down generationally to us. We are actively involved during the community – it takes a lot of time, energy, and effort but we are passionate about it. We sponsor youth teams, and the ‘Y’, Oak Hill, and we’re heavily involved in the veteran community, because generationally it’s been such an important part of the Monaco families’ lives, most recently with Mike. Our staff are also strongly aligned with our involvement. Child development, families, veterans – that’s what we’re all about.” Mike sums up the future with some keen insights: “We strive to be better than our peers, so that will keep us sharp and I think only the strong will survive. Just like in 2008, it will continue to make us better and that’s what the customers deserve. Our Great Grandfather, Peter, was very innovative for his time and I think today he’d say there’s plenty of opportunity out there for us.”