Business View Magazine | April/May 2022

92 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 4 According to Stanko Sr., “In January of 2021, I sat down with our management team and said, it looks like this chip shortage is going to last. We need to find a stop-gap measure. We invested $5 million in our used car inventory and went out and purchased all the 2019, ‘20, and ‘21 late model, low mileage trucks and SUVs we could find. The wholesale prices are quite high, and we are paying almost what they sold for retail before, but it helped add inventory to the lots so we could keep selling.” Although Stanko Sr. and his team have built a lean, mean selling machine, the company also participates in philanthropic ventures, which further sets it apart as one of a few unique dealerships that go down this path. “About 20 years ago, I attended a Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows dinner and decided to start donating a vehicle every year that they could put up for auction to raise funds,” Stanko Sr. shares. “Twenty years later, we still donate vehicles, and last year we gave them a Silverado pickup which fetched around $60,000 at auction. The Silverado this year fetched $75,000. That was pretty exciting to have it go for that amount! These funds plus other donations help pay the charity’s expenses. Besides donating a vehicle, we also partner with them to provide scholarships to deserving kids, which stands at around $300,000 that we have given over our 20-year partnership.” Champion is a major sponsor for UNR (University Nevada Reno) Athletics. As a testament to that commitment, Champion Chevrolet’s name is engraved at the University of Nevada, Reno Honor Court, as a permanent expression of the University’s appreciation and tribute to Champion Chevrolet for their continuous support for Wolf Pack Athletics through generous gifts since 1996. This support helps Student-Athletes excel in both academics and athletics. Electric vehicles (EVs) are a significant discussion point for car dealerships, mainly because they are the leading edge of the rapidly unfolding