Business View Magazine | September 2022

200 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 9 purchases are rising (about five percent of all vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2021 were EVs), he feels the rate at which EV growth will occur in Texas is limited. Even if growth is 500 percent over the next 15 years, those sales will still only account for about 25 percent of Keating Auto Group’s sales. “That is significant but it won’t change the general nature of the business,” Ben says. “Dealerships are still the best in the business at selling and servicing vehicles.” His dealerships already can sell vehicles without customers even coming into the dealership, so he is confident that Keating Auto Group dealers are in a strong competitive position compared to national, online only options. It all comes down to consumer preferences. “The government, the state, not even our sales professionals can tell customers what they want to buy. They will tell us what they want to buy,” Ben states. “We want to be customer focused, whatever that looks like.” With the median age of a vehicle on the road in the U.S. today at 12 Livesay, who is referred to as their “relationship guru.” Livesay collaborates with the general managers and operational partners to make sure everything runs smoothly. It’s the entire team of employees who are responsible for making Keating Auto Group one of the most admired dealership groups, not just in Texas but around the U.S. Many new employees have been recruited out of Texas A&M and hired into one of the six dealerships located in the College Station and Bryan communities. The company also regularly promotes from within, which is why there is so little turnover at the management levels of each Keating dealership. Industry trends Ben understands the shifting needs of customers and the auto industry as a whole. But he also believes that the more things change, the more they stay the same. While electric vehicle We’re more than a financial partner. We’re an invested one. It’s an honor to congratulate Ben Keating for his success on the track, in business, and most of all, for being a valuable community partner. We’re proud of what you’ve accomplished! ©2022TruistFinancialCorporation,Truist,TruistpurpleandtheTruist logoareservicemarksofTruistFinancialCorporation.Allrightsreserved.TruistSecurities isthetradename forthecorporateand investmentbankingservicesof TruistFinancialCorporationand itssubsidiaries.SecuritiesandstrategicadvisoryservicesareprovidedbyTruistSecurities, Inc.,memberFINRAandSIPC. |Lending,financialriskmanagement,andtreasuryandpaymentsolutionsare offeredbyTruistBank. |DepositproductsareofferedbyTruistBank,MemberFDIC.