The single most important dealership KPI in 2025, May U.S. auto sales, Jon Alcorn's path from employee to owner

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Welcome to The Weekly, your go-to roundup of the top five auto industry headlines of the week. Let’s dive in.

1. May U.S. auto sales show hybrid leaders pulling ahead as demand holds steady

With refund season behind us and no major incentives muddying the waters, May gave a clear look at which brands are winning on product alone.

Automaker winners and losers in May (U.S sales YoY):

• Toyota/Lexus: +11%

• Ford: +16%

• Lincoln: +39%

• Honda: +7.3%

• Acura: +5%

• Hyundai:+8%

• Kia: +5%

• Volvo: +14.7%

• Subaru: -10.4%

• Mazda: -18.6%

The signal: May was all about right-sized hybrids, and lineups that deliver value without compromising on drivability are pulling ahead.

(Go deeper: 4 min. read)

2. The 70% rule: Tully Williams reveals the single most important dealership KPI in 2025

At The Niello Company, service retention isn’t just a metric—it’s the whole business model.

Fixed-ops director Tully Williams has one rule: 70% of customers must return within 14 months of their last visit. 

Anything less = failure. And he’s tossed out old-school KPIs like effective labor rate to get there.

Big picture: Most dealers don’t know their true retention rates. Niello tracks it directly—and aligns pay plans, service processes, and promotions around driving repeat visits.

(Go deeper: 3 min. read)

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3. The most overlooked source of high-gross used car inventory today

At Hansel Auto Group, David Long swears by one mantra: the dealer with the best inventory always wins.

But instead of bidding at auction, Long builds buy centers that target a neglected source—private-party sellers who avoid dealerships at all costs.

The strategy: Hire baristas, not car people. Follow up relentlessly (up to 8+ touches). And stay invisible. No flashy ads, just 1:1 conversations.

(Go deeper: 4 min. read)

4. Virginia dealer Jon Alcorn's path from employee to owner

Jon Alcorn started as a dealership salesperson. Today, he owns three Virginia rooftops under Dogwood Automotive thanks to a dealer-operator buyout partnership with Jim Keffer.

The structure was simple: invest upfront, run the store, earn equity over time. No shortcuts, just a clear path to ownership.

The result: Alcorn now leads with discipline—focusing his team on daily execution, not market noise.

(Go deeper: 3 min. read)

Missed yesterday’s episode of Daily Dealer Live?

Trump vs. Elon threatens Tesla, buy/sell watch, dealer criticizes Toyota, and more

This episode is brought to you by: Podium

Featuring:

• Kyle Coleman, President/CEO of Coleman Automotive Group

• Harry Campbell, Owner at The Rideshare Guy

• Cody Harris, Sales Manager at Stephen Wade Auto Center

5. Sharp-eyed Utah dealership employee exposes alleged car theft scam

An employee at a Utah dealership spotted a fake VIN during a routine truck appraisal, uncovering a stolen 2023 Chevy Duramax and landing three men in jail.

Zooming out: The suspects had already sold another stolen truck with similar VIN tampering for $44,000. This time, a mismatched VIN triggered a deeper inspection, revealing the truck was stolen from California.

Why it matters: The VIN alterations were nearly undetectable, proving that dealers need to verify every number, no matter how legit the paperwork looks.

(Go deeper: 1 min. read)

Three opportunities hitting the CDG Job Board right now:

• Phil Long Dealerships: Automotive Sales Consultant (Colorado)

• Hoffman Auto Group: CFO (Connecticut)

• Gettel Hyundai Genesis: General Sales Manager (Florida)

Looking to hire? Add your roles today—it’s 100% free.

• Dealers paying more for trade-ins as new inventory tightens – analysis.

• Lawmakers reintroduce bill to reform auto insurance pricing.

• Why Bill Kay Auto is building its in-house content engine: 'you’ve got to be the quarterback.'

• The auto industry has a password problem—and it's pretty embarrassing.

• BofA ‘Car Wars’ forecast: automakers are retreating heavily into their core products.

That’s a wrap for now – make sure you’re following along on X, LinkedIn and IG for more real-time updates.

Thanks for reading. Hit reply and let me know if you found The Weekly valuable or have any feedback. I’ll see you next weekend.

— CDG

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