(DENTON, Texas – Sept. 12, 2024) Founded in Denton, Texas in 1924, Huffines Subaru has been a family-owned and operated business for one hundred years. General manager Robert Goodwin has been working for the company for 20 years. Starting out selling cars as a summer job, Robert found his passion that would later take him up the ranks in different managerial positions.

            Before becoming a general manager Goodwin sold cars for seven or eight years. The first car he started selling was Jeep, which later merged into Chrysler Jeep Dodge. After moving to Huffines, they moved the Subaru dealership that was in Lewisville, Texas along with Chevy to Denton leading to Subaru and Kia. One of Goodwin’s memorable moments took place during the great recession in 2009. The manufacturers for Chrysler Jeep, Dodge and Chevrolet went bankrupt.

            “The Great Recession of 2008 to 2009 was the worst economic downturn in the U.S. Since the Great Depression,” said Duggan Wayne

            Goodwin sees all departments at Huffines Subaru which include new car sales, used car sales, finance and insurance along with service and parts. The hiring and interview process is another aspect of being a general manager. Depending on the position, there are certain qualities he looks for during the interview process. Overall having leadership qualities and any previous work in sales are highly preferred.

            “It’s more of having a servant attitude is what we’re really looking for and enthusiasm in somebody,” says Goodwin.

            The car business is a high-ranking indicator of the overall economy. According to Forbes Magazine “The U.S. auto industry is a heavyweight presence in the U.S. economy, representing 3% of gross domestic product.” When it comes to economics, this remains a challenge withing the car dealership business. This industry is always employing a wide range of people in dealerships to manufacturers and suppliers. It is always important to understand how economics play a role within this industry along with the amount of people working on the front lines and those behind the scenes. (Find quote about economics and car business)

            “When the car business is not healthy, typically the economy is not healthy,” says Goodwin.

Just like with any other business trying to grow and improve, Goodwin and his team work together to forecast growth and improve retention within the business. Forecasting growth on a yearly basis is important for the company. They are able to see how much progress has been made and what the future of the company will look like. With the primary goal here at Huffines Subaru being retention, the service department provides resources which help make the process of getting car services peaceful and straight to the point. This service is what leads to retaining customers and gaining new ones.

“People who service their car here regularly are much more likely to buy another car,” says Goodwin.

Huffines Subaru has been around since 1924. Evolving over time, it is known for its reliability, performance features and it’s affordable to those who don’t want to put themselves in debt after buying a new car. Subaru makes a promise to the community and customers employing five pillars: environment, health, education, pets and community and the Subaru Share the Love event. Subaru goes out of its way to show that it is not about the cars they sell, but about the people and the surrounding communities.

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Promotional tweet: What sets Subaru apart? Our hardworking employees such as General Manager, Robert Goodwin. Read more about his story at the link below. #Sales #Subaru #GeneralManager

Photo Captions

Photo #1: General manager Robert Goodwin on the left  discusses last month’s sales reports with a fellow employee.

Photo #2: General Manager Robert standing on the right side, educates an employee about the latest features on Subaru’s newest model.

Media Outlets:

   Forbes magazine

   I chose Forbes magazine because they have already produced a story on Subaru ranking best brand twice in a row. I feel that my feature story would shed light to not only the company and who is in charge but, bringing more attention to Subaru being more than just a car company. Subaru cares for its customers and striving to give back to the communities.

   Subaru U.S. Media Center

   They produced an article about Subaru appointing new executives to the leadership team. Since Robert Goodwin is the general manager for the Huffines location, having a feature story giving light to him and what he has done with the company. Also shedding light about how this location is progressing could inspire other dealerships in the Dallas-Forth Worth area, bringing in sales and new customers.