CBT News recognizes Kody Lowe as a recipient of its 2025 40 Under 40 award, honoring his leadership and impact within retail automotive. Lowe is the general manager of Mike Castrucci Ford in Mulberry, Ohio, where he oversees a high-volume operation with approximately 150 employees. As a 20-year industry veteran and recent graduate of the NADA Dealer Academy, Lowe stepped into the general manager role in November and continues to guide the dealership through a competitive and evolving market.
As general manager, Lowe oversees the full scope of dealership operations at Mike Castrucci Ford, including new- and used-vehicle sales, staffing, inventory strategy, and profitability. The store averages roughly 140 new-vehicle and 120 used-vehicle sales per month, requiring consistent coordination across departments. Lowe manages a veteran sales team and emphasizes staffing stability while navigating ongoing challenges with gross profit and competitive pricing. With front-end margins under pressure, he places increased focus on back-end performance and continues to explore opportunities to expand vehicle sourcing through trades and the service department.
Among Lowe’s proudest accomplishments is graduating from the NADA Dealer Academy, a program he described as one of the most demanding periods of his professional life due to the workload, travel, and need to maintain daily dealership operations. He also takes pride in reaching the GM role before age 40 and in leading a high-volume dealership in a competitive market. In addition, Lowe highlighted the store’s strong EV performance, noting that the dealership ranked first in Ohio for Mach-E and F-150 Lightning sales, reinforcing his ability to adapt to evolving consumer demand while maintaining volume.
"Don't give up... I think just putting in the hard work and showing up and doing things that the other people don't want to do is the quickest way to grow and be successful."
Looking ahead, Lowe sees his future rooted in continued leadership at his current dealership rather than rapid movement between roles. His five-year vision centers on being a successful, steady general manager who continues to build performance, culture, and long-term stability at the store. Rather than chasing titles, Lowe emphasized consistency, growth as a leader, and maintaining strong operational results as the industry faces ongoing shifts in pricing, affordability, and product mix.
