Ryan LaFontaine has called Highland, Michigan, home for nearly his entire life. At just six months old, his family put down roots there and has spent decades building one of the state’s most recognized automotive empires. He’s now CEO of LaFontaine Automotive Group, which has over 45 dealerships across Michigan. The group sold just under 55,000 vehicles in the state last year and counts 3,100 people on its payroll, which LaFontaine refers to as “family.”
On this edition of the Executive Profile, we sit down with LaFontaine at LaFontaine Buick GMC Highland to discuss the family legacy that shaped him, the trial that tested him, and the vision behind one of Michigan’s most dynamic dealer groups.
Learning the ropes
The car business runs deep in LaFontaine’s blood. His father began selling cars in Dearborn, Michigan, in 1966 and bought his own Toyota store there in 1980. Four years later, the family acquired a Pontiac-Cadillac store in downtown Milford, where they sold 25 cars a year. LaFontaine’s mother became the dealer principal and ran it, while her husband managed the import stores. He entered the family business when he was just 15 and says he learned it by watching his mother.
He remembers being 21 years old and asking a General Motors zone manager how to become the number one dealer in the nation. But the response he got wasn’t the one he expected. “He started laughing at me, staring at me. He said, ‘Ryan, you got to aim your sights lower. You’ll never be number one in the nation,'” he said. LaFontaine says he never forgot that, but he never listened to it either.
LaFontaine feels that his mother established the tone, culture and philosophy that still influence their stores today. Although she was only 4’11”, LaFontaine refers to her as a giant. “My mom would come in and give you a big, giant hug. She was family, and she just treated everyone that way. Her presence, her passion, her energy, it’s still alive today,” LaFontaine said.
"I don't know how to be an absentee owner. I know how to be in it. Iron sharpens iron. They make me better. And I pray that I make them better as well."
LaFontaine also remembered asking her for advice on never losing his way, to which she simply responded: Treat your employees like family. Treat your customers like family. That philosophy now extends across 3,100 people, which he doesn’t call employees, but family. He says he travels to every store, knows his people personally, and knows their kids.
Surviving economic challenges and cancer
In 2008, LaFontaine was in the middle of one of the biggest moments in the company’s history. A brand-new store in Highland was under construction; CNN was coming to cover the grand opening, and thousands of people were expected to attend. But without telling anyone outside the family, LaFontaine was facing a much bigger challenge: cancer.
He recalled it started with a cough and a lump on his neck that a doctor initially dismissed as a reaction to construction dust. A month later, a follow-up visit brought his fears to reality. LaFontaine kept the diagnosis from everyone but his family for two months while construction moved forward and opening day approached.
He said the store opened as scheduled, but once the cameras and crowds left, LaFontaine gathered his employees and told them the truth.
"I came in and actually told all the employees that I had cancer. One of the most humbling things I've ever had to do. But I found strength in vulnerability."
More than 18 years later, LaFontaine is fully cancer-free.
In 2009, despite the collapse of General Motors and the discontinuation of the Pontiac brand, LaFontaine Automotive Group finished the year as the number-one Pontiac dealer in the country, selling 218 Pontiacs.
“I’ll never forget it. No one can ever take that away from us. The number one Pontiac dealer in the world, right here in Michigan. It was a pride moment of going to my dad and saying, we did it,” LaFontaine said.
Building something for everyone
LaFontaine Automotive Group has grown to 45 stores across Michigan, but LaFontaine says he has passed on far more deals than he has taken, holding out for stores that fit the culture, the geography, and the group’s long-term vision.
That vision centers on having a brand for every stage of a customer’s life. LaFontaine has aggressively expanded into luxury and exotics, adding LaFontaine Performance Vehicles to serve the enthusiast segment. The goal is to give customers every reason to stay within the LaFontaine family, regardless of brand or budget.
“I don’t care what brand you buy. I just want you to buy it from us. And hopefully, once we’ve earned the right to be your dealer, your referrals come with that. So if I have these brands, you never have to leave,” LaFontaine said.
Fixed ops as the foundation
As new vehicle margins tighten across the industry, LaFontaine has made fixed operations a centerpiece of the group’s long-term strategy. The group has added 400 hoists in recent years and has no shortage of technicians. LaFontaine doesn’t treat the service lane as an afterthought. He gives it the same treatment as the showroom floor.
"In a day, we have 100 repair orders. Fifty of them never bought a car from us. If we invest in that service lane, you'll also get the return on investment in future sales."
Having strong fixed ops, LaFontaine says, is the foundation to having a strong dealership.
“New cars are the frosting. But you’ve got to have the cake built strong. The foundation. To weather whatever storm is coming. Whether it’s another COVID, or Chinese vehicles coming in, or EVs, or whatever the next disruption is. I guarantee there will be one. But the strong ones in fixed ops and used cars are going to be healthy and here for a long time,” LaFontaine said.
Affordability, Chinese cars, and pricing transparency
The retail automotive industry faces a wide array of challenges, from affordability to threats from Chinese automakers and pricing scrutiny from the FTC. LaFontaine has a consistent answer for all of them. Give customers options and let them choose.
When it comes to affordability, he says automakers need to pay attention. The average new vehicle price is nearing $50,000, putting new cars out of reach for a large segment of the market. His answer is brand diversification, covering every price point so no customer has to walk away empty-handed.
“When you start eliminating options for the consumer, that’s a mistake. Give them options. Entry level, all the way up to premium. That model works,” LaFontaine said.
On Chinese vehicles entering the U.S. market, LaFontaine points to Europe as a cautionary tale. He says the playing field has to be level before that door opens. He trusts NADA and the legislative process to get it right, but says the rules need to be iron-tight first.
On FTC pricing compliance, LaFontaine says transparency is already built into how his stores operate. His variable pricing is visible. But he says dealers need more clarity on execution and time for the software providers to catch up.
“We believe in transparency. We’ve just got to make sure we know exactly what they want so we can execute,” LaFontaine said.
The future of the family business
LaFontaine has five children at home, three boys and two girls, including two sets of twins, all currently in high school. He says the decision to join the family business is entirely theirs.
“I’ll never force them to go into business. Do they have a passion for it? Yes. But whether they do or don’t, I want them to decide,” LaFontaine said.
The family presence in the business already reaches beyond his own household. His sister’s children are already running the classic side of the operation. The foundation for a multigenerational company appears to be in place.
Looking back, LaFontaine is proud of where the business his father started nearly 60 years ago stands today. But he says it was never about rooftops or revenue. It was always about the people. It is a philosophy he inherited from his parents, built into every store he has ever opened, and one he is already working to pass down to the next generation.
