Hansel Auto Group’s David Long on inventory challenges, CA wildfires, and COVID-19

As dealers get back into the swing of things in the wake of the pandemic, some are adopting new business models and strategies while others are unfortunately taking a hit. Today, we’re checking in with David Long, executive general manager of the Hansel Auto Group and veteran of the retail automotive industry about what’s working for his business along with some challenges that he’s faced.

In this segment, Long and anchor Jim Fitzpatrick discuss the state of the automotive industry including new vehicle inventory challenges, residual COVID-19 obstacles, and how wildfire season has affected California dealerships. For Hansel Auto Group, located in the California bay area, business has been up year-over-year.

“The majority of my time is focused on inventory,” says Long. “I have this saying that the dealer with the best inventory wins. Not the dealer with the most inventory, not the dealer with the least inventory, but the dealer with the best.”

Leveraging different resources, Long says that the dealership has been able to balance their new car inventory and used car inventory to create the best selection for consumers. While COVID-19 has prevented Hansel from getting as many cars as they’d like, the dealership still has the right cars at the right value.

David Long’s automotive career spans over 30 years. Early on, Long worked as a general manager for several dealerships and spent five years as an executive for AutoNation. He served as vice president for the Niello Company and now runs his own automotive consulting business.