“My Dad, Frank, used to always say, ‘There’re three things you do: you take care of your community, you take care of your customers, and you take care of your employees. If you can do those three things, you’ll be very successful.’” said Ron Fornaca, President-Dealer Principal of Frank Subaru and Frank Hyundai.
The Fornaca family knows the secret to success. They’ve been running thriving businesses in the San Diego area for over a hundred years. The family’s success can be traced back to what Ron’s father called the three pillars of success. “His driving force defines us all,” said Ron.
Ron entered the car business when he was 12 years old. It was the first day of summer, and his dad walked into the boy’s room and said, “Get up! You’re coming to work with me at the dealership this summer.” That was Ron’s first day in the industry. He spent the summer as a lot porter who washed cars when necessary. Later, when he was 18, Ron worked in the parts and sales departments.
However, Frank got into the automotive industry in 1965. During that time, he and his brother, Felice, were running the bakery business their father (Ron’s grandfather), Mario Fornaca, started in 1912. Ron’s mom, Mary, was in the market for a new car and was considering getting a Lincoln. While shopping at the local dealer, they had a terrible experience. And Frank realized he could do it better and treat people better, so he purchased the dealership. That is how Ron’s family got into the business.
Ron Fornaca graduated from the University of San Diego High School. He studied business in Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in 1984. He worked at the family bakery until 1996, then returned to Frank Motors Group.
“Taking care of our customers, working with family and building on my father’s legacy is the most rewarding part of my career,” said Ron. “By taking care of customers, we build our dealerships, we continually grow and have the ability to give back to our community. It’s really nice to see happy customers and happy employees. Currently, over 12% of our employee base has been with us for over 20 years. Additionally, we work with many different community partners giving something back throughout the year. Doing all this with family you love is very rewarding.”
There was a moment when running the business with his father’s legacy in mind became his driving force. When he made decisions, he sometimes sat back and asked, “What would dad do?” Frank’s driving force defines Ron and his employees.
During Ron’s time at Frank Subaru, the dealership has gone from a small one with a 400-name database to one with more than 5,000 names. There are 40 state-of-the-art service bays, two customer lounges, a dog park and other amenities for customers. The employees are excellent at what they do, and there is a strong emphasis on excellent service. Frank Subaru also has top customer ratings on Yelp and Google; plus both Frank Subaru and Frank Hyundai are J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence award winners.
Where cars and trucks are concerned, Ron has simple tastes. He put 316,000 miles on a 2004 Toyota Tundra truck, and when his family told him he had to replace it and get something that wasn’t likely to break down on the side of the road, he replaced it with a 2018 Toyota Tundra. Although he did drive a six-speed Porsche 911 that came into the dealership on trade in 2011, he didn’t drive it very long: it didn’t have cupholders for his morning coffee.
Ron appreciates NCDA San Diego because it helps him keep up with ever-changing laws and trends. The association provides seminars and information so dealers can do business effectively. He acknowledges that the dealership business can be difficult and discouraging, but having current information, avoiding discouragement and being persistent make a difference. He recommends looking for small wins instead of a home run and always treating everyone with respect and dignity.
In October 2018, Ron received national recognition when he was nominated for the 2019 Time Dealer of the Year award. The award, sponsored by Time magazine and Ally Financial, held its award ceremony in January 2019. And while Ron didn’t win the top prize that year, being recognized by Time, Ally, and his peers was a proud achievement. He explained then: “When you have good people, which we do, I am able to work ‘on the business’ rather than ‘in the business.’ Working on the business allows you to step back and see where you are going and where you need to go. When you work in the business, you are tied up with day-to-day time-consuming activities, and it allows no time for creativity and planning. A great day is when customers are being taken care of, employees are smiling, and you realize that this is what you planned for.”
Service is still the foundation of Frank Motor Group’s success more than a century after Mario opened a French bakery. The Fornaca family has always understood the importance of customer service in any business, and everyone at the dealership knows that customer service is behind the company’s success.
Ron values his time with his wife, Cathy, and their family. They have three children: Elise, Nick and Matt. Ron and Cathy like to watch Padres and Gulls games, go to Palm Desert (a family tradition Ron’s father Frank started) and spend time together.
