By NCDA
How did you become a car dealer? Did you always aspire to be part of the automotive industry?
I grew up with the car business all around me. My father and his father were Dodge dealers so it was talked about over dinner throughout my childhood. As a kid, I would roller skate around the lot when my Dad took me to work and I picked parts as a summer job. I also loved making music and dreamed of being a rockstar, but finally realized that a career in music wasn’t for me. I got a job selling cars in Seattle for a couple of years before returning home to learn the family business.
Do you have family members in the auto industry?
My grandfather, Jack Powell, Sr. began his career as a car dealer in 1933 in Dearborn Michigan. He relocated the family to Escondido in 1958 where he opened Jack Powell DeSoto Plymouth. My father, Jack Powell, Jr. purchased the dealership in 1972. He helped form the Escondido Auto Park where he consolidated the Chysler and Dodge dealerships in 1987. My sister and I entered the family business around 2003 and spent several years learning aspects of each department from tenured managers. My father took time often to teach us his methods and include us in important meetings until he retired in 2011. His guidance shaped the car dealer I am today and I am proud to continue his legacy.
Describe your education background. What did you study?
I grew up here in San Diego and graduated from Torrey Pines High School in 1996. Afterward, I attended USC in Los Angeles where I studied upright bass performance and the music business. I spent my last semester studying Spanish in Madrid and graduated from USC in 2000. A few years later, I completed the Chrysler Dealers’ Sons and Daughters program.
Are there any specific individuals that had a major impact on your career?
Family aside, Butch Hollister was the most influential person on my career as a car dealer. Butch was the moderator for my NADA 20 Group for over a decade and took his role as an educator very seriously. He led a successful career as a Chrysler dealer in Boulder, CO and was passionate about sharing the disciplines he employed across the dealership. Butch was an important mentor to me and I miss him very much.
What is the most rewarding part of your career?
There are many rewards to being a car dealer! The day-to-day excitement of new challenges can be an adventure and I love the freedom of entrepreneurship. The most enduring rewards, however, are the relationships I’ve built over the years with the people that help make the dealership thrive. I am very grateful for the fruitful partnerships I’ve developed with employees, vendors, partners and other dealers.
What do you think will be some of the dominant trends within the auto industry in the next
5-10 years?
The most important trend will undoubtedly be the accelerating convergence of technologies. Major innovations in robotics, connectivity, sensors and AI are emerging rapidly, but their integration will compound to create new ways of life faster than we expect. Already, automakers are restructuring, making tremendous investments in R&D, experimenting with new business models and forming partnerships in preparation for a world facing climate change and changing consumer behavior. As investors bet big on disruptors, I believe we will see increasing consolidation and collaboration between incumbents.
What is the biggest importance of being an NCDA member, what makes it beneficial?
NCDA unites its dealers through the production of the San Diego International Auto Show and by facilitating participation in our state and national associations. As our political and regulatory environments become increasingly volatile and complex, it is vital that we remain connected and share resources to preserve the culture of our workforce.
What inspired you to serve as a leader within
the association?
Participating on the board offers a front row view of issues affecting the local business community and a great way to network with dealers across the County. I have been inspired by the dealers who have served before me and am honored now to become Chairman. I look forward to working with Dean and the board to step up to the special challenges that this year will bring.
Are you involved in any civic or charitable organizations?
Yes, I volunteer my time on duties as President of the Escondido Auto Park Association and represent its dealers in matters with the City and the community. I also participate in Escondido’s Community Advisory Group on Economic Development.
If you look back at your career and life, what would be three things that you have learned, that you would pass onto a younger member within the auto industry?
Get clear about what’s important to you and work for organizations where you find alignment. Don’t put up with caustic cultures. Pursue your passions, hone your craft and enjoy connecting people in your network. Investing in yourself these ways will pay dividends in the long run. Practice kindness and celebrate things you are grateful for every day.
If you could describe the best day in this business, what would it look like?
The best days are those where the team is in it’s flow state. This requires everyone showing up and coming together to tackle their part of the process so that each department and the whole dealership function at peak efficiency. We are constantly refining our processes and empowering individual employees to achieve this goal.
These are undoubtedly unprecedented times, what are you doing, as a small business, to weather the storm?
When COVID-19 hit our state, we had to make tough decisions to adjust safety protocols, staffing, hours of operation and terms with vendors in order to realign operations with the new challenges of doing business in a pandemic. Luckily, my sister Jasmine had been focused on implementing new technology that delivers on-demand test drives to shoppers at home so our sales force was able to pivot quickly. We now pick up and deliver many service customers’ vehicles at their homes as well. Today, it’s all about having flexibility to accommodate customers’ varying needs and time frames.
What are you doing to support your employees?
First, we are highly focused on the health and safety of our employees and their families. We have strictly adhered to state and local guidelines and are continually improving these measures wherever we find opportunities. Second, we are hiring support staff as business returns. Relieving salespeople and service/parts advisors of tasks that can be performed by porters, clerks or administrative staff enables us to quickly scale with demand. Third, we make sure everyone has the resources they need to execute their roles effectively.
What are two things that you have learned from past experiences, that are helping you navigate now?
I learned some tough lessons from the 2008 financial crisis and am fortunate to have implemented practices that have created stability through this crisis. The most important one is a dedication to our core values: Honesty, Integrity, Attention to Detail and Urgency. Every manager in the dealership refers to these values to make decisions that produce employees, activities and behavior which represent the essence of our culture. On this foundation, anything is possible or trainable. Another important lesson we abide by is maintaining conservative expense controls to stay lean. I believe the best way to face uncertainty is to be nimble.
What effect do you think this crisis will have on the auto industry going forward?
The pandemic has dealt major blows to every aspect of our industry, most notably to jobs. The Fed’s response has been unprecedented and helpful to many individuals and businesses this year. However, only time will tell if sufficient liquidity was provided and what the impacts of that will be later. The crisis has positioned online-only retailers to thrive because they’ve learned to deliver the ease and convenience customers increasingly expect. For brick-and-mortar dealers, however, online selling solutions still battle to properly integrate with lenders and technology partners. As always, dealers who continue to innovate will keep an edge as the retail landscape evolves.
What are you and your dealerships doing for community outreach and/or to support essential workers, including healthcare workers and first responders?
Jack Powell CDJR has supported First Responders and Healthcare Professionals with special incentives and first priority service since the pandemic began. The dealership is an ongoing sponsor of Escondido Youth Baseball (EYB), Vista National Little League (VNLL), local Veterans organizations, and No Hungry Kid – an effort to end childhood hunger in America.
Describe your all-time favorite vehicle (it can be one you’ve owned, or something on your wish list). What are you driving today?
My favorite vehicle was a two-door Jeep Wrangler TJ with a manual transmission and knobby tires. I loved that Jeep and drove it all over the Pacific Northwest when I lived in Seattle after college.
Tell us about your family.
I am very privileged to have grown up in a loving, supportive family and I am extremely grateful for their enduring encouragement. Our household was a creative space filled with art, music and amazing food. My father’s love for jazz inspired my musical ear and his skill with woodworking continues to fill our homes with masterful pieces of furniture.
My mother Judith is the kindest person I’ve ever known and a masterful chef. To her I owe my love of great food, my ability to stay calm and the art of patience. My sister Jasmine is my best life-long friend and business partner and we have weathered many adventures together. She is an accomplished equestrian and continues to find new ways to evolve as an artist and entrepreneur. In 2014, I married Jen, the love of my life and today we live with two new kittens. Jen is a loving partner, crafty engineer and prolific artist.
What is your favorite way to spend your free time? Any unusual hobbies?
I love spending time outdoors, especially on adventures in the wilderness. I spend a few days each week running or mountain biking through San Diego’s open space preserves and I enjoy North County waves when the surf’s up. During summer, I take backpacking trips off the grid and enjoy exploring new mountains on my snowboard in the winter. The pandemic has given me new time to learn guitar and catch up on a lot of reading. I look forward to returning to music and arts festivals, international travel and being closer with friends and family.
This story appears in Issue 3 2019-2020 of the San Diego Dealer Magazine.
