Editor’s note: This commentary is by Mike Rother, who is the general manager at Dealer.com, a Cox Automotive Industries company. He lives in Shelburne.
[A]s Dealer.com’s general manager, I can say with confidence that the future of our company is very bright. In 2016, Dealer.com joined the Cox Enterprises and Cox Automotive family of companies, and I believe wholeheartedly that it’s a great fit. Both companies were built on brave, innovative and entrepreneurial spirits. As a fourth-generation private company, Cox has always operated with a high sense of purpose and commitment to advancing local communities. With Dealer.com being the largest location outside the Atlanta headquarters, and with several other local businesses, Cox truly understands, values and supports our impact and connection to the community.
Challenging what’s possible through ingenuity and perseverance is the Vermont way. It is no coincidence that Dealer.com is nestled in the South End of Burlington — the innovation-hub of Vermont’s Queen City. We are proud to be a cornerstone of this neighborhood and we remain committed to giving back. We want everyone to know that Burlington is our home and we are here to stay.
Vermont, and Burlington in particular, have nurtured and supported our growth and success. Our investments and participation in local charities, the arts and other community groups help to further enrich Vermont. Over the years, Dealer.com has reinvested millions of dollars and tens of thousands of volunteer hours in the community through employee outreach, sponsorships, grants, fundraisers, clothing and food drives and much more. Combining our passion for innovation and meaningful creativity, you’ll likely see some of this in action when you drive down Pine Street and notice the colorful silos, sit at a stoplight next to the King Street Center bus, or grab some local food prepared and served up by the student-run Fork in the Road food truck and educational program.
Most of you know the story of Dealer.com. We started as an idea – buying and selling cars online. A team of five Vermont entrepreneurs conceived of a complete car shopping experience that leveraged cutting-edge internet technology. For almost 20 years, Dealer.com has balanced creating innovative, automotive retail-focused products and services while enabling a convention-crushing work environment for its employees.
We will celebrate our 20th anniversary throughout 2018, with a renewed focus on innovation and a superior experience for our clients and our employees. With the support of our parent company, we embark on the next 20 years with the same unwavering vision: offering the best products, maintaining positive relationships with our clients and our community, being a great place to work, staying humble, and always giving back.
Like Dealer.com, Cox Automotive goes into 2018 focused on strategy, execution and workforce development. We’ll achieve this through key partnerships and programs aimed at nurturing and attracting the talent of women and others not traditionally represented in the technology field. We will continue to innovate through Hackathons, STEM collaboration opportunities as well as overall economic development – with the intent of developing future generations of diverse innovators and entrepreneurs.
I am excited about the future of Dealer.com, Burlington and Vermont. Dealer.com is known as a great Cinderella story. As we look ahead to the next 20 years we are both excited and challenged by the pace of change. We will continue our legacy of industry-leading products and services, of providing a positive and creative place to work and of supporting our community here in Burlington and throughout Vermont.