I want to protect our franchise laws so that our franchises continue to be involved in selling vehicles. Dealerships provide a huge amount of support to our local communities. We hire employees and pay taxes that support our local communities, and we make charitable contributions to not-for-profit organizations like the Boys and Girls Club.
Sean Grant, IADA’s current chair, is a second-generation dealer and IADA member.
Landmark Automotive, a Ford dealership in Springfield, Illinois, was started by Sean’s father, William Grant, Jr., in 1975. The company now has six dealerships that mainly sell domestic brands, and under Sean’s leadership, Landmark has continued its steady growth in sales and customers.
Sean was born in June 1971, and he began selling cars after high school during the summers. Sean received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky, then attended NADA Academy and graduated in 1995.
Sean’s biggest mentor was his father. He was originally a banker who never sold a car in his life until he bought a
dealership as an investment. “It’s been a good one,” said Sean. “My father was honest. You could take every word he said to the bank, no pun intended. He taught me that if we take care of our customers and employees, everything else will fall into place. You have nothing to manage or calculate if you don’t have customers, and you also have to take care of your employees. The two go hand in hand.”
Over a career that spans 30 years, Sean has worked in every department within the dealership and knows what it is like to work in each position. He is now the dealer principal and president. Sean said, “It’s an exciting business. Every day is different, which keeps it fun. When you enjoy doing something, it doesn’t feel like work. I am very lucky to be able to say that. Some people can’t find that niche on their own.”
Sean has three pieces of advice for other dealers, and younger colleagues looking to make the automobile industry a career:
- Honesty is the best policy.
- Take care of your customers 100% after the sale.
- Lead by example. Don’t expect others to do anything you won’t do.
In addition to being an IADA member, Sean has also been a member of NADA’s President’s Club for seven years. He
thinks it is important to support dealership associations on both a state and national level so the associations can
protect dealership interests.
Being an association member has been important to Sean. “You get a front-row seat on issues that directly affect car dealers in Illinois,” said Sean. “You can give your money, time, or both to make changes that help fellow Illinois dealers. I try to do both. Right now, that means holding franchise laws high and strong. I also think it’s fun to meet other car dealers. We learn from each other, and we network. That’s a big benefit being directly involved with the association.”
As Sean thought about the benefits of his IADA and NADA memberships, he said, “There are lots of benefits to being
involved. Some people don’t have the time or capacity, but it only takes a little time, and I’ve seen many positives.”
Sean first got involved as a leader within the association because he wanted to help fellow dealers. “I want to protect our franchise laws so that our franchises continue to be involved in selling vehicles. Dealerships provide a huge amount of support to our local communities. We hire employees and pay taxes that support our local communities, and we make charitable contributions to not-for-profit organizations like the Boys and Girls Club. I’ve been on the board of directors for that organization for more than 20 years.”
Even though most retailers are trying to benefit from implementing “The Amazon Way” and selling direct to consumers, Sean thinks applying that model to car sales is a mistake. “A car is the second-most important investment most people will make in their lives. They ought to see it and drive it to make sure they want it. People need a relationship with their local car dealer. That way, someone can help them with their trade-in and after the sale. People remember the service after the sale. Take that away, and they won’t be happy down the road,” said Sean.
As the IADA chair, Sean has a long-term goal of digitizing titles in the state. “I want to help the state move to digitized titles. It won’t happen this year, but it would be awesome if it happened in two or three years. I want to get the process started. Pressing a few keys is much easier than signing and mailing a document. Digital titles will be cheaper and faster to create, allowing people to transfer titles more easily.” Joe McMahon, IADA’s executive director, is working with the secretary of state’s office on this project, which will eventually have to be passed by the Illinois Legislature.
One of IADA’s biggest goals is to help protect the franchise system. The race for secretary of state is important for accomplishing that goal because the incumbent is retiring, and the right person will be able to help the industry and customers. Sean sees a need for new blood and new ideas. He encourages IADA members to consider the candidates carefully and then vote.
Other important issues facing the dealership industry are electrification and autonomous driving. EVs are already here. “We will have the F-150 Lightning here soon,” said Sean. “The federal government wants the country to switch because they want to get off oil and gas and go electric. There are astronomically big federal subsidies for states, companies and customers to turn the industry over to electric. It’s an investment to buy a charging station for a dealership, but quicker charging will be a game-changer as the technology gets better. It takes three minutes to fill up with gas. The dealership charger we have takes 12 hours to recharge a Tesla, but some chargers can already do the same thing in 40 minutes.”
Sean thinks the technology for autonomous driving is still many years out. “If you are driving a car faster than 60 miles per hour, most people want to have their hands on the wheel controlling it,” he said.
Sean wants IADA to be an effective voice for members, and he wants to protect member interests. “The easiest way to transition to electric vehicles is to go through the franchise system. The infrastructure is already in place, and we have the tools and technology we need to provide customers with positive experiences. The current laws support our model, and over time, companies that sell directly will learn that the car business has more to do than selling cars. You also have to provide service after the sale. Customers who don’t get the service they need will be upset, and they will stop buying cars unless they can get service. Direct-sales companies will be forced to do more if they want to survive.”
During the next 3-5 years, Sean expects to see lower inventories and more BEVs. “Dealership consolidation will continue because of the economies of scale,” he said. “It’s going to be like the farming industry. You don’t see 10-acre farms anymore, and there are fewer farmers than there were 20-30 years ago. It will be the same for dealers.”
When Sean summarized his plans as chair for the coming year, he said, “I will support and back our franchise system 100% for our community, employees and customers. I would encourage all dealers to not only be a member, but an engaged member. If you’re not, please join our crusade to help our industry now and for the future.”
Sean and his wife, Taryn, have two children: Aislyn (16) and Aidan (13). “They’re great children,” said Sean. “I’m very fortunate.” Sean plays golf, and enjoys traveling to coastal areas and states in the Western U.S. such as Arizona and Nevada, follows the University of Illinois basketball team and plays basketball in the driveway with his son.
The IADA is fortunate to have Sean Grant as its board chair, and we look forward to helping him achieve his vision for us and the industry.
