We were fortunate to interview John Alfirevich, the 2024 chairman of the Illinois Automobile Dealers Association (IADA), about himself, his goals as chairman and his thoughts on the industry. He is the dealer principal at Apple Chevrolet in Tinley Park, Illinois.
John, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Let’s start by asking you to share a little bit about yourself.
Before moving into the car business, my family owned and operated two taverns on the east side of Chicago, so work was always in my DNA. I started in the car business with my father before I even had a driver’s license. I’m an “extra effort” guy who believes you have to earn things in life in order to be fulfilled, and it’s the grind or sweat equity where gratefulness is born. In most board rooms, I never thought I was the smartest guy in the room but I’m never afraid to jump into anything and figure it out. Through the years, I’ve learned that with perseverance and using failure as your friend, you can go far in this world and bring good to others. It’s important to me to “give back” because by giving back to hardworking employees and the good people of our community, I receive so much more in return.
What about your dealership, Apple Chevrolet? Tell us about the history.
In 1963, my father was a partner at Bob Motl Chevrolet on Chicago’s South Side. My dad talked Motl into moving the dealership to 159th Street, which at that time was a two-lane highway. People said the move was ridiculous. Things were tough financially for many years. In 1981, things got so bad we were going through bankruptcy when our advertising executive suggested changing our name to start with the first letter in the alphabet. In those days, a new technology was arising, people were using 411 to get information about car dealers or services, and the software at the time searched in alphabetical order.
We took “apple” from the ‘70s jingle “Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet” and renamed our dealership “Apple Chevrolet.” Believe it or not, the phones started ringing, and there was a huge turnaround in our cash flow. I was in my early twenties at the time and convinced my dad we needed to be sure that name recognition stuck. We needed to brand ourselves differently! That’s when we started our charitable giving programs so the community could never forget our name!
As for my family, I have the best loving wife, who truly understands the auto business. I’m very blessed. My daughter, Olivia, now works at Apple Chevrolet, and she’s our project manager. She’s now helping carry on our tradition of community service through helping with our USO and Toys for Tots events and growing the programs. And thanks to Olivia, this year we had our first Pet Adoption Day, where 15 dogs were placed with community residents. Our son, Joey, just graduated from college and is working as a bank intern at Ally Bank, learning business from the bank’s perspective and bringing new ideas to my attention. His focus currently is on finance and insurance for the short term, but he’s eager to learn all aspects. We’re excited to have him learn about the car business in the future. He has plans to apply for the NADA Academy in the next couple of years.
What sets your dealership apart? How many people are employed at Apple Chevrolet?
What sets Apple Chevrolet apart are our employees. We have great, solid managers, not afraid of change or learning new concepts. We have 115 employees, and I know most of them personally. From day one, our people learn about customer service and the importance of community. We offer several training programs because it’s critical from day one that our employees understand how important it is for a customer who may walk in with a frown to leave with a smile. We pride ourselves on being the best and therefore offer the best in training, education and superior health and wellness benefits. We are a family. Our team meetings are solution-based, and we try hard to grow the bottom line by serving our customers with integrity. What’s best for the customer is always what’s best for Apple Chevrolet.
Year to date, Apple Chevrolet continues to donate to over 94 organizations in and around the community. We feel blessed to not only support by giving, but also to get involved on a greater level, such as our USO event, where we’ve raised over $150,000 to date since inception. Every year at the USO event, we host local veterans and their families at the dealership with a BBQ and a 21-gun salute.
What advice do you have for people just starting out in the business?
I try and tell every new salesperson who comes through the door that they should stop thinking they sell cars. Just make a friend today. What you need to do is make a friend and create trust. That customer may not buy a car that day, but they’ll remember you. People sense it when you work too hard at selling a car. Make a friend, build trust and you’ll be surprised where that takes you, if you are in it for the long haul. Over time if you make a friend, you build a bond that cannot be broken. The worst thing you can do is make a mistake on something like pricing. But it happens; you really can’t go back on your word; you have to honor it.
What excites you most about this industry?
What keeps me excited in this business is helping my staff build their families. We have so much opportunity in this industry if we do our job!
What keeps me energized is the technology. When I see an advancement in a car, a diagnostic tool, or through AI, I get excited. And technology is only going to get better.
What about electric vehicles (EVs)?
From where I sit, this is the first time in history that we have what I call a “political” car. Evolution has made this industry great and profitable, with vehicles built for customer appeal and safety at heart. Now, as dealers, we’ve been told how they want us to sell cars in the future, and it doesn’t seem realistic for millions of reasons, including affordability. In 2022 and 2023, I spent three-quarters of a million dollars to make our dealership EV-ready and that equipment is already obsolete. We need to slow down this pace of production. This is happening too quickly. In my Chevy world, the market needs cargo vans and work trucks for their livelihood. Sure, everybody wants a clean, safe environment. Still, the rush to EVs is problematic on a number of levels, and this interview is much too short!
How did you get involved in IADA leadership?
When I first talked to my dad about joining an industry board, he said I didn’t need the headaches. I loved my dad but disagreed. I want to be in the know, helping firsthand to solve some of the bigger problems we all share. I like to contribute solutions by working together with other members of the IADA to identify and solve problems facing auto dealers throughout the state. I never hesitate to take someone’s great idea and work to implement it.
Most importantly, I truly believe in the franchise system are industry has come to know.
What are some of your goals as chairman of the IADA?
One important goal is to promote the franchise model. There’s nothing better than having a hometown dealer distribution system. We’re in the neighborhoods, giving money to baseball and softball teams, cheerleading squads and the like. There’s a lot of talk about selling cars directly from the manufacturer. That takes away from the trust and the relationships local dealers have built in their communities. If someone has trouble with their car, they can come to the shop and get it fixed by someone they trust. They don’t have to go online or call a random 800 number, but instead, talk to a dealer they know and trust. The franchise model has been around for decades, and it is a model that works. We need to be resourceful by constantly getting that message out.
I’m particularly proud of the efforts of the IADA in supporting a group of 26 Ford dealers who challenged Ford’s “Model e” electric vehicle allocation modifications. The Ford dealers hit a homerun, winning the protest, and this decision benefited the entire dealership industry.
IADA also coordinated with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office to challenge a lawsuit filed by Volkswagen against the recently enacted warranty reimbursement law which has enabled dealers and service technicians to get adequately reimbursed for warranty repairs. The Volkswagen lawsuit was dismissed, and the warranty reimbursement law stands.
The IADA is heavily involved in the lawsuit against Rivian and Lucid to challenge the issuance of dealer’s licenses to motor vehicle manufacturers. Direct sales by manufacturers erode the important dealer and consumer protections embedded in the Illinois Motor Vehicle Franchise Act.
