"Sold 300+ Used Cars" - This ford store cracked the used car game | Rob Ruth, President - Bob Ruth Ford
The Dealer Playbook
"Sold 300+ Used Cars" - This ford store cracked the used car game | Rob Ruth, President - Bob Ruth Ford
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Concept
acquisition process
The acquisition process is how car dealers get their cars to sell. They might buy them from auctions or take them as trade-ins from customers.
Concept
merchandising
Merchandising means getting cars ready to sell. This can involve cleaning them up, fixing any issues, and making them look appealing to buyers.
Term
OBD reader
An OBD reader is a device that helps you check if there are any problems with your car's engine or systems. It connects to your car and tells you if something is wrong by showing error codes.
Term
diagnostic
A diagnostic is a way to find out if there are any problems with your car. It usually involves checking different parts of the car to see if they are working properly.
Brand
Ford
Ford is a well-known car company in America that makes many types of vehicles, including trucks and sports cars. They have been around for a long time and are famous for their popular models.
LIVE
And the first thing that I wanna get into
that I think a lot of people are curious about is,
what does your mindset have to be to think used cars?
It almost seems like you made the decision,
no, we're going all in here.
What led to that?
How does it look on the day to day?
I think it's common sense, honestly.
Used car markets in the US is 40 plus million
and the new car market is 16 million.
You're in a small suburb.
Talk to me about positioning yourselves
to do what you're doing volume wise
in a small market with, you know,
I guess these kind of other quote unquote excuses
that many would use.
Well, I think you're right.
Those are excuses.
And I think for us, that's part of our story.
So I think it's great that we operate the way we do.
It tells a story.
You don't have to have the Taj Mahal.
You don't have to be in a metro area.
You know, we sold 300 plus used cars last month
in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania with 2,900 people.
So you can do it.
If you believe you can, you put the right process
and the right people together.
Maybe they're catching on, Rob,
and they're like, well, where do I even start?
What are some key things you have learned
need to be in place to have a successful
pre-owned operation?
Well, to me, it's a simple game.
One of the things that I enjoy most
about producing the dealer playbook is hearing from you.
The messages that I get of people
who are getting so much value out of the podcast,
applying it to their day-to-day workflows
and finding a thriving career right here
in the retail auto industry.
It means the world to me.
And you know, one of the ways that we make doing this possible
is through my agency Flex Dealer.
And of course, in the spirit of providing value,
I think this is a perfect time to head over
to www.flexdealer.com to show even further support
for you, my beloved DPB gang.
Right now, if you go to my website, flexdealer.com,
you can get a full free PDF of my number one bestselling book,
Don't Wait Dominate.
And the reason I think it's so special
is that a lot of the topics that are discussed in this book
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Well, that's all here in this book.
And so I'd love to be able to offer you a free copy of this.
If you go to flexdealer.com, it would mean the world to me
because that is how we continue to produce this show for you.
Rob Ruth is a seasoned car dealer who turned a crisis
into opportunity by scaling his pre-owned vehicle business
while many competitors retrenched as president of Bob Ruth Ford.
He drove the dealership to profitability even when new vehicle sales stalled,
proving that resilience and strategic focus can outpace volume when markets shift.
We're going to get into all of it, the mindset, the operational shifts, everything.
Rob, man, thanks so much for joining me on the dealer playbook.
Hey, thanks for having me, Michael. Appreciate it.
I want to get into all of it because I've heard you say some things,
you know, whether it's on other things you've been on,
other interviews, articles, and the first thing that I want to get into
that I think a lot of people are curious about is, well, what
what does your mindset have to be to think used cars
when so many people get into franchises with all of the impositions of the OEM
saying you've got to sell this many new vehicles, you've got to do all these sorts of things.
It almost seems like you made the decision, no, we're going all in here.
What led to that? How does it look on the day to day?
I think it's common sense, honestly.
Used car markets in the US is 40 plus million, and the new car market is 16 million.
We're one brand of that 16 million.
And if it's a 10 percent market share, it's 1.6 million versus 40 million.
And then we're competing on the same product with so many people,
so many other dealerships on that, you know, in that same market.
So for us, I mean, the used cars was where we could differentiate ourselves.
We have more control as an operator.
We can be an entrepreneur and kind of do things the way we want to do it.
And and obviously used cars, profitability, it goes through the whole company.
More used cars you sell, the more cars you service, more parts you're selling.
It didn't take me long to figure out, you know, we got to we got to really
continue ramping up this used car department.
And it's fun, honestly, I like these cars.
I don't like being told what to do.
I was going to ask that.
I'm like, how do you navigate that when there are a lot of, you know,
franchise new car, you know, implications of having a Ford store?
And I don't want to say we don't sell new cars
because we actually do really well in new cars in our market.
We we outsell our market every year.
But it's just it's just so small.
If we wanted to stay small, we would just be a new car dealer.
But we wanted to grow. That's our, you know, we want to grow
and provide opportunities for for everybody that's involved
with their company and use our way to do it.
I mean, there's some environmental things here that I think a lot of people
use as an excuse, right?
You I've heard you talk about, you know, our building is in one of these new
modern, you know, with the coffee shop thing that they're building
into these new signature Ford stores.
You're in a small suburb.
Talk to me about positioning yourselves
to do what you're doing volume wise in a small market with, you know,
I guess these kind of other quote unquote excuses that many would use.
Well, I think you're right.
Those are excuses.
And I think for us, that's part of our story.
You know, we're a we're a 40, 43 year old company, but we act as a start up.
And my father and I were partners for 17 years.
He passed away, unfortunately, almost eight years ago.
I bought a company from from my family.
So we're we're technically a startup.
And after he passed away, there was about a two year transition there.
And that was tough. And then right after that, and I finally got through
with the purchase of the company, then COVID happened and we got shut down.
So it was a, you know, I'd love to say, hey, let's go build this,
you know, this Taj Mahal, but we just haven't been in that position.
I we're getting there, but I didn't have that the capital
to just go out and do that at that point in time.
So I think it's great that we operate the way we do.
It's it tells a story.
You don't have to have the Taj Mahal and you don't have to be in a metro area.
You know, we sold 300 plus used cars last month in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania,
with 2900 people.
So, you know, you can do it if you believe you can,
you put the right process and the right people together.
That's I mean, that's awesome.
And I love what you're saying about startup because that brings in to view
a different mindset where I feel like.
And I don't want to single any buddy out, but but also I kind of do.
It's the Italian in me and I'm like, hey,
so many people hide behind the layer of, but I'm a franchise store
and that means big corporate this and that.
But there's something very real that happens in a startup mindset.
Maybe talk to me about the mindset shift for you,
thinking like a startup and its implications on your operation.
Well, I was I was a general manager for 15 years.
And, you know, I was a minority partner.
I was I, you know, I had a I had stock in the company.
But at once that point came and I had to really go all in,
put everything on the line to buy the company.
It's a completely different mindset.
I didn't really know what fear of failure was, I think, until that point.
And I have so much more respect for business owners
that have to go through these things.
Even my father, you know, I I love them.
He was a great partners, but I just have so much more respect for him.
Now, then even then at that point in time.
What are some lessons you learned from your dad that you carry into
the way you lead today?
Well, he he was always just great with people.
He loved his customers.
He loved his employees.
He was a hardworking guy, you know, you would you had mentioned
you're from a family business.
So him and I, my parents were split out at a very young age.
I lived with my father.
He bought the store in 1983.
Him and I lived at the dealership for six years at the store.
So I mean, I grew up with him.
Man, we painted.
We, you know, I cleaned.
I mean, I've had a job there since at a very young age.
And one thing he always made me appreciate it
because he made me work for things.
It was never there was never any handouts.
I was never given a position because of who I was.
It was kind of, you know, you're going to earn it and you're going to learn this
and you're going to learn that you're going to you'll keep moving forward
if you if you do the work, I got to ask you this
because you're you're strumming a chord in me right now.
And it's it guys go with me here.
It's a car business thing, but it's also kind of not at the same time.
It's a life thing.
And I mean, this is the dealer playbook all about creating a thriving life
while working in the car business.
Couple of the things you said here, you know, your dad making you work
for things that deepens your appreciation.
I think about my dad in a very similar way.
What you know, not too long ago, Rob, I was on an airplane and.
I don't know why I just opened my little like journal app, like notes app on my phone.
And I've got a kind of like a living document now.
And it was just like things my dad taught me.
And it's just like a bullet point.
It's nothing fancy.
And I don't know why I felt inspired to write that in that moment.
And then this is the thought that came to me.
And here's here's the punchline.
And I'm curious your thoughts.
I feel so deeply grateful to my parents, my mom and my dad for the sacrifices
they made the lessons they taught the way they they live their lives
to set me and my siblings up for a better life.
And but I would but there was struggle there.
Like they we saw them struggle.
And and thrive, like we saw the seasons and they were not shy about that.
Like, I know what it's like to eat, you know, re re what do you call it?
Like, what are they when campers, they they hydrate it, rehydrated like pea soup.
And and like, just, you know, we knew like we were just digging into food storage at times.
I think of what that did for me to create a level of, dare I say,
for the sake of potentially being judged here, a level of affluence.
That was not handed to me that I worked for and I built.
And then I look at my kids.
Here's where I'm going with this, who I feel like I almost have to fabricate hardship for them.
Which feels almost like insincere and inauthentic in one way.
And also, like, I want to like beat them up sometimes.
It's like they're not getting the punch to the ribs like I got.
And I know you or your parents, then they had it worse than we did.
And just like you, I mean, I saw my father struggle.
I he was uneducated, you know, he started in the car business.
He worked his way up and he he found an opportunity.
And he he he made it, you know, he really made that.
And I felt that there was a great opportunity from me in front of me.
I never wanted to feel like I was taking that easy road.
So for me, and I'm sure you can relate,
my job was to take it to the next level.
He laid the foundation.
My job was to come in and at that point in time, I could tell he he was tired.
I mean, it was it was hard, hard work to get to where he got to.
And for me, it was like, all right, the foundation is laid.
And I, you know, I came in full time in the year 2000.
So the internet was the older stuff, the internet was going to take their
their franchises and they were going to no longer be.
I saw it as an opportunity that we could kind of grow with it.
And it was just perfect timing.
And, you know, my dad never had an email address ever.
I mean, I don't think he ever opened a computer.
It just wasn't his thing.
He was a people's guy.
He was a, you know, hardworking kind of person.
Technology was not his thing at all.
So, you know, next generation, you know, it's our obligation
not to just kind of keep things the way they are or to just kind of
challenge and take them to another level.
Hey, does your marketing agency suck?
Listen, before we hop back into this episode, I know you know me as
the host of the dealer playbook, but did you also know that I'm the CEO of
Flex Dealer, an agency that's helping dealers capture better quality leads
from local SEO and hyper targeted ads that convert?
So if you want to sell more cars and finally have a partner that's in it
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Let's hop back into this episode.
Yeah.
Oh, that's so good.
It is.
It's like it's the, there's, there's the challenge of building it and
laying the foundation.
There's a whole new challenge with like bookends of pressure, the pressure
of not screwing up the foundation and the pressure of the forward growth
and movement.
Second generation, you know, the, the statistics are not good on second
generation, you know, business owners.
And I always use that to my advantage.
Like that, that was a driving force for me not to be a statistics, so to speak.
There's always that, that negative connotation too.
Like we often joke about the PhD, right?
Papa had a dealership.
But it's like, that's that, that's not mutually exclusive either.
Cause yeah, maybe Papa did have a dealership, but I also earned my PhD.
Right.
I want to talk to you about the used car operation.
Earlier you said it's, it's fun.
It's a lot of fun.
But I mean, there, it's also a different game.
Like you're, you're, it's not just baseball anymore.
It's like, it's a different discipline.
When you look at your used car operation, when you said, okay, we're,
we're going to grow this thing.
Where, where do you start?
Cause I think there's a lot of dealers out there who are focused.
A lot of the emphasis is new.
They don't realize that they should have become a pre-owned dealership a long time ago.
Maybe they're catching on Rob and they're like, well, where do I even start?
What are some key things you think or you, not you think, but you have learned need
to be in place to have a successful pre-owned operation.
Well, I think it starts an acquisition.
You have to have the right inventory.
You got to know your market.
You got to know what sells in your market and that's changed so much.
Michael, I mean, it used to be easy.
You know, we'd go to the auction and we'd pick up, you know, 20, 30 cars at a, at a clip.
And we'd bring them back and we'd service them.
We'd sell them, but you know, that, that game has changed.
I mean, the, the auction is so competitive.
You're not competing locally anymore.
You're competing globally, to be honest with you.
So that's not necessarily the way that you can go now.
So, you know, now we, we, we created a buying center and we, we buy cars from the public.
You know, I, I like to say that's a service we provide to people selling their car.
We make it simple for them.
But that's been a huge part of what we do.
And then once you acquire them, you have to, you have to be able to, you got to
merchandise your inventory and then you've got to be able to recondition it.
And you got to, I think your, your price is relevant.
You've got to stay on top of pricing.
There's a lot of discipline that goes along with being good in these car business, for sure.
But I think acquisition, you said, where do you start?
You start an acquisition, having the right stuff, you know.
If you go to the auction and if that's all you're doing is going back to the auction and
you're, you're paying, well, you're competing against everybody, then you're
paying high auction fees and you're paying transportation fees.
By the time you get it to the store, there's no margin there.
And you're just hoping for a trade in and you're hoping for a finance income.
That only works for so long.
You've got to be creative and figure out other ways to get more inventory.
Can you bring me inside of your acquisition process a little bit further?
Cause I'm, my mind's already thinking, well, there's some tools I probably need.
There's a person or people that know cars inside and out what to look for.
There's probably some sort of consult from technicians or something like,
what does that look like for you guys to mitigate the risk of maybe getting a crappy car?
Well, it started for us and that was our business model.
Go to the auction, buy a lot of cars, bring them back, merchandise them, sell them.
COVID happens and all of a sudden we have, we don't have any new car inventory.
And now used cars are absolutely through the roof and they're going up in value
wholesale faster than retail is.
So we had just gotten through COVID where we, we had to lay off half of our staff
or more than that at first, we brought people back and then all of a sudden
now we don't have inventory and we're built on volume.
So it was, you figured out now, or you're going to have to go through the same pain
you just got through that you never wanted to go through.
Yeah.
So honestly, it started with me in a desperate mode.
I just started going on marketplace, people that had their car for sale.
I started reaching out to them.
I started communication and I started making people offers on their vehicles
and sight unseen.
And I think the first day I bought five or six cars.
The second day I bought another five or six cars and then it didn't take me
long to realize, Rob, you're not going to be able to do this forever.
You need to scale this.
And that's where, you know, we, we have a, you know, we have a team now.
We have a team of five or six people.
All they do every day is they're out looking for inventory.
There are people that are trying to sell and then we have a whole process behind
that.
Wow.
We bought, we bought 240 cars off the street last month as a franchise
dealer in Dilsburg, Pennsylvania.
Holy cow.
We want to scale that.
That, that's where it starts.
I mean, that's where we have to continue to grow and able to sell more.
Wow.
What kind of training, what, what are you looking for in the individuals
who are out searching the market and making those offers?
Service minded customer focused people.
We're, we're providing a service.
We're trying to take that pain away from them of selling their car.
And would you rather sell to me where, you know, we have 40 some years
experience or money's good, or would you rather take your chances with, you
know, John Smith and we don't know what his finances are like.
You're going to have to go to the DMV.
We take care of all that for you.
And we do it very seamlessly every day.
What's the reaction from your market?
Cause you're, you're in a suburb, um, you know, the, the outskirts, if you
will, small town, um, people, people love it.
Like I said, we're providing a great service to people and our feedback is fantastic.
I mean, I'd say 75% of the time we actually go to them.
We, we do business in their driveway with a check.
We show up, we've gotten the information from them, you know, we'll do a quick
inspection and again, we just try to make it easy and take that friction away.
Whether you're, whether you're, we're buying from you or you're buying
from us, it's not rocket science.
You know, I think that's where people are looking for everything we do outside
of the car business is pretty simple.
And then we go to the car business and it's just like, God, I don't want to go
to the car dealership.
I don't want to even contact them.
I, the last thing I want to do is deal with a car dealer and we're just
trying to change that.
And that's, that's our mission really is to, to change that perception.
Are you guys rolling in with, maybe this is a dumb question, but it's
where my, my brain went.
Are you rolling in with like a, an OBD reader or like a diagnosed, like
a quick little check in the driveway to make sure that.
It depends on the car.
I mean, if the older the car, the more mileage on the car, we're going to
do a deeper inspection, but you'd be surprised.
I'd say 90 to 95% of the time we're getting accurate descriptions from people.
Yeah.
Cause at the end of the day, they don't want an issue either.
Right.
They don't want you coming back.
Now, you know where they live.
There's really no, there's no going back once, you know, the deal is done.
But yeah, there's no warranty when you buy from the public.
Right.
But the flip side of this is what did you say the ratio is?
It's eight, eight to one.
Eight to one.
So you're selling eight cars for every new car.
Eight used to new to one.
Sorry.
Yeah.
Eight used to every one new.
Um, and now that that seems, I mean, at that volume, that's created a
reputation in and of itself that's, that must be traveling, like word of mouth
traveling now, like you want to sell your car, like don't even bother with
Facebook marketplace, like.
We have a lot of repeat business, you know, and there's still opportunities for
us, I think that we don't even really market for it at this point in time.
It's just a, it's an outbound approach.
But, um, yeah, word does get out, but it, and we're going to keep growing that.
Now, all of that said, how do you satisfy the OEM when they're, they get
into their breathe down your neck mode?
Well, to me, it's a simple game.
They look at your, um, your sales expectancy.
I mean, here's your, here's your market.
It's on a map and 10% of that, you know, this is the vehicle sold.
They look at how many of your brand were sold in that market and how, how
many you sold in that market.
And if we outsell our market, they're pretty happy.
If you're, if your customer satisfaction numbers are good, which
ours are great, they're pretty happy.
So there's a game to play to kind of keep them off your back.
And we've gotten pretty good at it.
That's awesome.
The next place my mind goes is what vehicles, cause you mentioned it's about,
there's a mix of things that need to be right on used vehicles.
And I think a lot of people that are, are thinking about, Hey, we've got
to be more intentional about our pre-owned operation are concerned
about the risks associated with it.
Right.
Like, especially during the pandemic, which, you know, thankfully is starting
to feel like a distant thing.
They're like, okay, but there's risk.
Cause at one point used cars were pretty much the same price as new cars.
And sometimes they were even more expensive.
Um, what do you see happening in the market now?
Are there any pivots or adjustments that you're thinking about in the next
six months that, that will scale your operation further?
You know, it's, it's, it's crazy cause it was the first time in history
that vehicles went up in value so fast in, you know, during the pandemic.
And then the flip side on the backside of it, they were going down so fast too.
So, you know, that was, you had to play a different game for each of those scenarios.
Um, I think it's stabilized more now.
I think, you know, now interest rates are coming down.
I'm hoping we see a little bit more demand here in the next six months,
but I mean, I'm, I'm very, uh, I'm optimistic about the market going forward.
I mean, there's always risks, but again, if you know your market, and I think
right now, you know, there, there's a, there's a sweet spot in new cars and
that $25,000 and under range.
I mean, we're not trying to sell new cars or we're trying to sell used cars.
And I think price is very relevant.
And I think you need to have inventory in the right price ranges to satisfy that market.
Let's create some enemies.
Are there vehicles you just will never touch?
Not necessarily.
I mean, we buy anything and we may end up wholesaling it, but you know, we,
we're trying to really brand that out there that, you know, we'll buy any car.
So, um, you know, we, we don't do as well with, uh, we don't do as well with like
foreign cars or even like premium, premium type inventory.
We're selling to everyday Joe served the masses, so to speak, versus serve the kings.
That's our market.
I love that.
Uh, there's something so genius about this that, that I'm thinking through.
And this is why I love getting to be the student on calls like these, um,
you know, a lot of people obviously at time are recording this.
It's November 4th, 2025.
Lots of talk in the news from all of the pundits and economic experts saying,
we brace there's maybe a recession coming.
There's all these headwinds and all of these different things.
But I'm seeing you so well positioned for that because what's going to happen
if there's a recession and people still need to buy cars, their minds are going
to go immediately back to, to pre-owned.
Yeah, right.
Um, having said that, though, is it $25,000 cars and under still?
Or does it, do you look for, does it go down to 18?
Well, for high, I mean, you know, we, we try to keep some of, you know,
that, that cheaper, cheaper inventory.
But I think the majority still needs a good reliable transportation.
And I don't think it, I don't think cars are going to fall below that.
I don't see cars going down in value much more than they already have.
What kind of conversations do you have from, from a leadership perspective
in setting the tone, setting the temperature, if you will, um, you know,
you have a very well equipped team, um, you know, management and all these
sorts of things who all come maybe from within the industry outside and maybe
they've been there with you a while and it's an easier thing for those coming
in, wrapping their head around, Hey, we're a, we are a used car
operation with a Ford logo on the, on the building.
Is there a mind shift that is required?
And if so, like, what are you saying to them to like help wrap their
head around it and see the vision?
Well, it's tough when people come from the outside, especially in
the car business and they come into us.
It's a good 90 days until I'd say that they can.
Okay.
Now I understand.
Now I see how it's going.
They hear about us.
They're intrigued.
They want to come and work for us.
And then it's like, they get there and like, wow, what, what is happening?
Um, yeah, we're different, but it's not a bad different.
It's just different.
And I think that's a good thing.
I think that, you know, we as car dealers need to change.
I think that, you know, for me, I want to be aligned with my people.
I want them done.
I want, I'm transparent with just about everything with our, with our team.
And when the company wins, I want our people to win, you know?
And it's, it's, uh, I look at our team as partners versus employees.
Does that make sense?
Yeah.
I think that that has not always been the case in the car business.
You've got a head honcho GM or dealer and he calls all the shots and I don't
even, I've done that.
I've tried to do that and where you out and, you know, it doesn't last.
So we're big on teamwork.
We're big on developing people, showing them freer paths within the organization.
And as we grow, there's going to be more opportunities for everybody.
So it creates that culture.
Yeah.
We hear a lot about culture and I know I wish this was a more prevalent conversation.
Cause when I get to sit with leaders such as yourself who talk about implications
of culture and others in the industry, it's a growing group, but I think there's
still resistance to this cause it sounds too kumbaya.
Talk to me a little bit about ways in which you're seeing culture being
quantified in your organization, turning into a real like tangible driver of business.
Well, we have, we have a lot of young people that, and I think we're fortunate
and it's, it's, it's kind of like it's good for the future, but sometimes it's
difficult when you're in the developing of young people because they don't have
the experience, but as we're growing and things are happening that we've said,
we're going to happen and that we've been working towards and they've been a part
of it. I think, I think that's what people are really looking for these days.
They want to be a part of something, not just they, I want to go get a job, right?
Especially younger people.
They, they, they want more mentoring.
They want, you know, career paths for us.
It was like sink or swim.
Hey, if you make it, you do.
And if you don't, sorry about your luck.
So that helps our culture significantly.
Just having, having younger group that we, we are trained and developed all the time
and then working them to the next level, so to speak.
Yeah, this is huge for me as well, especially when you factor that into,
you know, population 2900, it can be, here's another excuse I hear a lot.
It's like, man, the, the gene pool here is thin.
Like people don't want to live here.
They don't want to work here or that whatever here you are, assuming the center
and saying, no, this is a place that people want to work.
That they're, they're a part of something that, that even in a population 2900,
there is a real amazing opportunity right here to, to be a part of something,
to feel, to, to feel connected at a deeper level.
And be successful at the same time.
I mean, cause there's great opportunities in the car business.
If, you know, if you stick with it and you, and you learn and you have experience,
you know, you can make a lot of money that people that maybe didn't have that
education or didn't have the opportunity that others did.
They can, they can start in the car business where there's even a technician
and technicians, they're, they're high demand and low supply.
I mean, we have technicians that absolutely kill it.
So trying to recruit people into that and then, and also in, in sales as well.
I mean, there's same opportunities.
I'm hyper focused on this, what you're talking about right now.
Recently I was in Kazakhstan and I was doing some consulting and training
for their auto organizations.
They have a brand new, like an NADA, it's their version of it, but it's brand new.
It's like two, three years old.
And we were out there doing some training and we got to meet one of the dealer
group owners there, 30 plus dealerships and has the factories and other
assembling vehicles in, in Kazakhstan and stuff like that.
What I was inspired by resembles what I'm feeling inspired by you right now,
which is he's not looking at the car business just from the angle of sell
cars, profits, success, et cetera.
Like success to him is this very real idea that in a new country, 30 year old
country like Kazakhstan, the auto industry provides great paying jobs.
It creates opportunities for growth that I haven't seen in any other industry
to be able to take anybody from any walk of life and give them an opportunity.
And then this very real idea that because of the car business, we are building
a nation, the downstream effect of cars.
Okay.
So you need steel production.
Oh, okay.
So you need infrastructure to drive on, which is also steel and all sorts
of other manufacturing and on and on, like the ripple effect, man.
And then I'm thinking about your community.
We know we say this all the time.
We're like dealers are like the backbone of, but really like what you're saying,
why I'm feeling so excited about it is, dude, like you, Bob Ruth Ford is building
this region.
How many people on your team now?
One 70.
Well, 170 people who then all go home to their families.
Who are seeing growth and opportunity and feeling the culture, which means
that's 170 people.
Let's just say the average family's three or four people.
So 170 times four, who are hearing positive things about Bob Ruth, who then
those people are now becoming advocates.
It's like this pedigree of influence that builds and shapes a community and
the lifestyle of people.
Dude, I'm just super inspired by it because a, like, I look at the 30 people
on my team and I feel that way.
I can't imagine how you must feel sitting in your seat with 170 people.
It's super, super amazing, man.
Super amazing.
Thank you.
As we wind down, we've covered a lot of territory.
We've talked about yours, cooperation.
We've talked about how you play the game of the OEM.
We've talked about culture.
We've talked about acquisition.
As we wind down, how can those listening and watching connect with you?
I mean, I'm on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram.
I mean, those are the big three for me.
I love it, man.
I'm so glad we could connect.
Thank you so much for joining me on the dealer playbook.
Appreciate it.
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Thanks so much for joining.
About this episode
Rob Ruth, president of Bob Ruth Ford, shares insights on successfully navigating the used car market, even in a small town. With a focus on mindset and strategic operations, he discusses how his dealership sold over 300 used cars in a month, emphasizing the importance of inventory acquisition and customer service. Rob reflects on his journey from general manager to owner, the lessons learned from his father, and the significance of building a strong team culture. This episode is packed with practical advice for dealers looking to thrive in a competitive landscape.
Original notes
How do you sell 300+ used cars a month in a town of 2,900 people, and buy 240 vehicles off the street without relying on auctions?
In this episode, Rob Ruth the President / Owner of Bob Ruth Ford, Dillsburg PA breaks down the real playbook behind scaling a pre-owned-first dealership inside a franchise system, and why a startup mindset, disciplined acquisition, and a culture built on partnership can outperform “bigger market” excuses.
Rob shares exactly how they pivoted during COVID when inventory vanished, how they built a team-based buying machine (starting with Facebook Marketplace outreach), and why used cars drive the whole store: service, parts, profitability, and growth.
What you’ll learn:
- Why used cars are the real growth lever (40M used vs ~16M new) and how to differentiate
- The acquisition-first framework: buying center, street buys, and scaling a sourcing team
- How to sell 8 used for every 1 new while keeping the OEM satisfied
- What’s working now: $25K-and-under sweet spot, pricing discipline, and recon strategy
- Leadership and culture: treating employees like partners, creating career paths, and recruiting in a small market
- The recession-proof logic of building a pre-owned engine when markets shift
If you’re a dealer, operator, or leader who feels boxed in by OEM pressure, market size, or “the way it’s always been done,” this episode will challenge you to rethink what’s possible and remind you why you got into this business in the first place.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to the Used Car Mindset
00:36 The Story Behind Bob Ruth Ford
01:02 Key Elements of a Successful Pre-Owned Operation
01:13 Flex Dealer and the Dealer Playbook
02:35 Rob Ruth's Journey and Mindset
03:46 Challenges and Strategies in the Used Car Market
06:05 The Startup Mentality in a Family Business
15:20 Acquisition and Inventory Management
26:20 Community Impact and Leadership
33:29 Conclusion and How to Connect
The Dealer Playbook
Michael Cirillo
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34:17