There is a reason that Bill Brown Ford has a fiercely loyal customer base, with some families shopping at the dealership 40, 50 years, or more. They also have an equally devoted staff, some of whom have worked at the dealership for 35 or 40 years. The dealership enjoys this incredible level of loyalty because they have found a way to balance helping the community, building a community, and operating a customer-first dealership. This has proven to be a winning formula for them, as they are once again a finalist in the Race to be named Ford’s #1 Dealership in the world.
Bill Brown Ford has at least one active charity program in place 365 days-a-year, this is at the core of the dealership’s DNA. This has enabled them to create one large extended family that brings together the people who work at the dealership with the people who buy there.
Tom Brown is the great-grandson of Bill Brown; his family has owned and operated Ford dealerships in Michigan for over 100 years. They have been at Bill Brown’s current location in Livonia since the mid-’50s. Over the years, the dealership has maintained a unique family, community, and customer first-approach to dealer operations, which was put to the test this year.
“In the Spring, as community need grew exponentially, so did our efforts to keep our staff and help feed, educate, clothe, and improve the health and welfare of families and businesses in the Detroit Metro. Especially those negatively impacted by the pandemic,” Tom Brown comments. “The dealership has always had a broad, integrated community approach. It’s who we are. The big surprise is the level of support we’ve received from our community this year. The fact that we may have the unique opportunity of ending this year, 2020, on a positive note, as the #1 Ford Dealership in the world is incredible.”
This month Bill Brown is in a historic fight to be named the #1 Ford Dealership in the World. The competition is fierce. The dealership is in an intense back-and-forth battle with last year’s winner, a Ford dealership in Florida. In 2019 they battled right up until the end of the year. This year is no different. Bill Brown is slightly behind today, but that could easily change tomorrow.
Matt Garchow, New Vehicle Sales Manager at Bill Brown Ford, adds, “We’re so honored after this challenging year to have such a high level of loyalty and support from so many Michiganders. All of us at Bill Brown are so thankful for our amazing community, and we’re focused on bringing the title of #1 Ford Dealership back to Michigan, where it belongs. We see the Race for #1 as an opportunity to celebrate and thank our community for their unending support.”
As Ford’s largest AXZ Plan dealership, Bill Brown provides more discounts to Ford employees than any other dealership in the world. Their customers work down the street at the Ford Livonia Transmission Plant, or in Dearborn, or at the Rogue River Complex, or they are with a Ford vendor or supplier. There is a lot of responsibility that comes with this designation, and that’s one of the reasons the dealership consistently supports Ford employees, vendors, and their local community.
“The Race for #1 is a huge undertaking for any Ford dealership, but for one our size, in Metro Detroit, in the middle of a pandemic, this has to be a community effort to succeed,” Tom Brown adds. “It’s also an opportunity for us to show the world that Detroit is still the capital of the auto industry.”
Bill Brown recently received some help with their quest for #1. The dealership became the first in the world, to sell one of the new, highly-anticipated 2021 Broncos. The dealership aired the delivery of the first new Bronco, to the Ghastin family from Canton, MI, live on their Facebook page. The post has created a lot of buzz.
“We were honored that Bill Brown was selected for this historical event, and for this to happen in the middle of our Race for #1 could help us win,” adds Matt Garchow. “December is the final lap of the Race, and we need to sell a lot of new Ford cars and trucks to win. To make sure we deliver for our staff and community, we’re offering our best deals and the lowest prices of the year before Jan. 4, 2021.”
