This content is sponsored by Sheehy Auto Stores.
What began as a single suburban Ford dealership 60 years ago has grown into one of the largest automotive retail groups in the country.
At Sheehy Auto Stores, its success is rooted in maintaining a family atmosphere.
鈥淚t really is a family-owned company, and it feels like family,鈥� said Lisa Vigneault, vice president of talent and guest experience at Sheehy Auto Stores.
That culture recently earned Sheehy recognition as a top workplace in the Washington, D.C., area through the Top Workplaces program conducted by Energage in partnership with WTOP 太子探花.
The award is based entirely on employee feedback gathered through the Energage Workplace Survey, which measures workplace culture, employee engagement and organizational health.
According to Vigneault, it reflects years of emphasis on employee engagement and customer service.
鈥淭he customer is truly the North Star for us,鈥� said Vigneault. 鈥淲e will do anything to please a customer and we won鈥檛 give up, because that鈥檚 part of our DNA.鈥�
Family culture leads to growth
Sheehy Ford first opened in 1966 just off the newly constructed Washington Beltway as a small, family-owned dealership.
Today, Sheehy Auto Stores has grown into the 28th largest dealer group in the nation, operating 28 聽dealerships stretching from Hagerstown and Baltimore to Richmond, Virginia.
The company has worked to maintain close relationships between leadership and employees through the years.
An annual 鈥淪tate of theCompany鈥� tour is led by company executives, including CEO Vince Sheehy.
Leadership teams visit every dealership for town hall-style meetings with employees.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e communicating key priorities for the year, but they鈥檙e also there shaking hands and making sure they know all the employees by name,” said Vigneault. 鈥淎nytime we get feedback from employees, if there鈥檚 an issue or something we want to improve, the reaction is immediately, 鈥楬ow do we solve that? How do we fix it?鈥欌��
Sheehy Auto Stores hosts numerous events for team members and their families in appreciation of their commitment to the company. Each year, more than 6,000 Sheehy employees and family members attend 鈥淔amily Day and Sheehy鈥檚 Got Talent鈥� at Kings Dominion. The company also hosts an all-expenses-paid trip each year for top-performing employees.
The company鈥檚 emphasis on growth and internal advancement has become a significant part of its workplace culture.
Two of the most recently promoted general managers began their careers as sales consultants on the ground floor before working their way up through the organization.
鈥淲e always try to promote from within,鈥� Vigneault explained. 鈥淲e really want to grow, train and develop our team members and make sure they are ready for the next opportunity.鈥�
Developing leaders from within
Sheehy offers a range of internal and external training opportunities, including instruction through Sheehy University.
Training programs are designed for employees across multiple departments, including sales consultants, service advisors, receptionists, technicians and finance managers.
The company operates an Emerging Leaders Program, a two-year leadership development initiative focused on preparing employees for management positions.
Sheehy created the Sheehy Women Leaders Program to help strengthen opportunities for women in an industry that has traditionally been male-dominated.
鈥淭he automotive industry is in most cases 80% men and 20% women, yet 55% of the transactions are women buying the cars,鈥� Vigneault said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a disconnect in the industry.鈥�
The company hired an outside executive coach specializing in women鈥檚 leadership development to help build the program with the goal of attracting, retaining and developing women for higher level positions.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to give women a new opportunity to feel valued and feel like they鈥檙e part of the culture,鈥� said Vigneault. 鈥淚’m really proud of that program.鈥�
A commitment to customers and community
The customer experience remains central to the identity at Sheehy Auto Stores, and the company reinforces that through what it calls its 鈥�10 Customer Commandments,鈥� including a 鈥�10-foot rule,鈥� which encourages employees to acknowledge customers whenever they are nearby.
鈥淏uying a vehicle can be an intimidating experience, but at Sheehy we really try to have an atmosphere that鈥檚 welcoming, open and low-pressure,鈥� said Vigneault. 鈥淲e want it to feel like home instead of what people may think of as a traditional dealership experience.鈥�
Sheehy employees and dealerships are also involved in charitable efforts throughout the communities they serve.
The company鈥檚 largest long-term partnership is with the American Heart Association, but individual dealerships organize food drives, school supply collections and holiday toy drives while supporting local nonprofits.
鈥淲e give vehicles away to nonprofits that need cars, while we also provide volunteer support鈥� Vigneault said. 鈥淕iving back to the community is a big foundational element for the company.鈥�
