Although it says his name on the front of the building, Bob's BMW is a collective of talented people… and a collection of really cool motorcycles, memorabilia and assorted ephemera that comes with a lifetime in the motorcycle industry! "After a motorcycle crash in the fall of 1981 somehow my hobby became my livelihood and my direction in life in general changed," says Bob Henig. "I ended up starting Bob's Used Parts which specialized in BMW parts and accessories. It exploded, taking on myriad other related areas like the acquisition of NOS inventories from failed dealers and the importation of new and used parts from Europe when the dollar was very strong against the German Mark. Eventually it all became Bob's BMW after roughly 7 years of pressure from consumers and BMW alike." However this was no solo journey!
"Today I am more hands-off than hands-on thanks to a great lead team and a fabulous overall team. My General Manager, Marketing Manager, Operations Manager, and my wife/business partner/VP of 35 years who manages the Accounting, Computing, HR and other back of house responsibilities are the heart and soul of the business." In fact, Suzanne's actual job title is Suzanne Henig, The Bob Whisperer! "Our leads in PAA, sales and service report directly to one or more of those individuals. A weekly meeting keeps me fully up-to-date on everything and urgent matters (thankfully few) are brought to my attention even when I'm not in the dealership or working from home 2-3 days per week."
The secret of the dealership's success: "Hire right, train regularly, meet often to keep them on track and pace and let them show you what they can accomplish has resulted in a fourth straight great year with this most recent December being the best-ever in all possible ways in the company’s history," Henig claims. "I crafted what I wanted Bob's to be outstanding at so I could hire the best, train them well and turn them loose.
"I've attended 35+ years-worth of BMW Rallies and events across the country meeting customers and listening very carefully. I've acquired the inventories of roughly 100 dealers who closed their doors —learning each time what worked and what did not, at least in their opinion. I've traveled to Europe dozens of times to acquire rare bits and bikes from flea markets and vendors well before the Internet changed that world to bring these items home to sell to customers or in some/many cases keep for my own collection which is now in a true museum setting taking up 5,500 square feet on two levels across from the dealership…"
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