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20 Hartford Business Journal • October 23, 2017 • www.HartfordBusiness.com Schaller Auto World puts people first By Carol Riordan Special to the Hartford Business Journal A sk Art Schaller Jr. about recent business accomplish- ments, and his answer may surprise you. "We had our highest atten- dance ever at the annual Christmas party," he said. It's clear that people are a priority at Schaller Auto World when it comes to clients and staff. Marketing Director Joanne Pescosolido started out as a greeter at the company 29 years ago. She has worked in sales and fi- nance and can even cover the IT depart- ment in a pinch. "We all help each other when needed," she said. When Pescosolido first started manag- ing the company's advertising, she had young children and arrangements were made for her to work from home three days a week. Recently, a group of staff members cov- ered for an appoint- ment coordinator whose husband was diagnosed with cancer. "She was able to go with him to chemo treatments. We just learned that he is can- cer free," Pescosolido said. Schaller credits his father, Art Sr., for developing his people skills. "Early on, I'd call him after every sales expe- rience and say, 'Here's what I did, what do you think?' " Schaller said. Dealership employees take the same approach and view every cus- tomer interaction as a training opportunity. Sometimes, that means keeping cool when an interaction starts to get heated. "Buying a car is a high-stakes purchase," Schaller said. "My father said, 'Don't ever get mad about what a customer says. Just find a way to turn it around.' " The staff takes time to get to know their customers and listens to them at- tentively. They ask for details on why a customer is changing cars and get a read on their personality and lifestyle. Then they can make the best match between customer and car. "Customers may come in with a pre- conceived notion of what they want, not realizing they can find those same features in another vehicle," Schaller said. Some leading local figures got their start at Schaller Auto World. Tim Stewart, former New Britain mayor, and both of his brothers worked there in high school. "Tim's brother Jim was my first boss in the detail center," said Schaller. Local charities such as Klingberg Fam- ily Centers rely on the dealership, and the Schaller family established a fund at the Community Foundation of New Britain when the business celebrated its 50th anniversary. Art Sr. and Jr. both grew up working in the family business. The family lived three miles from the dealership, which was started in 1953 by Art Sr.'s father, Gustave Schaller. They sold 200 Oldsmobiles in their first year with a staff of eight. Honda was added in the spring of 1977, Subaru was add- ed in 1982 and in 1986 the company became the first Acura dealer in Connecticut. They started selling Mitsubishis in 1991 and the original Oldsmobile facility was renovated as a state-of-the-art body shop in 2011. "My family has been in the collision-repair business as long as we've been in the car busi- ness," said Schaller. The shop has $500,000 of parts on the premises so vehicles can be turned around quickly. Schaller Auto World was one of the first dealerships to add an in- house insurance agency in 2014. "Allstate offers service contracts, GAP insurance, paint and fabric protection, and road hazard insurance," Schaller said. He describes the hours as intense, but said that's what it takes to run a successful dealership. During busy times of the year, a salesperson might be scheduled to work an 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. shift, but leave much later. "Sometimes they don't leave until 11 p.m. because we don't stop until the last customer is taken care of," Schaller said. Schaller leads by example and is acces- sible to clients and staff at all times. He said that having an open-door policy means that his door is open all day. Emails sent through the company website link "Tell It To Art" go directly to him. "When you call our dealership and punch my name into the system, you get my desk," he said. This personal touch is what has made the business so successful, Schaller said. "We try to run the business like it's still the same small eight-person operation that my grandfather started in 1953," he said. Schaller Auto World Headquarters: New Britain Industry: Auto dealership Year Founded: 1953 Generation that currently runs the company: Third Founder: Gustave J. Schaller No. of Full-Time Employees: 162 No of Part-Time Employees: 15 Family Members Currently Employed at Company: Art Schaller Jr., President; Art Schaller Sr., Chairman Company Website: www.schallerauto.com "Buying a car is a high- stakes purchase. My father said, 'Don't ever get mad about what a customer says. Just find a way to turn it around.' " Art Schaller Jr. , President, Schaller Auto World (Left) Schaller Auto World Chairman Art Schaller Sr. and his son and the dealerships President Art Schaller Jr. (Top left) Schaller Auto World employees attend an office Christmas party. (Top right moving clockwise) Schaller Auto World was founded in 1953 by Gustave Schaller, who started by selling Oldsmobiles. The company's auto dealership has been a fixture in New Britain ever since. FAMILY BUSINESS Awards 1st Place Full Time Employees 76–199