Rod Ricciardi’s Relationship with the DRG

Rod Ricciardi knows that one person cannot do everything. He understands that when you are trying to resurrect an underperforming automobile dealership that a general manager needs as much help as he can get. So hiring the right people plays a key role in that process.  Rod Ricciardi has referenced the Dealer Resource Group many times to help attain quality personnel for the dealerships he ran.

The Dealer Resource Group is a group of automotive industry experts. The group mostly focuses on staffing. They are one of the leading companies to provide a sales force for the auto industry. Utilizing what they call their “21st Century Sales Training Program," they get jobs posted and conduct screening interviews for the dealerships. Then the dealership can decide who it wants to hire. After those people are hired, Dealer Resource Group trainers like John Fuhrman will conduct a three-day training seminar. After two days for interviewing and three days for training, dealerships have a very well trained sales force delivered to them in less than a week.

Rod Ricciardi also understands that to be a top car dealer you will need to maintain your online presence and have a strong social media program. The Dealer Resource Group can handle those two things as well. Their social media training program, called “Social Media Made Simple”, takes the power of social media and places it in the hands of the individual sales person. The eDirector service offered by The Dealer Resource Group does a full analysis of the dealership’s online presence while evaluating the impact of the site on customers.

Rod Ricciardi Rescues Dealerships

Rod Ricciardi is a well-known expert of automobile dealer rescues. He has revived dealerships all across the country and found ways to make them profitable. One of the most-recent dealerships he turned around was Addy’s Harbor Dodge Corp. in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was a single-point dodge store, which can often be the most-difficult stores to save.  A “single-point dealership” means that it only carries one brand. In this case, it is a Chrysler Dealership, and although Chrysler owns Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Chrysler and other brands, this dealership only sold the Dodge brand.

That did not stop Rod Ricciardi from making another incredible turnaround.  A large part of that success was restructuring operations and dividing its staff of 85 people across the five main departments: New Cars, Used Cars, Service, Parts, and Finance.

At Addy’s Harbor Dodge Corp, Rod Ricciardi reversed an average $100k monthly loss and achieved profitability with a $200k bottom line profit.  Rod Ricciardi also improved the sales average and delivered 300% MSR up from 60% MSR. For the first time, the store led the South East district of six states. It ranked among the top 20, and as high as number five in overall progress.

Rod Ricciardi also knows that media buying can really help or hinder business. He was able to gain a significant reduction of 45% on media rates through intelligent media buying, earning an exceptional return on investment. His ability to analyze cost efficiency while driving sales is unparalleled.

Rod Ricciardi is a Respected General Auto Manager

Rod Ricciardi consistently reminds others why he is one of the best at running automobile dealerships.  In 2008, he was brought into  the struggling Bessemer Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Corp. in Bessemer, Alabama; a challenge he had taken on with confidence and diligence.

While at Bessemer Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Corp., Rod Ricciardi pursued the reconstruction of the dealership for over three years and overcame multiple challenges that included a disorganized management structure and lack of resources. He was able to turn around the dealership to achieve an unprecedented leading rank in the Birmingham district for retail sales volume. In 2008 and 2009 the dealership was ranked #1 in retail sales in the state of Alabama, and delivered an unprecedented 298% Market Share Retail.

Another challenge that Rod Ricciardi faced while at Bessemer Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Corp, was the inexperienced staff. He restructured the staff while also hiring and training top-quality managers and other personnel. While there he instituted a proactive culture supported by processes for driving sales, customer service, and satisfaction. He also taught the team to pursue solution-driven results while actively partnering with their clients and prospective clients. Rod Ricciardi established marketing and advertising plans while motivating the sales team to be proactive about bringing business through the door.

Overall Rod Ricciardi revamped all of the operations of the dealership and worked hard to create systems and processes that improved sales. His team became known for their ability to  deliver top closing rates and greatly increase the average gross profits of the dealership.

Rod Ricciardi in Automotive industry

Rod Ricciardi has spent twenty years in the automotive industry. Now he is determined to give back some of his contacts and knowledge by sharing it with young people.

During his career in the automotive industry, Rod Ricciardi has worked at dealerships for Ford Motors, Mitsubishi, and the Chrysler Corporation. He first demonstrated his skills as the General Sales Manager for Pete Ellis Auto Group in Anaheim, California, before moving on to his own Nissan, Olds, and Hyundai business in Oregon. In 1996 be became the General Sales Manager at Pistilli Ford in Paramus, New Jersey. Over a four years period he lifted monthly gross sales from $100,000 to $400,000, and boosted monthly car sales from eighty to 150 units. He also increased Pistilli Ford gross sales per unit by $2,700.

In 2000, Rod Ricciardi became the General Manager of Rockville Mitsubishi in Rockville, Maryland. He was recruited to the position by Herson’s Auto Group, and more than doubled the size of the dealership. Under his direction, Rockville Mitsubishi became the most profitable Mitsubishi dealership in the United States, ranking #1 in the northeast region, up from #51. Rod Ricciardi increased new car sales at Rockville Mitsubishi from 500 to 1,300 units per year, the top sales status in the entire country.

Rod Ricciardi is the founder of a nonprofit organization called Find A Dream in order to give back to the community. Find A Dream provides mentoring, guidance, resources, and a safe and supportive environment for young people. The organization partners with professionals to serve as role models, and is committed to delivering on its promise of positive change in young lives.

Rod Ricciardi: Bringing Experience and Skill to Management

Professional teams need professional guidance and leadership in order to succeed. As someone with multiple organizational, business and leadership skill, Rod Ricciardi has set himself apart in the automotive industry. With a background in results-oriented team leadership, Rod Ricciardi has become one of the most trusted faces in automotive dealership management.

Rod Ricciardi understands how to develop and implement training programs that give sales professionals the education they need to succeed. He has worked with countless automotive sales professionals to improve their approach to the sales process, ensuring they get the most from their strengths and improving their opportunities for sales successes. Rod Ricciardi also understands how to manage a budget; eliminating organizational waste and inefficiency while streamlining organizational processes and facilitating the professional-to-customer interaction.  

Rod Ricciardi is also skilled in organizational restructuring, and isn’t afraid to take any step necessary to improve both the profitability and effectiveness of his employer’s company.  He is an expert on competitor and market analysis; the need to both identify and analyze information that provides both him and his team with the best possible competitive edge. Rod Ricciardi not only knows how to build an effective business and sales strategy, but also how to execute that strategy with precision and expediency, creating almost immediate turn-arounds in both profit and performance.

With experience working for numerous professional organizations, Rod Ricciardi is no stranger to effective team management. His experience and expertise has served many dealerships well throughout his career, and has provided management teams across the country with a solid source of inspiration.

Rod Ricciardi and Find A Dream: Help the Youth Succeed

Find A Dream looks to instill a sense of self-worth into children who may not otherwise have a source of support or hope. As an invaluable community organization, Find A Dream, along with founder Rod Ricciardi, depend on the support of others to continue to make a difference.

With the support of financial contributions, local sponsorships and the generosity of local volunteers, Rod Ricciardi and the Find A Dream foundation are able to provide the programs and services young people need to become self-sustaining leaders of their local communities. Rod Ricciardi encourages both individuals and businesses alike to consider becoming a part of the Find A Dream difference, and to be a voice for both change and for good in young people’s lives.

Young people are often subject to the intense pressures of the streets, their peers and other influences that can carry them down a dangerous path of destruction. Through Rod Ricciardi and Find a Dream, these children are provided an outlet of hope; a place where they can escape the negativity of their lives and find the mentorship and influence they need become constructive and independent. Rod Ricciardi has developed an organization that does more than just talk about solving societal ills. Find a Dream fights to provide local youth with empowerment, offering a variety of character-building activities and programs that instill a sense of accomplishment and provide direction to children’s lives.

Rod Ricciardi and Find A Dream fight to keep the local community strong, which is only possible through the generosity of their contributors.

Rod Ricciardi: Community Leadership Begins With Young People

Community strength begins with the young. Instilling the values of community, charity and positivity into our younger generations, says Rod Ricciardi, ensures the development of strong and compassionate adults; people who genuinely care for and are invested in the health of the local community.

The Find A Dream foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Rod Ricciardi, works to build strength of character in the young people of the local community. As a source of mentorship, character-building programs and healthy activities, the Find A Dream foundation’s primary goal is to give struggling youth an opportunity to participate in positive things; to be a source of inspiration, as well as a foundation, for those who may be lost without it. Rod Ricciardi wants every kid to know that they too have a friend at Find A Dream, an organization that seeks a better future for both them and for the community.

Rod Ricciardi, the Managing Director of Find A Dream, wants children to realize their full potential. As the organization’s leader, Rod Ricciardi has developed an environment that is conducive to confidence-building and mentorship. Find A Dream, in concert with both local professionals, as well as boxing legends Ray Mercer and James Walter “Buddy” McGirt, wants to inspire local youth to pursue more for both their lives and their communities. With an emphasis on personal achievement and competition, Find A Dream and Rod Ricciardi work to create a sense of personal and civil pride into their members, and to create a generation of leaders that work towards a better and more positive future for all.