What’s Inside:
Congratulations to all our team members for your continued hard work and dedication to our stores and guests. Your unwavering commitment and outstanding performance throughout 2022 have truly exemplified our mission at Baxter, representing our manufacturer brands with excellence. Please join us in congratulating the following stores for a multitude of industry awards and accomplishments!
2022 Ford President’s Award
Baxter Ford Papillion
Given to 340 Ford Dealers out of over 5,000 throughout the US. This award is based on the highest level of customer service, satisfaction and overall experience.
2022 Magna Society
Audi Omaha - Audi Shawnee Mission
Awarded to dealerships that go above and beyond and demonstrate an exceptional level of customer service as well as achieve high performance factors.
Lexus
Lexus of Colorado Springs
The Lexus Elite Award is given to dealerships who are living up to the standards of excellence. Lexus of Omaha has received this award 32 years in a row and is 1 of only 3 dealers in the U.S. with such a streak (out of 247).
Honda of Olathe Sales
The President’s Award is as prestigious as it sounds, recognizing dealerships that deliver outstanding customer experience while achieving operational excellence. Honda of Olathe has received this award for 5 years in a row.
Honda of Olathe Sales
Sales and Finance teams that crush it win this award for outstanding Finance production and exceptional partnership with the manufacturer.
Subaru of Olathe
Awarded based off of 2022 statistics, recipients of this award have been nationally recognized for demonstrating an outstanding commitment to supporting passions and causes in their local community.
Awarded based on 2022 statistics, this award nationally recognizes elite Subaru retailers who provide an exceptional customer experience at every interaction with Subaru. These retailers have also demonstrated an outstanding commitment to supporting their community.
Awarded to dealerships who have demonstrated a commitment to maintaining Toyota’s high standards for customer satisfaction.
The Greater Omaha Chamber Business Excellence Awards are an annual recognition of organizations that elevate our community in the categories of leadership, innovation, philanthropy and sustained excellence. Baxter was recognized for our overall philanthropic efforts, along with being specifically recognized for our relationship with Free Bikes 4 Kidz Omaha and The Furniture Project Omaha.
In May, Audi Shawnee Mission became the newest dealership to join the Baxter team! We are thrilled to welcome 50 new employees, and continue to grow the market with our 5th dealership in the Kansas City market. We can’t wait to see the great accomplishments this new store will achieve.
To create a remarkable employee experience, we are giving our employees time for the things that matter most. We provide paid parental leave for all eligible employees, so you can spend precious time with your newest little passengers. This is just one of the many ways we are living out our vision of delivering a remarkable employee experience.
One of our Baxter teammates, Sara Louch, shared with us what this benefit means to her. “The fact that it is offered makes me feel like it’s not a disadvantage to have a child, which is how it can sometimes feel. Instead, it now feels as if it’s okay and not frowned upon to take that time off to grow a family, especially since it is also available for paternal leave which is huge. I’m very thankful that our company now offers it.”
Click to learn more about the paid parental leave benefit.
“I was very excited when the policy came out. It is very beneficial and will give my husband and I some time off with our new little one together without having to worry about finances.”
— Nicole Stein
EASY WAY TO SAVE $600 NOW!
In 2023, every employee enrolled in a medical plan received a discount of $50 each month. However, to continue to receive this discount in 2024, you will be required to have an annual routine physical in 2023, prior to October 31, 2023.
In May, Audi Omaha was the presenting sponsor of the Children’s Hospital & Medical Center’s Fore! The Kids Golf Tournament, benefiting the Children’s Specialty Pediatric Clinic in Lincoln. Through this partnership, golfers had the opportunity to participate in the Audi quattro Cup for a chance to take part in a national tournament — and one lucky golfer won an Audi Q5 after sinking a hole in one. The tournament raised a total of $45,000, which will help primary care physicians provide the best care possible for children with unique and complex medical needs.
Toyota of Colorado Springs and Lexus of Colorado Springs recently donated two vehicles to Colorado Springs School District 11’s automotive program. These vehicles will provide hands-on learning experiences for their students, helping them further their industry knowledge and gain new skills. We are excited to support their education and empower the next generation of automotive professionals.
Click to watch our CO teammates speak about the donation with students
Honda of Olathe and Legends Honda joined Kansas City in celebrating their vibrant community by sponsoring the 2023 Kansas City Parade of Hearts — a public art experience that celebrates diversity, unites communities and supports nonprofits by placing beautifully designed hearts by local artists throughout the Kansas City region. Our dealerships each had one-of-a-kind heart designs on display at their dealerships.
Growth is a key component of our employee experience. We believe that growth not only comes from having the right skillset, but the right mindset as well. In March, we introduced everyone to our leadership development model and program. It is focused on building our leadership mindsets and operational skill sets, which leads to a remarkable employee experience. We believe that everyone should be provided with the tools and opportunities to succeed, no matter what their job title is – which is why this new program has training for all positions, not just those with formal leadership titles.
In July, we put the program into motion. All General Managers and Store Leaders attended our Grow, Perform, Succeed (GPS) performance and growth process training. Now, we’re ready to kick off the GPS process with everyone. You shared on the quarterly employee experience pulse survey that you would like high-quality, regular performance conversations with your leader; that’s where the Grow, Perform, Succeed (GPS) performance and growth process comes in.
GPS is all about having high-quality conversations that lead to clear performance goals and regular twoway feedback. This constant flow of communications provides everyone with a full understanding of how they are doing. Here’s what’s happening right now and what you should expect:
• Goal Setting: Your Store Leader will help you get started with the goal setting process. They will connect with you soon, if they have not done so already. In the meantime, begin to consider the performance goals you might like to discuss with them.
• Constant Coaching: Continual feedback is key to you and your leader’s growth. It’s important to know what you are doing well and if there is anything that needs to be altered. If you haven’t received feedback from your leader, ask them for it as work happens during the day. These real-time conversations are meant to be ongoing, so don’t wait until your first quarterly check-in to discuss your goals, provide feedback, or address other concerns.
• Quarterly Check-ins: Talk to your leader to schedule your first GPS quarterly check-in this fall. This meeting provides an opportunity to review your goals, leadership mindsets and operational skill sets, and share feedback with your leader. Remember, this is your time, so be prepared to openly discuss any concerns or thoughts. It may be helpful to come with any comments, questions or concerns to go over with your leader. For more details, please ask your manager for a copy of the resource guide.
The next training under the model will be for all teammates and will focus on the Learn-it-All capability that builds our Stay Curious leadership mindset. In a constantly changing world, Learn-it-All training is designed to help us stay curious and acquire new knowledge and skills.
Our General Managers recently participated in the training. Now, it’s your turn. We’ll share more details about the upcoming “Learn-it-All” training in the coming weeks.
“I feel like the GPS initiative will be beneficial for all employees. Check-ins with their leaders will let them know that they have a person in their corner as they work to achieve their goals.”
— Duce LettGeneral Manager
“We learn not only about the aspirations of those we work closely with, but have an opportunity to be part of that journey all together.”
— Anna Morrison Sales Manager
The Baxter Summer College Internship program spans eight weeks and provides a comprehensive experience, allowing college interns to gain knowledge of dealership operations. It includes shadowing experienced sales professionals, observing the sales process, spending time in service departments, and exploring various departments such as parts and office management. This year, the program expanded to include the Kansas and Colorado regions.
To enhance the learning experience, interns are divided into groups and tasked with conducting research to improve guest and employee experiences. Their findings were presented to a panel of experts on the program’s final day, composed of executives and store leaders. Our internship program aims to foster critical thinking and innovation among college interns while deepening their understanding of dealership operations. We’re already looking forward to next summer’s interns!
Omaha:
Trey Olden: Santa Clara University — Major: Business Analytics
Jackson Wright: University of Nebraska-Lincoln — Major: Marketing
Zachary Joyce: Creighton University — Major: History on Pre-Law Track
Mason Nieman: University of Nebraska-Lincoln —
Major: Business Administration
Maeve Botos: University of Kansas — Major: Accounting; Minor: Spanish
KS: Samuel Greenup: University of Kansas — Major: Business Administration
CO: Chad Chargualaf: University of Colorado, Colorado Springs — Major: Business Finance; Minor: Accounting
“I am looking forward to getting some insight into the many realms of accounting that are necessary to keep businesses like Baxter so successful.”
— Maeve Botos
“This summer, I am looking forward to exploring the different aspects of a dealership.”
— Chad Chargualaf
“I’m coming into this with the mindset of being a sponge, I just want to absorb anything that they offer me and just take in all the information I receive.”
— Trey Olden
Our stores in Kansas City, Colorado Springs, and Nebraska attended Pikes Peak Pride, KC PrideFest and Heartland Pride throughout June and July. We are proud to celebrate and embrace diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and enjoyed talking to 3,500+ people across all of our markets.
In June, employees had the opportunity to read an interview from Abbi Swatworth, the Executive Director of OutNebraska. This discussion highlighted the importance of recognizing the varied experiences and unique challenges our LGBTQ+ teammates and guests may face, and the critical role each one of us can play if we want to be an ally. Additionally, we shared a series of Allyship in Action videos, highlighting the importance and impact that being an ally in the workplace has. To view these posts, please visit Paylocity Community.
In addition to Pride Month, we have recognized Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and Asian and Pacific Islander heritage month already this year. We will continue to recognize and celebrate heritage months throughout the year. Through these events and learning opportunities, we can all grow in our Welcome Differences leadership mindset and create an environment where everyone feels invited to belong.
We had the honor of being recognized by The Center For Automotive Diversity, Inclusion & Advancement (CADIA) in their June newsletter.
Click here to read the full article.
