Family ties fuel Roberts Motors’ success

By Jason White Big Z Media

Roberts Motors is a foundation for the local business community and an example of a successful family enterprise.

But Vice President and General Manager John Roberts wasn’t always enthusiastic about working in the family business. He planned a career in electronics, but changed his mind during a class at Lewis and Clark Community College.

“The teacher says, ‘This is what you’re going to be doing the rest of your life,’ and I hated it,” he said. Roberts had already worked part time at the dealership, mowing grass and cleaning out grease pits. He realized selling cars might help him overcome his childhood shyness.

John’s dad, Sam, also wasn’t always involved in automotive sales. Sam was working at an A&P grocery store and got to know the late Bill Roberts — no relation — who owned a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership in Wood River.

Bill Roberts moved his business to Broadway on Alton in 1963, and Sam went to work for him in 1965. Sam Roberts eventually bought the stock from the original Roberts family and became sole owner of the business.

As he did with Sam, Bill took John under his wing.

John recalls when Bill told him he didn’t think John would succeed as a sales representative. Later, Bill took him out to lunch and told him he was wrong.

“I really don’t think he ever meant that I would fail; I think it was a challenge,” John said. “He laid that out there for me to test me.

“Bill was a lot like dad. Neither one sugar-coated anything with me, neither one coddled me,” he said.

“They’d throw you out there; sometimes you’d sink, sometimes you wouldn’t, but they’d always be there to pull you back up. To me, that’s how you learn.”

Sam Roberts said that approach has paid off for Roberts Ford.

“You do it because you don’t want them to fail,” he said.

“John is a hard worker, and I’ve got to be real honest: we wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for him,” he said.

“When you get too old for it, it takes youth to make it work.”

Changes have accelerated in the automotive industry during the internet era.

Customers do most of their research online before arriving at the dealership.

“You basically have to build your relationship with the customer online,” John said. “They have to come into the dealership knowing what to expect, and it’s got to be what they want. If it’s not, they’re probably not coming.”

Another big change is an aging vehicle fleet, leading to more demand for service. Finding qualified

Illinois American awards grant to Alton YWCA

Fourteen organizations will share more than $18,000 through Illinois American Water’s Inclusion and Diversity Grant Program.

The program, a new initiative for Illinois American Water, provides financial assistance to nonprofit organizations seeking to develop and implement programs, training and community-related projects that aim to promote and foster inclusion and diversity.

YWCA of Southern Illinois in Alton will receive a $2,500 grant to support the Reading On program. The program will offer diverse storybooks for teacher professional development and continuing education. They will use storybooks and concepts to give pre-kindergarten and other elementary teachers an opportunity to learn and discuss diversity, inclusion and belonging.

Justin Ladner, Illinois American Water President, said he is excited “to be a part of the progress occurring in the communities we serve.

“At Illinois American Water, we celebrate and value the different perspectives and backgrounds each of us offer. Diversity makes our company and our communities stronger. This is why we wanted to create an initiative focused technicians is just one of the challenges, John says.

“No matter how good you are, you’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with, and we think we’ve got a great team up there,” he said.

John said working in Alton has made him emphasize a straightforward approach to selling vehicles.

“We love our repeat, loyal customers — those are really important to us — but we don’t treat anybody differently,” he said. “If they come to our store, they’re going to get good service, they’re going to get good honest treatment. We don’t play games.”

His dad agrees.

“You’ve got to give to the community that supports you,” Sam said. “Our motto’s always been No. 1 is the customer, No. 2 is the employees and No. 3 is the dealer. As long as you value everyone that way, you’re going to come out ahead.” 3 on partnerships for inclusion and diversity. We’re excited to collaborate with these impressive organizations.” 3 illinoisamwater.com

GCS employees support United Way

The employees of GCS Credit Union pledged a total of $17,053 to United Way for 2022. The Board of Directors will match the pledged amount, and GCS will make a total donation of $34,107. United Way helps families and individuals put food on the table, stay safe in their homes, get connected to mental health resources and more. GCS supports numerous charitable organizations each year, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Partners for Pets, and Greater St. Louis Honor Flight. For more information, visit myGCScu.com or call (618) 797-7993.

Jody Woods earns December employee honor

Jody Woods of the Inpatient Pharmacy (holding plaque) is Alton Memorial Hospital’s December Employee of the Month. She received the honor Dec. 1 from (from left) Kelly Mueller and Megan Flowers of the Pharmacy and AMH President Dave Braasch. Woods has been a pharmacy technician at AMH for 16 years. Her co-workers say, “Jody takes pride in her work and is accurate, efficient, and flexible. Jody is a true team player. Within the last year, she volunteered to cover the midnight technician shift for several months when there was a gap in the schedule. She will stay until the job is done correctly. Jody demonstrates much autonomy and critical thinking. She is pleasant, helpful, and cheerful. Jody’s attention to detail and impressive work ethic make her an advocate for patient safety. Jody is an asset to the pharmacy department and AMH.”