Ownership of a Rydell group business is somewhat like owning a franchise. However, an owner who has purchased all the stock in the store is free to do as he or she pleases with no fees due to the Rydell Company. Similarly, the philosophy and model laid down by the Rydell Company needs to be followed 100 percent until all shares in the business are purchased, but after that the owners are free to do as they wish. Rydell owners are empowered and encouraged to look for managers who have the capability and ambition to own their own dealerships and put them through a development program that exposes them to sales, parts, inventory and other aspects of the business. In that way, talented individuals are grown within the dealership, and if they are successful they can be nominated for Rydell dealer candidate training. The group purchases three or four dealerships per year as they become available, and puts into them graduates of the training program who have been groomed as managers. They also provide a financial plan so the managers can buy out the Rydell group and take over complete ownership of the business.
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Every community the Rydell group goes into we know we’re going to grow the people and grow the store to be good community citizens. It’s not about growing profits, but the approach is financially successful.” – CHRISTY GILLELAND
All of the Rydell group’s dealerships are owned by individuals who have been mentored in this way by other owners, or they are owned by people like Christy and Grant Gilleland, the children of Duane and Karen Gilleland.
SUCCESSION Today, Gilleland Chevrolet and Cadillac is a busy and familiar business on the north side of Division Street, straddling the now closed and paved over intersection with 30th Ave. N. It employs approximately 114 people in its sales, parts, service, Quick Lube, and body shop departments. (The body shop, St. Cloud Collision Center, is at a separate location.) Christy and Grant grew up with the business, or as they call it, “the
store,” and are in the process of buying it from their parents. They don’t plan to acquire new operations and expand in new directions. In fact, they don’t plan to change much at all. They plan to grow the business by working within the unique structure, mission and vision that guided the Gilleland business to success. The purpose of the organization is building people and building families, Christy said. “Every community the Rydell group goes into we know we’re going to grow the people and grow the store to be good community citizens. It’s not about growing profits, but the approach is financially successful.” Christy, 37, and Grant, 33, are a study in contrasts. Christy is dark eyed, dark haired,
TIMELINE •• 1942 Baston Chevrolet moves from Minneapolis to downtown St. Cloud on the corner of St. Germain and 9th Ave. •• Mid-1960s Baston Chevrolet builds a new facility and relocates to the current Chevrolet location at 3019 W Division St. •• August 1, 1986 Fred Baston sells the dealership to Duane and Karen Gilleland •• 1989 Duane Gilleland and partners begin a holding company, the Rydell Group, to acquire additional dealerships which are sold to the operators placed in the stores
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by the holding company. Today the Rydell Group has 55 stores. •• 1994 Duane Gilleland purchases Krebsbach Chevrolet in St. Joseph from Thomas Krebsbach, merging the two dealerships and closing the St. Joseph location
•• 1999 Duane Gilleland purchases Klein OldsmobileCadillac from Bill and Gary Klein, merging the two dealerships and closing the downtown Klein location
•• 1994 Christy Gilleland starts working in the office at Gilleland Chevrolet, filing papers and answering phones •• 1998 Grant Gilleland starts working for Gilleland’s Quick Lube, changing oil and detailing cars Gilleland Cheverolet 1988
•• January 1, 2014 Christy and Grant Gilleland enter into a buyout agreement to purchase Gilleland Chevrolet Cadillac from their parents