Holiday Today - September 2017

HolidayToday holidayautomotive.com/newsletter

Edition 27, September 2017

GIVE WHERE WE LIVE We support and serve our local communities

Horses & Hogs 2.0 takes over downtown In early July, Holiday Ford co-hosted the 9th annual Horses & Hogs event, and this year for the first time ever, the show took over downtown Fond du Lac! Attendees gathered at Open Road Harley-Davidson before heading out on a tour of the town that ended on Main Street. Everyone there enjoyed specials at some local eateries, and had the chance to win prizes like People’s Choice for best Mustang and Harley. Some Holiday Mustangs and custom Rocky Ridge F-150s also made an appearance at the show.

Thank you to the Holiday team members who helped out at the event!

Pictured left to right are: City Manager, Joe Moore, Mike Shannon, Asst. SWAT Team Leader, Officer Ben Colwin, SWAT Team Leader, Detective Scott Krause, SWAT Team Member, Officer Zack Schultz, Chief of Police, William Lamb, Michael Shannon Jr. and Thor Gilbertson

Holiday Automotive Proudly Supports the Fond du Lac Police SWAT Team

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oliday Automotive has generously donated a Ford Transit to the Fond du Lac Police Department for use in transporting SWAT Team members and equipment to critical incidents.

The department recognized a gap in transportation needs as many critical incidents require the department’s armored vehicle to deploy with patrol officers prior to the SWAT team’s arrival. With the armor already on scene, the team fully equipped with gear had no efficient way of responding.

Hearing of this need, Holiday Automo-

DON’T FORGET!

Drive 4UR School

tive immediately came forward and offered the donation of the Ford Transit providing a vehicle spacious enough for transporting the entire team and its gear.

The Fond du Lac Police Department is thankful for the partnerships it has formed with many of the community’s businesses and organizations.

Holiday Automotive has been a strong supporter of the police department for years and the men and women of the department thank them for helping the department better serve our community.

September 13 from 3-6pm Horace Mann High School

325 McKinley Street, North Fond du Lac54937

Drive 4UR Community raises $6,000 for Fond du Lac United Way On June 21st, Holiday once again partnered with Ford Motor Company for the 2017 Drive 4 UR Community test drive fundraiser to benefit the Fond du Lac Area United Way. Ford donated $20 for every household that took a test drive during the event, which was hosted by Fox Valley Savings Bank with the help of Agnesian HealthCare.

As a result of us reaching our goal of 300 test drives, we presented a check to United Way for $6000 at the end of July! A huge thank you goes out to the Holiday volunteers, Tracy Patrouille, Erik Peterson, Victoria Mayes, Rebecca Johnson, Tonya Odekirk, Andy Mueller and Joe Wege, who all helped to make Drive 4 UR Community 2017 a great success.

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princi“One of the most important Author Napoleon Hill said mile.” The ra ext the ng goi of it hab g the ples of success is developin d. Napoleon that it is not a crowded roa beauty of the extra mile is ly the habit app and nd, sta you t where also said, “You can start righ ter service bet and vice dering more ser of going the extra mile by ren s you get e mil ra ext the ing Go for.” notice. than you are now being paid ers mb me m ice. Your fellow tea noticed. Your customers not s of efit ben the oy enj will you antly, Your leaders notice. Import getting noticed. ers the hard working team memb Here we recognize some of ails, or em or , ers lett in t sen o wh tomers that got noticed by our cus win ’s nth mo this gratulations to posted comments online. Con Luncheon at Buffalo Wild Wings. nce ners of our Making A Differe ture here, ntions you in a letter we fea Remember, if a customer me brate your cele to or hon r you in ch a lun The you are invited to join us for rth Wo y lida Ho ra mile to make commitment to going the ext Trip. liday. ke a positive difference at Ho Thanks for all you do to ma Regards,

Thor Gilbertson

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Holiday Automotive Preside

New Family Members

difference

“We were looking for a truck for our son who will soon be a Doctor and is a National Powerlifter and Strongman competitor.

We worked with Tony Diech and he was awesome. Not only was he very personable but really listened to what I was looking for and what I needed.

I was looking for a truck and he threw out an idea on a suburban they had on the lot. My son is very tall and not a small guy so we thought an SUV would be out of the question but after he showed me this particular Suburban I thought it was perfect.

Tony pointed out the features that would be helpful for what my son does. He has an awesome personality and was fun to work with.

This is the 3rd vehicle we have bought from Holiday. The best part is that they are not commissioned so a smooth talker couldn’t come in and get the truck for less than I did. Hope Tony will still be there when I look for my next vehicle. I tell people about Holiday all the time and how great it is doing business with them. Shout out to Mark in Quick Lube (who is great to work with and a super guy) for sending me over to Tony. We now have 6 vehicles and get all our oil changes with Mark even though we live 30 minutes away.”

Linda from Beaver Dam

“Holiday is far from being your typical dealership. My salesperson Jamie treated me as though I was his only customer! Very focused on my needs and what I was in the market for.

Everyone from service to finance were amazing. I would highly recommend Holiday and Jamie to anyone I know that is in the market for a new vehicle. I will most certainly be a returning customer. Thank you Michael Shannon Jr. and Jamie for all you have done!”

Cindy “Car buying can be so intimidating. I really appreciated Robby and all the friendly folks at Holiday.

Robby asked me questions and listened to my answers to help get me in a vehicle I love! I really appreciate the small things too...like cookies in the mail and a water in my cup holder.

Thanks!”

Kerry Murphy

Wedding

Bells

Bryan Kimpel (Budget Sales) and his wife, Cassie,, were married on July 29, 2017.

Kinsley Grace Plonsky, 6 lbs and 21,” was born to Heather Morris (BDC) on July 7.

♥

Taylor Backhaus (GM Tech) and his wife, Angela, were married on July 22, 2017.

Lukas Daniel Buslaff, 10 lbs, 2 oz. and 21.5,” was born to Dan Buslaff (Body Shop Tech) and his wife Melissa.

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Victoria Mayes (Social Media Coordinator) and her husband, Noel, were married on May 20, 2017.

September 2017

Fun

FACTS

CAN YOU MATCH THE FACT WITH THE PERSON?

A: Likes to go kayaking

DALE PACZKOWSKI

B: Is a foster mom for rescue dogs

ELLEN ZIMMERMAN

C: Is a commercial pilot

D: Enjoys building and customizing cars

SHAUNA SCHRANK

KERI KASPER

E: Has bungee jumped

NICK SCHLEHLEIN

ANSWERS: A: Schrank, B: Zimmerman, C: Paczowski, D: Schlehlein, E: Kasper Shown receiving his ASEP award plaque are recipient Jesse Walton (kneeling), and from left to right, ASEP Instructors Dean Juliar and Bob Hicks, Holiday GM Service Manager Dick Beyer, and Holiday technician team members and ASEP program supporters and past participants, Tom Popp and Taylor Backhaus who were on-hand for the event.

Popp serves as an on-call instructor for the ASEP program, fulfilling duties when other instructors are away.

Jesse Walton completes ASEP

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ongratulate Jesse Walton the next time you see him around the campus. Walton was recently honored for completing studies at Fox Valley Technical College as part of the General Motors Automotive Service Educational Program (ASEP).

Like other program participants before him, Jesse alternated between working at Holiday and attending FVTC on an 8 to 12 week rotation schedule for about 2.5 years. Holiday GM Service Manager Dick Beyer is a fan and long time supporter of the program for many reasons.

“It’s a great partnership for everyone, the technician, the dealership, and the manufacturer

September 2017

and drivers of their vehicles all benefit,” stated Beyer. “ASEP allows aspiring technicians like Jesse, to confidently advance their schooling and learn from some of the the best, while working hands-on with the latest technology and methods, tailored to GM vehicles. It allows technicians to earn income while schooling, and to foster a relationship with the sponsoring dealership which invariably leads to a promising career path.

We and our customers then benefit by having great talent and teams under our roof, which is part of what being trip worthy is all about!” Jesse is now a full-time technician on the Red Team at Holiday GM.

Summer Meeting brings laughter, learning Even the rainy weather couldn’t postpone the annual All-Employee Summer Meeting on July 12. Along with good eats from Eden Catering, team members were updated on the state of Holiday Automotive. We also premiered “How Far We’ve Come,” a music video featuring our team members. Since being posted on YouTube, it has garnered over 11,000 clicks!

Doctor Jon Quade of CDK Global (and spoof star of TV’s General Hospitality) delivered a message to the group on providing hospitality excellence. Thank you to all the team members who helped with the production.

A member of the Fondy Cheer team snapped a quick photo of a Holiday vehicle while on a 3 week mission trip in El Salvador!

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In the Spotlight VICTORIA MAYES

Social Media Coordinator

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ictoria (Vegter) Mayes holds the distinction of being Holiday Automotive’s first full-time dedicated Social Media Coordinator. She transitioned into the role in February of this year. Victoria joined Team Holiday in July of 2012, originally in the role of new vehicle photographer. She’d learned of the possibility of the photog position from a friend who was one of the dealerships existing photographers at the time while the two were attending UW Fond du Lac. “We got talking and he shared news that he wanted to go backpacking around Europe and that created an opening,” she tells us. “He knew that I enjoyed and had some depth in photography, so he asked if I was interested in exploring it and shadowing him for a day. I did that, and met with Joe Truesdale—who was Digital Marketing Coordinator then and supervised the photographers. Later that week I was offered the job and have been here since.”

In her new role, Victoria is responsible for planning, writing and scheduling all of the posts for various social media channels like Facebook, twitter, YouTube and Instagram. She emphasizes how “keeping on top of social media content development requires keeping a constant eye out for stories, trends, and topics of relevance to our audience, and benchmarking other savvy social media writers to further spark ideas and creativity. A lot of thought goes into phrasing and positioning content to make it engaging, contextually appropriate, and consistent with and reflective of the Holiday brand.”

Mayes collaborates with other team members in the creation and production of video and other content to help educate and inform fans and followers of the dealership on a wide range of subjects such as new vehicle introductions, helpful how-to tips for vehicle owners, fun facts, nostalgia, the dealerships community involvement, team member news, and any other happenings they might benefit from knowing about. She is also the person behind the camera for much of the lifestyle and promotional photography seen around the dealership, such as the faces of smiling team members on posters in break rooms, shuttle vans and public areas.

A native of Wisconsin and longtime Fond du Lac resident, she is the oldest of 7 children. “I have two sisters and four brothers, it was a fun adventure growing up” she says with a chuckle. She attended UW Fond du Lac and then transferred to UW Oshkosh, majoring in music composition, plus taking extra classes in recording tech, audio and video. She recently married Noel, whom she’d met during her days at UW Fond du Lac. “We hit it off right away, had music in common, and became friends. However, we lost touch for a while when I transferred to UWO.” Ultimately Noel transferred to UWO the year after Victoria did. “It was then that we reconnected and I showed him around campus. We started dating two months into that semester and the rest is history!

The two were married in late May this year and spent their honeymoon at Riviera Maya in Mexico, where she tells us the snorkeling was amazing. Noel will be attending grad school within the coming year and a half, and eventually Victoria looks forward to focusing her music talents in the direction of teaching composition and piano lessons and other things within the music industry.

For fun, Victoria and Noel watch a lot of anime, a newfound interest of hers since first dating him. “Because we were dating I had to try it, and now it’s one of my favorite genres. We actually cosplay together once a year at a big anime convention in Milwaukee, complete with making our own costumes… it is lots of fun. We also did a Star Wars marathon a couple weeks ago, which was awesome!”

Above: Victoria and Noel were married May 20, 2017.

Left: Victoria provided keyboard and backup vocals for the a cover of Matchbox 20’s “How Far We’ve Come,” alongside the musical talents of Team Holiday’s Andy Mueller, Willie Beyer, Matt Birschbach, Josh Schneider and Charlie Wilhelm.

Above: Zeno the fish is the pet in her and Noel’s life.

Left: Noel and Victoria Cosplay at Anime Milwaukee.

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September 2017

Welcome To Team Holiday

Heather Vesely

Jason LeBouton Detailer

Quick Lube Tech, GM

Joseph Martin

Cody Fernlund Detailer

Service Advisor, Ford

Heather grew up in Racine and now lives in Fond du Lac. For fun she enjoys hanging out with her cat. She attended U.W. Whitewater, majoring in business, marketing and advertising. She’s a fan of chicken nuggets and her Prius C.

This Oshkosh native now lives in Fond du Lac. Jason enjoys writing music, playing shows with his band and making memories with his wife, Elexis.

He’s a fan of comedy & horror movies, Autumn and all kinds of food.

A Fondy native, Joseph enjoys time spent hanging out with friends, fishing and hunting. He’s a fan of funny movies, venison, and the Chevy brand.

From Green Bay, Cody enjoys fishing, traveling, motorcycles and welding. He hopes to own his own business someday. Faves include wings, Mazda, action movies and any music but country.

Fondy is home to Eric, originally from Eden.

Fun stuff for him includes camping, motorcycling, hunting. He and his wife, Heidi, have 3 children, Charles, Brady and Easton. Eric is a fan of the New England Patriots.

A resident of Fond du Lac, Cory enjoys cars, and cleaning them.

Cory is engaged to be married. Favorites include pizza, the Nissan GTR, summertime, and the Green Bay Packers.

Amanda Upson

Griffin Brunet

Noah Capelle Greeter, GM

Product Specialist, Ford

Product Specialist, Ford

Mikhaila Weister

Justice Curry

Fondy is now home for Amanda, who grew up in San Francisco with her 3 brothers. Prior to joining Team Holiday she was a bar manager at Ala Roma. She loves all types of movies, Chinese food, GMC’s Yukon Denali, Fall and the Packers.

Originally from Van Dyne and now living in North Fond du Lac, Griffin enjoys football, basketball, hunting and fishing in his free time.

He’s a fan of comedy movies, the Wisconsin Badgers and the summer season.

This area native recently graduated Fondy High and will be attending U.W. Fond du Lac in the fall. Noah enjoys shoes and shopping thrift stores. He’s a fan of Kanye West, Autumn, the Milwaukee Bucks, Ferrari automobiles and 80’s movies.

This Appleton native now calls Fondy home.

She enjoys playing volleyball, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Among her favorites: pizza, romantic comedy movies, Summertime and the Pack.

An Appleton native, Mikhalla enjoys being on the lake, playing volleyball and soccer, and interior design. She hopes to design and build a new home someday. Faves: Any movie starring Matthew McConaughey, pizza, country music, and the Pack.

Justice was an Ammo Specialist in the U.S. Army prior to joining on with Team Holiday.

A Fondy native, he is a Subaru Ambassador and fan of the Subaru WRX/STI, the Fast and Furious movies, and the Baltimore Ravens.

BDC Service Specialist

BDC Sales Specialist

Hydrotech, GM

Eric Immel

Morgan Gaffner

Cory Schaefferkoetter Detailer

Detailer

SAVE THE DATE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES

Colin Fiene

Jessica Blehovde

Fondy native and senior at Fondy High, Colin has his sights on becoming a firefighter. For fun he enjoys watching sports. Favorites on his list include trucks, comedy movies, the Fall season and the Green Bay Packers.

Originally from Oconomowoc, Jessica now resides in Fond du Lac. She enjoys attending Slinger Speedway races in summer and snowboarding at Little Switzerland in winter. A junior at Fondy High, she hopes to work in the construction field in the future.

Hydrotech, Mazda

September 2017

Hydrotech, Mazda

Ryan Plummer Accessory Installer, GM Body Shop

A native of the area, Ryan enjoys time spent with his wife Christina and their two children, Riley and Ariel, and working on his Camaro’s. He’s a fan of spring, comedy movies, the Arizona Coyotes hockey team and the Green Bay Packers.

FOR OUR ANNUAL HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT (HRA)

October 3-5

Ford - Jim Kuitert Training Center

October 4-6 GM sales conference room

MORE DETAILS COMING SOON!

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Anniversaries SHARON THOME - 34 YEARS DALE JACOBS - 33 YEARS AL FREUND - 32 YEARS BILL AGNEW - 25 YEARS RANDY GUELL - 24 YEARS ROGER MIELKE - 23 YEARS JEREMY WHITTY - 19 YEARS STEPHANIE JABER - 16 YEARS HEATHER DORN - 13 YEARS RON GRAVELLE - 12 YEARS RICK HLINAK - 10 YEARS PETE KOZUP - 9 YEARS TOM POPP - 9 YEARS TOM HANEWALL - 9 YEARS SHANE ROSALEZ - 9 YEARS KAY HENTZ - 9 YEARS CHRIS JAMES - 9 YEARS DUGIE SCHAEFER - 9 YEARS BRANDON TAPPA - 9 YEARS KATIE BUECHEL - 9 YEARS MIKE EGLI - 7 YEARS BILL LIND - 7 YEARS GARY SCHWARTZ - 6 YEARS RYAN MIKLE - 6 YEARS RICK ANDERSON - 5 YEARS BRIAN KOEPKE - 5 YEARS TOM ARMSTRONG - 5 YEARS ANGIE BORSKI - 5 YEARS DALE PACZKOWSKI - 4 YEARS ANDREA KOHLMAN - 4 YEARS STEVE JAEGER - 4 YEARS CAROL GOEBEL - 4 YEARS MARK JENSEN - 4 YEARS NED KELLY - 4 YEARS JOSH SCHNEIDER - 4 YEARS EMILY BATSON - 3 YEARS JAKE WESTRA - 3 YEARS MERLIN WALTERS - 3 YEARS BUCK DUMANCH - 3 YEARS LIAM DOOLEY - 3 YEARS DEAN JABER - 3 YEARS KENNETH LAUFER SR - 3 YEARS VAL THOME - 3 YEARS TIM DIETRICH - 3 YEARS BILL PETERS - 3 YEARS MIKE RILEY - 3 YEARS ZACH KLAPPERICH - 2 YEARS SAM VOSS - 2 YEARS JACOBO DELGADO - 2 YEARS BRYDAN MITCHELL - 2 YEARS ELYSIA WAGNER - 2 YEARS ANN WIRTZ - 2 YEARS COLLEEN HALFMAN - 2 YEARS BRYAN KIMPEL - 1 YEAR JOHN RANSOM - 1 YEAR KOURTNEY BIRSCHBACH - 1 YEAR DAN CHRIST - 1 YEAR ERIC BRAUN - 1 YEAR JACOB NEWTON - 1 YEAR JON CHARLES - 1 YEAR JENNIFER O’CONNOR - 1 YEAR TONY PEREZ - 1 YEAR NICK TORRES - 1 YEAR

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Deal With Holiday Stress Focus on healthy ways during these hectic days Quick Tips for Stress Reduc2on

• Make a “to do” list. Rank order tasks. Plan rest periods in your hectic schedule

·∙ Have a posi2ve a8tude. ·∙ Try not to worry about • Be realistic. The holidays don't have to be perfect things out of your control. or just like last year. As families change and grow,

traditions and rituals often change ·∙ Problem solve with people around you. Ask them to help you alleviate • Focus on family fun. Play with your stress.

children and

grandchildren

·∙ Exercise. A few extra minutes of exercise a day can benefit your overall • Don't health.

abandon healthy habits. Don't let the holidays become a free-for-all. Overindulgence only adds to your stress and guilt.

·∙ Eat Nutri2onal food.

Decrease the amount of fat and sugar you eat. ·∙ Meditate, or take a class in relaxa2on and stretching techniques -­‐-­‐ like Tai Chi or Yoga.

• Stick to a budget. Before you go gift and food shopping, decide how much money you can afford to spend.

Plan ahead. Set aside specific days for shopping, 7-SCIENTIFICALLY baking, visiting friends and other activities. Plan your PROVEN BENEFITS OFmenus and then make your shopping list. ·∙ Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages

gratitude •

·∙ Rest. Try to get eight hours of sleep each day.

·∙ Get a massage. A • Set aside differences. massage can be beneficial members and friends as for the mind and body

Try to accept family they are. Set aside grievances until a more appropriate time for discussion.

Mayoclinic.com

GRATITUDE OPENS THE DOOR TO MORE RELATIONSHIPS Not only does saying “thank you” constitute good manners, but showing appreciation can help you win new friends, according to a 2014 study published in Emotion. The study found that thanking a new acquaintance makes them more likely to seek an ongoing relationship. So whether you thank a stranger for holding the door or you send a quick thank-you note to that co-worker who helped you with a project, acknowledging other people’s contributions can lead to new opportunities.

Kentucky. Study participants who ranked higher on gratitude scales were less likely to retaliate against others, even when given negative feedback. They experienced more sensitivity and empathy toward other people and a decreased desire to seek revenge.

GRATITUDE IMPROVES PHYSICAL HEALTH Grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and they report feeling healthier than other people, according to a 2012 study published in Personality and Individual Differences. Not surprisingly, grateful people are also more likely to take care of their health. They exercise more often and are more likely to attend regular check-ups with their doctors, which is likely to contribute to further longevity.

GRATITUDE IMPROVES SELF-ESTEEM A 2014 study published in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology found that gratitude increased athlete’s self-esteem, which is an essential component to optimal performance. Other studies have shown that gratitude reduces social comparisons.

Rather than becoming resentful toward people who have more money or better jobs – which is a major factor in reduced self-esteem- grateful people are able to appreciate other people’s accomplishments.

GRATITUDE IMPROVES PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH Gratitude reduces a multitude of toxic emotions, ranging from envy and resentment to frustration and regret. Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., a leading gratitude researcher, has conducted multiple studies on the link between gratitude and well-being. His research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.

GRATITUDE ENHANCES EMPATHY AND REDUCES AGGRESSION Grateful people are more likely to behave in a prosocial manner, even when others behave less kind, according to a 2012 study by the University of

GRATEFUL PEOPLE SLEEP BETTER Writing in a gratitude journal improves sleep, according to a 2011 study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. Spend just 15 minutes jotting down a few grateful sentiments before bed, and you may sleep better and longer.

GRATITUDE INCREASES MENTAL STRENGTH For years, research has shown gratitude not only reduces stress, but it may also play a major role in overcoming trauma. A 2006 study published in Behavior Research and Therapy found that Vietnam War Veterans with higher levels of gratitude experienced lower rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. A 2003 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that gratitude was a major contributor to resilience following the terrorist attacks on September 11. Recognizing all you have to be thankful for – even during the worst times of your life – fosters resilience.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2014/11/23/7-scientifically-proven-benefits-of-gratitude-thatwill-motivate-you-to-give-thanks-year-round/#75da8970183c

September 2017