Salesman Retirees after 35+ Years at Same Dealership
January 13, 2012

It is not uncommon to have associates spend more than three decades at Honda, but it is rarer to find a dealership employee who sticks around selling the Honda brand for that long. Here is the story of one such salesman who will give his last sales pitch this month. Or will he?

When Bill LaBerge began selling cars at Zimbrick Honda in Madison, Wis., more than three decades ago, he never thought his experience with Hondas would equate to a fulfilling life and career. But after 35 and 1/2 years, it undoubtedly has, and he has the numbers to prove it. Bill, who retires on January 15, has sold more than 6,400 new and used cars, mostly Hondas, during his career.

Bill’s personal dedication to the Honda brand began with his purchase of a new 1977 Honda Accord, and since 1976, he has purchased 85 new or used Hondas for himself, his wife or one of his six children. In addition to automobiles, he also has owned two Honda Foremans, one Rancher four-wheeler, one rototiller, one riding lawnmower and three push mowers. Further making Hondas a family affair, all of his sons have worked at the Honda dealership at one point or another in their lives.

“Every one of these products worked exactly as it was/is supposed to do. I’ve never had a disappointment … well maybe the Passport wasn’t perfect,” he says with a laugh.

“In 35 years, I’ve never had that dreaded call — ‘I want to complain about the car you sold me.’ — In fact, my customers usually comment that why isn’t their other non-Honda as reliable as their Honda?”

Bill recalls with fondness and will certainly miss the excitement of new models arriving. “Seeing them coming off the truck for the first time was always special,” he admits.

In the last month, he has been cleaning out his files. “I have been sending clients photos of them when they picked up their Hondas in the 80s, and 90s. I got many positive responses,” he says.

He has had many memorable customer encounters and asks: “How can I possibly rank them?” He does, however, single out the customer (who he fondly refers to as The Bag Lady’) who came in every November for 12 years to trade in her Accord for a new one.

“She lived a very frugal life. Her one splurge was a new Accord every year. She used the Accord to transport older folks all over the county who had no way to get to doctors’ appointments or to stores. Every November she would come in and like clockwork, her Accord had 16,000 to 18,000 miles on it. And, each year there were two families that would alternate buying her trade-in.”

You could say Bill is one of Honda’s biggest brand ambassadors. Not only does he champion, sell, and own many products, Bill can also often be seen sporting Honda-branded clothing and talking about Honda even when not selling a product.

“I talk up Honda every chance I get. I even have ‘Z HONDA’ on my license plate. There are a lot of family members and relatives driving Hondas because of me. I do have two sons that aren’t driving Hondas but that’s because they work for Zimbrick BMW and Zimbrick Mercedes and Smart Car. But guess what their spouses drive … Hondas!”

Dustin Noble, Honda senior district sales manager, commenting on Bill’s longevity with the brand said: “Recently, after a 15-minute conversation with Bill, it was clear that his dedication to Honda rivals nobody that I have met in my 10 years as an associate with Honda. Bill has played a significant role in making Honda what it is today through his passion and love for Honda vehicles and products!”

Talking about his plans for retirement, Bill notes that initially he will be working on home projects. “We have a large lot. I plan on building a garden shed next spring. Then I hope to do some traveling, some volunteer work and tackle miscellaneous projects for our six children as needed. Probably buy and sell a few cars, as it is in my blood,” he says with a laugh. “Once Debby [his wife] retires, we plan on even more traveling in our Honda.”

Prepare to be a part of the first group!

For the past couple months, we have been eagerly awaiting news on the all-new 2013 Buick Encore.  In the last week, Buick has unveiled a bunch of great photos of the vehicle.  Needless to say, we’re very excited for the Buick Encore to arrive at our dealership!

Check out the photos below, and you will be too.

	2013 Buick Encore Luxury Crossover SUV
	Learn about the Encore Luxury Crossover SUV | Follow on Twitter | Facebook

This luxury sport sedan features a turbocharged, direct-injected 2.0-liter inline-four engine which produces 270 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque.  What does that mean?  We thought the Regal CXL Turbo was already a quick vehicle, but the Regal GS adds 50 more horsepower!

In addition, the Regal GS gets two sport modes, the LaCrosse’s HiPer strut front suspension, 14-inch brake rotors, and four-piston Brembo calipers.  This vehicle is all about high-performance, from the 6-speed manual transmission to the performance pedals.

We can talk on and on about the 2012 Buick Regal GS, but the most important thing for you to do if you are interested in the vehicle is call Zimbrick Buick West at (608) 270-7799 and schedule a test drive.  Or, browse our current inventory of the Regal GS.

In the meantime, check out our video review below:

Bill LaBerge is ending his long and illustrious sales career after over 35 years with Zimbrick.  He got his start in used car sales. Even though Honda didn’t have a dedicated showroom at the time, Bill found himself selling more Hondas than used cars.

Once the Honda dealership was constructed, Honda-selling superstar Bill LaBerge was a natural fit.

Through the end of the year, Bill had sold 6,388 cars for Zimbrick — that he’s aware of — and he will be on light-duty the next couple weeks with a few deliveries that he had set up prior to retiring.

Kendall Dahmen, General Manager of Zimbrick Honda said “Zimbrick thanks Bill for his years of dedication to providing outstanding customer service.  Bill is an great person, and will be missed.   Thank you Bill for your years of service here on the team at Zimbrick Honda.”

Bill’s legacy will continue here at Zimbrick through his family.  Three of his sons currently work at Zimbrick: Andy, general manager of Zimbrick BMW; Tony, sales manager of smart center Madison; and Bobby, a lot porter at Honda.

“It’s kind of unique what we have here,” says Bill. “A family working at a family-owned business.”

Are you one of the lucky people to buy a vehicle from Bill LaBerge?  Do you have questions about who you should turn to next time you are in the market for a vehicle?  Contact one of our three Honda managers for more information – (608) 273-2555.

Though the holiday weekend is over, we’re celebrating Happy Honda Days all month long!  The final 5 days of the 12 Happy Honda Days at Zimbrick Honda are here.  Let this blog post be your guide for this week’s activities:

Day 8 (Monday): We’re still sorting through all of the presents we received this weekend. On our Facebook page, leave a comment on the Day 8 post, tag the person who gave you the best gift, and tell us what it was. You can tag by typing @ + the person you have in mind. Do this for a chance to win a free oil change!

Day 9 (Tuesday): We’re remembering the good times we just shared with our families.  Family, after all, is the reason we are here!  Post a photo on our Facebook page of you with your whole family from your holiday gathering for one entry.  Every person you tag in the photo counts as a bonus entry, so the more people that are in the photo, the more chances you have to win an awesome Honda dufflebag and oil change!

Day 10 (Wednesday): Scavenger hunt part two!  We’re kicking up the difficultly level with this one, placing five code words across our Zimbrick Honda website, Zimbrick Fish Hatchery Road website, Zimbrick Honda Facebook page, Zimbrick Fish Hatchery Road blog and Zimbrick Honda YouTube channel.  The first person to email all five of them to contest@zimbrick.com wins two Honda fleeces.

Day 11 (Thursday):  One of the best lessons you can get out of the holiday season is that sharing is caring.  Zimbrick Honda volunteers with two great Madison groups – the Evening Meals on Wheels team at Independent Living of Dane County and the Lunch Buddy and Schools of Hope programs at Aldo Leopold Elementary School.  Share a link to your favorite place to volunteer in Madison on our Facebook page and we’ll contribute $100 to the organization mentioned most.

Day 12 (Friday): As we approach the new year, we reflect on all that we have accomplished in 2011.  We reflect on the 12 Happy Honda Days.  We reflect on Zimbrick Honda.  Go to the “Recommendations” box on the right hand side of our Facebook page and write a recommendation, reflecting on your favorite memory you have had working with our team.  A free oil change is up for grabs!

We love homemade holiday treats.  From the basic sugar cookie to the most intricate chocolate/caramel/peanut butter candy.  Post your favorite recipe in the comments section below for the chance to win a car care kit and a free oil change!

One of our all-time favorite recipes here at Zimbrick is provided by Julie, who works in our internet sales department:

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies

Cookies -
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 + 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 + 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup bitter cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
Cherries (1 jar should be more than sufficient – especially if cutting cherries in half)

Glaze -
6 oz chocolate chips
1/2 cup condensed milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 – 1 1/2 tsp cherry juice (we use WAY MORE – so don’t throw the juice out too quick)

For cookies – cream butter, sugar, egg & vanilla.  Add remaining dry ingredients.  Blend at low speed until dough forms (about 1 minute).  Roll 1/2″ – 3/4″ balls.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Dent each and put cherry in dent (we use 1/2 cherry – round side up).

For glaze - heat chocolate chips and condensed milk over low heat (or microwave) – stir often.  Remove from heat.  Stir in salt and cherry juice (add more cherry juice if needed to get the right consistency for glazing).  Cover cookie w/small amount of glaze.  Bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Join us during the 12 Happy Honda Days at Zimbrick Honda!  We’re giving away prizes every weekday for the rest of December.  This email is a guide for this week’s activities:

Day 3 (Monday): Post a photo on our Facebook page of you with your friends and family enjoying the snow of previous winters.  Best photo wins a warm Honda fleece and a free oil change.  Extra consideration given to photos that are tagged and photos with your Honda vehicle!

Day 4 (Tuesday): Scavenger hunt!  Search our Zimbrick Honda website, Zimbrick Fish Hatchery Road website and Zimbrick Honda Facebook page for three code words.  The first person to email all three of them to contest@zimbrick.com wins two Honda fleeces.

Day 5 (Wednesday): We love homemade holiday treats!  From the basic sugar cookie to the most intricate chocolate/caramel/peanut butter candy.  Post your favorite recipe on a future blog post which will be found on our Zimbrick Fish Hatchery Road Blog.  Do this for a chance to win a car care kit and a free oil change!

Day 6 (Thursday):  Getting ready to hit the road?  We’ve got two Honda travel bags – one for a woman and one for a man.  Leave a comment on our Day 6 post on our Facebook page the city and state you are traveling to this holiday season for your chance to win!

Day 7 (Friday): Take a photo of your tree with all the presents underneath it.  Post it on our Facebook page.  Your gift?  A Tourneau watch!  Happy Honda Days!

We have highlighted the drastic changes over the past year in a Facebook photo album, which you can view by clicking on the photo below!

We’re giving away 12 prizes for 12 good little girls and boys.  But your participation is required to win.

On the first Happy Honda Day at Zimbrick Honda, we are making it easy.  Every new subscriber to our Honda Herald email newsletter is entered into the contest!  In addition, referring a future or current Honda driver to our Honda Herald newsletter gets you bonus entries.

If you aren’t currently subscribed to our newsletter, you can view and subscribe here.  To refer a friend, click the “Tell A Friend” link on the left side of the newsletter or clicking here.  Every new person you refer to our newsletter will be another contest entry, so recommend everyone you know who loves a Honda.

All future Happy Honda Day tasks will be posted to our Zimbrick Honda Facebook page.

What are we giving away in today’s contest?  A Honda backpack!  Modeling the backpack is Jeff G. from our internet sales team.

Click the image for an informational brochure on the FMPS Adopt-A-School program.

Zimbrick Fish Hatchery Road has adopted Aldo Leopold Elementary School through the Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools Adopt-A-School program.

While that is a lot to fit into a sentence, the connection is pretty simple.  The Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools (FMPS) encourages local businesses to start and build relationships with area schools.  Since the spring semester of 2011, employees of Zimbrick Fish Hatchery Road have been volunteering at Leopold Elementary in a number of capacities, including the Lunch Buddy and Schools of Hope programs.

“The Adopt-A-School program makes the relationship between Zimbrick and Leopold Elementary both official and lasting,” says Kendall Dahmen, general manager of Zimbrick Fish Hatchery Road.  “We look forward to working with FMPS to build up our volunteer capacity and look into additional ways to assist the school.”

The Lunch Buddy program at Aldo Leopold Elementary is geared towards providing students with individual attention and support through one-on-one time.  While eating lunch, playing games and joining them at recess, volunteers are having an influence on the lives of children by being positive role models.

Starting in the fall semester of 2011, Zimbrick employees are participating in the Schools of Hope project.  Schools of Hope is a unique collaboration of the Madison Metropolitan School District, United Way of Dane County, and local area non-profit agencies serving children and youth.  Its mission is to work with school staff to increase the academic performance of students of color and those from low-income families through math and literacy tutoring.

“Zimbrick’s location in our area and their support of Leopold is a great example of the community building so important to our school,” Aldo Leopold Elementary School principal John Burkholder said.  “Their presence in our lunch room and work tutoring students is valued support.”

The Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools is an independent, community non-profit organization dedicated to sustaining and extending the excellence of Madison’s public schools.  The Foundation raises private funds to enhance educational opportunities for students in Madison’s public schools, awards grants for creative and innovative projects which are not funded within the core school budget, and develops supportive relationships between the schools and community that enrich the education of children.

“The Foundation’s Adopt-A-School program connects the talents and resources of local business with our public schools to strengthen the quality of education and create a brighter future for every student,” said Stephanie Hayden, FMPS president.  “This partnership demonstrates Zimbrick’s strong commitment to both public education and the entire Madison community.”

For additional information about the foundation and how to become involved, please contact Stephanie Hayden at (608) 232-7820 or shayden@fmps.org.