Oftentimes, dealerships are started by folks that have an affinity for one brand or make, while other times, those same folks tend to branch out and add others to their network. However, while it isn’t unusual to see people work their way up the proverbial ladder at dealerships and one day own one, we rarely see an automotive executive switch gears and turn to the world of selling cars on the ground level, but that’s precisely the case with former Lincoln marketing manager Doug Gilmour, who recently became a Ford dealer, according to Automotive News.
Gilmour has spent more than a decade working through various roles at both Ford and Lincoln, but always found the concept of how a Ford dealer operates to be quite fascinating, it seems. Thus, when the opportunity to purchase Bailey Ford in Malone, New York presented itself last October, he decided to take the plunge and switch careers, though he’s not straying too far from the company that he’s been a fan of his entire life.
“Many of my jobs at Ford in marketing and sales the last 13 years have kept me very close to dealers, and whether it’s a ‘grass is greener on other side,’ there was just something that continues to fascinate me on the dealership side about the complexity and the challenges of what you need to manage a store because it’s multiple businesses under one roof,” Gilmour said.
After purchasing the Ford dealer, Gilmour renamed it Malone Ford, but otherwise, he hasn’t apparently made any additional major changes. Regardless, he believes that his experience in the industry will help him succeed in his newfound career. “The corporate side has been an absolutely fascinating strategic developmental journey for me as well,” he said. “Part of it is a little bit of kismet. I happened to work in many Ford jobs that kind of lined me up to be a dealer.”
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