“[There is] no fertilizer like the farmer’s footsteps.”
All Star Automotive Group Chairman, President and CEO Matt McKay tells Business Report he picked up that bit of wisdom from a dear friend of his, Joe Dean Sr. In the magazine’s latest The Best Advice feature, McKay says he has put the words to practice ever since he started his business 28 years ago.
“I became an automobile dealer in 1987. I started off small and then grew my business to ultimately owning 13 car dealerships, now currently with 11. I made sure that my employees saw me in the dealerships. To this day, I still make the rounds,” he says. “I go to all of the stores and all departments: service, collision, parts—not just sales. I want my employees to see me, even on Saturdays. You can’t ask employees to do things that you wouldn’t do yourself.”
McKay’s career in the automotive began business 40 years ago—as salesman—and he has learned the intricacies of the the trade by working his way through the ranks. He purchased his first dealership with business partner John Noland and has overseen tremendous growth ever since.
All Star Automotive Group is currently working in partnership with Baton Rouge Community College and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System to develop and build the Center of Excellence for Transportation Technology at the Ardendale mixed-use community under development in Baton Rouge. When complete, it will be the first state-of-the-art center for automotive training in Louisiana, which will help create a pipeline of skilled workers into the state. The project broke ground this spring.
“It has been several years in the making,” McKay says. “It’s exciting to see it now come to fruition and become a reality.”
