When the right person appears, move decisively. But when character, work ethic, or culture fit are clearly wrong, do not let hope override judgment. Strong hiring is not about desperation. It is about discernment. And strong retention is not about luck. It is about environment. cause we developed them. It took longer. It required discipline. But it changed everything.
The Cost of the Roulette Wheel
When we rely too heavily on rotating talent between dealerships, we create hidden costs:
• Cultural instability
• Inconsistent customer experience
• Resetting expectations with every new hire
• Leadership fatigue from constant onboarding
Worse yet, we normalize churn. We start believing turnover is simply the cost of doing business. That technicians will always leave. That managers will always jump rooftops. That this is just how the industry works. But that mindset becomes self-fulfilling. If you expect people to leave, you build systems that treat them as temporary. And when employees feel temporary, they behave that way.
Grow Your Own: A Discipline, Not a Slogan
“ Grow your own” is easy to say. It is much harder to execute.
IT REQUIRES:
• Intentional recruiting relationships with local universities and tech centers
• Apprenticeship-style development
• Visible investment in training
• Clear career paths
• Leaders willing to coach, not just manage
It also requires restraint. You must resist the impulse to chase every short-term fix. Does that mean you never hire experienced talent? Of course not. When the right person appears, move decisively. But when character, work ethic, or culture fit are clearly wrong, do not let hope override judgment. Strong hiring is not about desperation. It is about discernment.
And strong retention is not about luck. It is about environment.
Development Is the Missing Layer
Here is where I want to be direct. If you are tired of the technician shortage … If you are frustrated with turnover … If you are exhausted from retraining the same positions every two years … Stop telling the same story and try something different. Complaining about the labor market will not fix it. Intentional development will. Dealer Institute exists for this exact reason. Currently, we do not teach technicians how to repair equipment. Manufacturers do an excellent job investing in product training and certification. What we do is train dealership professionals— in service, parts, management, accounting, HR, and leadership— to understand how their role drives performance inside the dealership.
WE TRAIN:
• Technicians on efficiency and time management
• Service leaders on absorption and operational discipline
• Parts professionals on margin and inventory control
• Managers on accountability systems
• Executives on leadership structure and performance culture
• Accounting and HR teams on how their decisions impact retention and profitability
Because a technician who understands efficiency performs differently. A parts manager who understands margin protects profit differently. A service manager who understands absorption leads differently. An executive who understands culture hires differently. Development is not a seminar. It is a retention strategy. And here is what we consistently see: dealers who invest in development rarely do it once. They repeat. They expand participation. They integrate the systems deeper. Why? Because development changes behavior. And behavior changes results. Employees rise when invested in— and when held accountable.
Partnership, Not Transactions
In my dual role as VP of Manufacturer Relations and Dealer Institute, I see enormous opportunity. Manufacturers send territory managers into dealerships with a clear objective: increase market share and drive order writing. That focus is understandable. Product movement fuels survival. But let me ask a question. Does a better performing dealership create more business? Does a strong aftermarket department sell more iron? The answer is yes.
A high-performing service department builds trust.
A disciplined parts team drives uptime.
A well-trained management team executes strategy.
A stable workforce strengthens customer loyalty.
That is not theory. That is operational math. When OEMs and dealers align around development— not just transactions— market share follows performance. We are already seeing success in the OPE space where manufacturers recognize the value of dealership development. The shift from transactional to partnership thinking is producing measurable results.
This is where our industry must go.
A Final Challenge
You can keep playing free agency. You can keep hoping the next hire fixes it. You can keep spinning the roulette wheel and blaming the labor market. Or you can build a system. Recruit locally. Develop intentionally. Invest visibly. Hold accountable. Partner strategically.
Use the tools available to you. Free agency might win a season. Development builds a dynasty. And the dealerships that choose discipline over desperation will not just survive this labor cycle. They will lead it. EDM
SPRING 2026 • EQUIPMENT DEALER MAGAZINE 11