DCH Millburn Audi named No. 1 Best Dealership To Work For

DCH Millburn Audi in New Jersey was named the No. 1 dealership on the ninth annual Automotive News list of the 100 Best Dealerships To Work For.

The top dealership was announced Thursday during a virtual Automotive News event.

The 100 dealerships were chosen by Best Companies Group, based on surveys submitted by about 25,000 employees of U.S. stores.

DCH Millburn Audi has long been a standout, earning a spot on the list every year since it debuted in 2012. It climbed to the No. 1 spot after recording a voluntary turnover rate of 19 percent last year, far lower than the industry average.

Dealership leaders say they value having long-term employees who can build long-lasting relationships with customers. New hires hone their skills by working with veteran colleagues. Some of those veterans have left and then returned.

"Since 2012, I think we've had eight rehires," said Al Khouri, general manager of DCH Millburn Audi. "We're going to train you, we're going to give you a good working environment, but sometimes, people just have to try somewhere else to know what they're missing. But if you left on good terms, there's no grudges, and if you want to come back and we have a position open, we're going to rehire you."

Along with training, DCH Millburn Audi emphasizes transparency, prioritizes its employees and cares for their well-being — all of which employees say were demonstrated during the pandemic. Staffers were furloughed while the Maplewood, N.J., store was closed under government restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and Khouri said they were kept up to date on the latest information as it came in.

This is the first No. 1 overall ranking for DCH Millburn Audi, owned by Lithia Motors. The dealership's No. 10 finish in 2019 previously was its highest ranking.

DCH Millburn Audi also topped the 2020 list of medium-sized dealerships, stores with 50 to 99 employees. Bergstrom Acura, in Appleton, Wis., ranked No. 1 in the small dealership category, for stores with 25 to 49 employees. Larry H. Miller Hyundai Peoria, in Arizona, finished atop the large dealership category, for stores with 100 or more employees.

In addition to the overall winner, Lithia Motors Inc., the nation's third-largest new-vehicle dealership group, landed nine other stores on this year's list. Lithia has three stores in the top 10 overall. The other two are DCH Kay Honda in Eatontown, N.J., at No. 4, and DCH Academy Honda in Old Bridge, N.J., at No. 6.

Here are the top 10 dealerships on the 2020 list:

1. DCH Millburn Audi, Maplewood, N.J.

2. Larry H. Miller Hyundai Peoria, Peoria, Ariz.

3. Bergstrom Acura, Appleton, Wis.

4. DCH Kay Honda, Eatontown, N.J.

5. Bergstrom Mini of the Fox Valley, Appleton, Wis.

6. DCH Academy Honda, Old Bridge, N.J.

7. Bergstrom Infiniti, Appleton, Wis.

8. Faulkner Subaru Harrisburg, Harrisburg, Pa.

9. Capitol Chevrolet-Cadillac of Salem, Salem, Ore.

10. Kunes Country Chevrolet-Cadillac of Delavan, Delavan, Wis.