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COMPANY HISTORY AND BIOS
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We
are a fixed operations training company that's dedicated to helping
service departments maximize the potential of their people, and
their profits. For the past eight years we've helped more than 200
clients nationwide. Our clients include dealers of every major nameplate
in the automobile industry.
But
we couldn't have had this success without our own star people. Meet
our management team:
Ray
Branch - President
Vernon
R. Branch ("Ray") has over 30 years of Professional
Automotive Industry experience. Currently President and CEO of
KEEPS Corporation located in Raleigh, NC. KEEPS is an acronym
for "Key Employee Evaluation and Planning Systems".
The KEEPS Corporation is a fixed operations business management
and marketing consulting and training company. Ray is the founder
of The KEEPS Corporation and also the inventor, designer and builder
of the highly acclaimed ROAMS program. This program is the Automotive
Industry's new Fixed Operations standard for measuring sales and
net profit improvement performance in retail dealership service
and parts departments across the country. ROAMS is a copyrighted
and trademarked product.
Ray
started in the automotive business, as a lot of technical people
do, pumping gas and changing oil in a full service station while
going to school. His automotive experience includes: Technician,
Professional High Performance Engine Designer & Builder, Service
Writer, Service Manager, Parts & Service Director, Factory
DSM, Professional Seminar Designer & Trainer, Vice-President
of Fixed Operations for an 11 Dealership Group, National Director
of Fixed Operations for the Eleventh Largest Dealership Consolidator
in the USA, Service Field Consultant for JM&A Group, and now
Founder/Inventor/CEO for The KEEPS Corporation.
Joe
Henry - www.ACTautostaffing.com
Son
of a former Mercedes dealer, Joe Henry was raised in the automotive
business. Joe has had many successful years in various fixed operation
management positions before founding ACT Automotive Staffing in
1998. ACT Automotive Staffing is proud to be affiliated with KEEPS
Corporation giving YOU, the dealer not only the best Fixed Operations
Consulting available but ACT will fill YOUR dealership employee
needs including Technicians, Collision Technicians, Service Advisors,
Service Manager/Director and all Fixed Ops personnel.
Scott
Pollard - Software Engineer, Technical Support
Scott
Pollard is Principal Consultant and co-Founder of Callisto
Systems, Inc. which specializes in custom software development
for the desktop, web and handheld devices using Microsoft tools
and technologies. Scott has accumulated over 10 years experience
in software design, development and project management for numerous
companies in a variety of industries. He is a graduate of North
Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in
Electrical Engineering.
Scott,
along with Ming Lee, created the first version of ROAMS (KEEPS)
in 1993. Since then, he has been actively involved enhancing,
supporting and maintaining the ROAMS application. In addition,
he has been instrumental in supporting the internal computer systems
used by KEEPS and providing technical advice for future strategic
development.
Eugene
"Gene" A. Fite - Great Lakes Divisional Service Manager
Gene
has over 25 Years of Hands-On Fixed Operations and New Car Sales
Management experience. Gene came into the car business as a technician.
Through hard work and training worked his way up to Master Technician,
Service Advisor, Service Manager, Salesman, Sales Manager.
As
Service Manager for Al Serra Ford (one of 17 stores) in Lansing,
Michigan, Gene was consistently at the top of the group in CSI
and Net Profits. He used grid pricing to produce an $18.00 customer
pay effective labor rate improvement. Through hiring and staffing
improved overhead absorption from 55% to 80% within one year.
After
25 years on the retail side of the business, Gene was offered
a job at Pioneer Service Systems as the Great Lakes Regional Manager.
After 4 years with Pioneer the Reynolds & Reynolds Computer
Company purchased Pioneer Service Systems and Gene became a Fixed
Operations Specialist with R&R. While with R&R Gene sold
and installed over 480 service price guides throughout the United
States. After 1 year with R&R he was responsible for training
new FOS Reps. Within two years with R&R he became know as
the "GO TO" Guy for special projects and new product
releases & promotions.
Gene's
philosophy is real simple - "I don't know it all" but
I've learned a lot from the hundreds of dealerships I've had the
privilege of working with, and I love to share the knowledge I've
gained while training Service Managers and Service Consultants
throughout the country.
Mike
Meiss - Divisional Service Manager
Mike
Meiss has spent over 30 years in the Automotive Business with
over 20 years as Service Manager. His experience ranges from Courtesy
Car Drive to Lube Tech to Dispatcher to Warranty Administrator
to Service Advisor to Management. He has been able to work in
every position in a Service Department and can understand the
unique situation in each position. He is heavily supported by
his wife, Barbara, his 5 children and 2 grandchildren. Mike loves
teaching and training. He looks forward to many years ahead filled
with helping Service Departments move to the next level and beyond.
Mike is Divisional Service Manager for the Southeast, New England
and Midwest States.
Andrea
Whitfield - Office Manager
Andrea
Whitfield is Office Manager and Distance Learning Coordinator.
She performs KEEPS data entry for dealers, uses her skills to
design manuals, setup software and train KEEPS Information Managers
(KIMS) for new clients. She also is responsible for participating
in marketing efforts by sending out and tracking marketing materials
and associated responses by keeping the client database current.
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ABOUT US