Power Ford is the 5th midsize company in the Best Workplaces for 2022.

The description: Power Ford, a private car dealership, was founded in 1994. The dealership has 162 employees. This is the company’s fourth year on the Best Workplaces list.

Organisation : “Our passion is helping people find and maintain the car or truck of their dreams. For over 30 years, we’ve served people by connecting them to the things, people and places they love. We like to celebrate the success of our employees and help them grow. We also like to have fun and host several corporate events throughout the year where everyone is invited and encouraged to bring their family.

From employees: “I’m able to come to work and be in an environment that feels less like ‘work’ and more like a ‘family’ dynamic,” one employee said. “Everyone has an encouraging attitude and a willingness to learn and be better than the day before!” Another said: “I love that at Power Ford we have a forward-thinking team, who realize their people are their greatest assets.”

The following is an excerpt from an interview with Power Ford Managing Partner and Managing Director, Rob Sneed, whose comments have been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

How do you think the culture at Power Ford has changed during the pandemic?

“The pandemic has changed the way people interact with each other. We really chose to view these changes as opportunities for growth. When others are struggling to survive, we’ve really taken the approach we wanted to thrive, so we’ve taken a more “team-centric” solution to serving our customers over the past few months, and we’re doubling down on what walking. I would say that our team members are really proud of the adjustments we’ve made so far, as they promote shared ideas and problem solving. One of the things we say is that we will do anything, everything or nothing at all to serve our customers. The unintended consequences of all of this are that work-life balance has been dramatically improved. And I think that’s good for our customers as well as our team members.

What is the best way you have found to boost the morale of your staff?

“The reality is that during the pandemic, we haven’t always been able to come together during these times. And now that we can, we do. Our team loves to party – whether it’s welcoming everyone and their families to an Isotopes game or planning team lunches at Top Golf, throwing corporate level softball games higher or even just handing out a pizza and two liters at the end of a working week. We try to take the pressure off our team, but we also like to celebrate big. And when it comes to celebrating, we always do it big.

In what ways are your staff stepping up to meet customer and community needs at this time?

“Our business requires a lot of in-person customer service. It is impossible for a technician to service a vehicle remotely, and when performing a repair, parts are almost always required in addition to labor. This means we need team members to order, receive, stock and deliver parts – it’s just a very intensive activity. What we have tried to do is bring our business to our customers. So we now offer mobile and pick up and delivery service. This is something that very few dealerships in New Mexico offer, but we do it because we know it makes the ownership experience stress-free. And any way to reduce stress makes for a better experience.