Digital Dealer - November 2019 - 44

S A L E S & VA RIABL E OPS: Fixed Operat ions

By Charlie Polston
Automotive Customer Retention
& Profitability Consultant,
BG Products, Inc.

Tatton Manning:
A True Patriot!
Tatton Manning of
Patriot Auto bought the
group's first dealership in
2014 - today they own five.
He turned 40 last month!
Manning is the epitome of
entrepreneurship, determination, ingenuity, and living
the American dream.
Manning doesn't have an
automotive background and
didn't get in the business because of a Ph.D. (papa had
a dealership.) No, instead he
describes his entry into dealership ownership as more of
a calling. With the exception

of a brief stint as an F&I
manager right out of college,
he didn't have any automotive experience at all before
he got into the business.
But he had an even
greater calling - the U.S.
military. Shortly after the war
in Afghanistan, Manning
would meet soldiers and felt
that "these guys are my age
and sacrificing everything to
protect our freedom - and
I'm not doing anything."
He joined the Army and
served from 2005 to 2009,
including a one-year tour

in Afghanistan. Captain
Manning was a Field Artillery
Officer in charge of "the big
guns."
After an honorable
discharge, he went back to
school at night and on weekends, earning a master's
degree in business from
Oklahoma State University.
His day job was in the oil
and gas business, which he
continued after graduation.
He was successful and his
career path seemed set...
but he wanted more.
He approached Bob

Dealer Tatton Manning (left) pauses as he reviews a new service menu with Fixed Ops Director,
Mark Demaro, at his CDJR dealership in Chandler, Oklahoma.

NOVEMBER 2019

D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M

Rosene, CEO of the firm
and said, "Bob, I want to
own a car dealership, but I
can't afford it." A partnership
was born, and it continues to
this day.
"I made cold calls on 14
dealerships exploring opportunities," Tatton explained.
"One of those 14 was Kevin
Grover GMC in Wagoner,
Oklahoma. Kevin took me
under his wing as a mentor
and coach. I would work
four and a half days a week
at my day job, then, I would
work at the dealership every
Friday afternoon and all-day
Saturday."
With Grover's help, Manning kept learning and looking - learning the business
and looking for his first store
to buy. The opportunity came
in early 2014 in Bartlesville.
Manning is an American patriot, so it was only fitting that
his dealership was named
Patriot GMC Hyundai.
The dealership was
housed in an aging facility
with declining traffic and
revenues. They had been
selling about 30 cars a
month and only seeing 280
ROs in service. (Last month
they ran over 900 ROs.)
From those humble beginnings the Patriot Auto Group
now has five dealerships
across Oklahoma. New and
used car sales have grown
from 190 units to over 900
vehicles per month.
Manning credits Seth
Knighton, COO and partner,
with the dramatic growth in
variable ops, "Seth knows
how to buy cars, and sell
cars, and grow the team!"
he said.
Fixed ops is growing, too.

http://www.DIGITALDEALER.COM

Digital Dealer - November 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Dealer - November 2019