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Kevin Joostema elected Board Member of Washington Automotive Press Association (WAPA) for 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 2019 Car-ED is honored to announce the election of one of its founding partners, Kevin Joostema, to the Board of the Washington Automotive Press Association (WAPA) for 2019. WAPA is unique among media associations with equal parts consumer, business, and policy-focused media among its 150 members, making it attractive to many organizations for workshops and innovative awareness-building programs. Kevin is excited to innovate with the WAPA leadership and members. He states, “As an experienced auto industry executive I come from the inside of brands such as Honda, VW, and Cadillac where I helped bring segment-leading products and services to market based on consumer needs. My teams helped craft their stories in meaningful ways to consumers and the media to create awareness and grow sales.” Kevin’s innovation is evident in building Car-ED where they have created a simple and fun AI tool that consumers and dealers use to engage buyers and help them find their best vehicle match. “I look forward to helping the board innovate to expand programs and membership with a mission to grow its domain and bring new benefits to its members,” notes Kevin. Bill Hopper, President of WAPA, recounts, “Kevin has already brought innovation to WAPA by putting together our first Electric Vehicle day during the 2019 Washington Auto Show as well as our first 2-wheel media day for the Motorcycle sector during the Progressive Motorcycle Show in [...]

JM Lexus – Women Leading the Luxury (Auto) Retailing Revolution

JM Lexus – Women Leading the Luxury (Auto) Retailing Revolution The Largest Lexus dealer in the country becomes a Lexus Plus dealer – to remain the best to customers and best for employees By Kevin Joostema, Partner, Car-ED.com / April 2018 Despite handling some of the largest luxury transactions any luxury customer may enter into, the luxury auto makers continue to sell and service vehicles like they have for generations. While many other industries have seen tremendous innovations in luxury goods selling and identifying ”experiences” for customers, particularly to attract the millennials to their brands, the luxury auto retailing giants remain a laggard. As new luxury brands come to exist and new challengers rise up once again, it is only through changing the customer experience that the brands can differentiate and create something new for buyers. Leadership by the JM Family Enterprises is across many fronts. For one, they are leaders in recognizing that it all starts with the needs of customers and the workplace needs of employees – and how these two areas go hand-in-hand. JM, as one of the largest private businesses in the US as well as one of Fortune’s Top 50 Best Places to Work, is obviously a leader on both fronts. So customers should take note how JM is “running to the future” in luxury retailing. They have been the #1 Lexus dealer in the country in terms [...]