By Barrett Baker
343 North Battlefield Blvd., Chesapeake | 888-816-9726 | WineAutomotive.com
Founded: 2018
Number of Employees: 20
Wine Automotive sells previously owned vehicles. They also have a complete service department to keep your newly purchased vehicle up to date on regularly recommended maintenance. Their mission is to provide an experience to each customer that goes beyond their expectations in a friendly, professional and efficient manner. Visitors to the dealership are encouraged to walk the lot, browse the different vehicles and ask as many questions as they like. Just don’t count on stopping by on a Sunday.
“I’m a big believer in the Chick-fil-A model,” says Jeff Wine, owner of Wine Automotive. “I love Chick-fil-A and how they run their business, such as being off on Sundays. It’s all about treating their employees and their customers right. I wanted to create a very fun place to work where everyone is committed to making it that way. And we have achieved that. Everybody works extremely hard, and everyone has each other’s back. You don’t find that very often, but we truly are like family.”
Wine also loves Mission BBQ and goes there often to pick up lunch for his Saturday crew. Since the salespeople are the only ones at the dealership on Saturdays, he also does a cookout at the dealership every Wednesday for the people who didn’t get to take advantage of Saturday’s meal. “We usually have hamburgers or something similar on the grill,” says Wine. “But a couple of weeks ago I threw a couple of tenderloins on there. Everybody just loved that.”
Another benefit that the salespeople get is something you normally don’t hear about at other dealerships. In addition to being off on Sundays, Wine gives them a day and a half off during the week. “If they take off on Tuesday, they don’t come back to the dealership until 2 o’clock on Wednesday,” says Wine. “I think it’s important for people to be able to have time off to spend with their family or get things done like going to the doctor.”
Communication is an extremely important part of Wine’s plan to keep team members happy and productive. Since he bought the dealership, he has sent out a nightly message to let everyone know what’s going on. “I have not missed a night yet,” he says. “You need to listen to your employees because they’ll tell you what’s important to them. The other thing I would say is, to be successful, you definitely need to appreciate your employees.”
Work Perks:
- Health insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Onelife Fitness membership for all employees
- Paid uniforms
- Mission BBQ for lunch every Saturday
- Cookouts at the dealership on Wednesdays
- Two office puppies
Why I Love My Job:
“My experience as an employee of Wine Automotive is unlike any other company I’ve worked for in the past. It’s so rare to have an owner care as much as Jeff Wine does about his staff, their families and our customers. We’re so blessed to be able to work for a company that always does the right thing. What is most incredible is working for an employer who actually wants to better the world we live in and allows his team to be a part of doing so. We’ve been able to bless so many other families and participate in a number of life-changing events and charities for our local community. Jeff Wine truly cares about each of his employees and does everything he can to help us all achieve our goals and dreams.” —Maygan Sonnier, Marketing Manager/Media Contact, one year with Wine Automotive
