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“We can operate just as well with fewer cars” || Eddie Hall III, Chief Operating Officer, Hall Automotive Group

·26 min·1 clip

Eddie Hall III calls an EV "a rolling iPhone" and says technician work is now computer and electrical work.

1. Dealer News Today centers on Eddie Hall III and Hall Automotive Group, with a focus on Royal Oak Ford and the Detroit retail auto market. 2. Derek D interviews Eddie Hall III, who is the owner of Royal Oak Ford and the COO of Hall Automotive Group, and those roles matter because he handles both store operations and group strategy. 3. The episode asks how a family dealership group is adapting to inventory shifts, technician shortages, and the move toward EVs. 4. Eddie Hall III says Hall Automotive Group was started by his father in 1968 and now includes four dealerships across greater Metro Detroit. 5. He explains that the group represents Ford and also Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram, which gives the business multiple brand channels. 6. Eddie says his dealerships are all within about 20 minutes of each other, so he can visit two or three stores in one day. 7. He also notes that he serves on boards for automotive associations and sits on the Ford National Dealer Council. 8. Eddie describes his father as the "car guy" and himself as the "business guy," with Eddie handling finances and operations. 9. He says he is an accountant by trade and has a CPA, which shapes how he approaches the business side of the stores. 10. Eddie recalls helping at the dealership as a child, including Saturday work with his brother and getting lunch and "$20." 11. He says family business can be hard because work comes home, especially when relatives share decisions and daily operations. 12. Eddie says the stores divide responsibilities by skill set, which he believes helps the family business function well. 13. He says inventory problems were severe enough that customers asked whether the dealership would close because there was "just not a car in stock." 14. Eddie says inventory is recovering now, and buyers can again walk outside and pick from cars on the lot. 15. He argues that the industry had "too many cars in stock" before COVID and that the model was inefficient. 16. Eddie says the industry has learned it can "operate just as well with fewer cars" and hopes for a "happy medium" going forward. 17. The interview shifts to EVs, and Eddie says he drives a Mustang Mach-E and is investing heavily in EV infrastructure across his dealerships. 18. He says he does not think internal combustion vehicles are going away, and he expects many households to keep a split garage with one EV and one ICE car. 19. Derek D and Eddie Hall III keep the tone conversational and practical, with examples like Michigan loyalty, the Lions, and dealership operations. 20. Dealers tracking inventory, EV strategy, and technician recruiting would find this episode useful, while listeners wanting a deep product review may skip it.

As heard by us

A plainspoken look at inventory, modernization, and the dealership realities still shaping car buying.

This episode offers a practical dealership conversation about how the car business shifted after COVID, why inventory is rebounding, and where a middle ground may be forming as buyers adjust to ordering and waiting.

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Why you'd press play

You want a dealer-world conversation about fewer cars, changing buying habits, and modernization that still sounds human.

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