Executive Profile with Jim Fitzpatrick, Powered by CBT News

From Family Dealership to Automotive Empire: Ernie Bach Jr's Journey

• CBT News • Season 1 • Episode 8

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Ernie Bach Jr. opens the doors to his private estate, offering a rare glimpse into the life of an automotive maverick who transformed his grandfather's humble repair shop into Subaru of New England, one of just four remaining auto distributorships in America.

The sprawling 7.9-acre property houses not only his family home but an extraordinary car salon featuring 40 meticulously maintained rare vehicles that Bach considers himself a "preservationist" of rather than a collector. "If they're not restored, they're gone," he explains, describing how each car remains plugged in, charged, and ready for his early Sunday morning drives.

Bach's journey from being fired twice by his father to building one of the industry's most formidable operations demonstrates his business acumen. His dealerships once claimed the titles of #1 Honda dealer globally and #2 Toyota dealer on the planet before he made the strategic decision to focus exclusively on the Subaru distributorship. Today, Subaru ranks as the third best-selling car in New England, occasionally overtaking Honda, with Bach's singular vision guiding 65 single-point dealers across six states.

What truly distinguishes Bach beyond his automotive empire is his passion for music. Through his foundation Music Drives Us, he has provided thousands of instruments to schools, ensuring music education survives budget cuts. A talented guitarist who has performed with rock legends, Bach integrates his musical passion into both his philanthropy and business, personally playing guitar on Subaru's commercial soundtracks.

Looking toward the future, Bach is preparing his son to become the fourth generation in the business while expanding his warehouse by 100,000 square feet. His business philosophy remains refreshingly straightforward: "Do what your talents allow you to do. Make the money, then do what's passionate." For those interested in supporting music education, visit MusicDrivesUs.org to learn more about grant opportunities.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Executive Profile with Jim Fitzpatrick.
For more interviews with the leaders shaping retail automotive, visit CBTNews.com and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform.
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Announcer:

This is the Executive Profile, exclusively on CBT News. Today's episode has been sponsored by The Presidio Group.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Hi everyone, I'm Jim Fitzpatrick. On this edition of the Executive Profile, exclusively on CBT News, we spend time with Ernie Boch Jr, a dedicated philanthropist, respected business leader and the CEO of Subaru of New England, one of only four auto distributors in the country. Ernie was incredibly generous in opening up his home to me and the team for this interview, giving us a glimpse not only into his business philosophy but also into the things he's most passionate about, and it's clear his energy drive and creativity go far beyond the auto industry. He's taken what is once a family-run dealership and turned it into a powerhouse, building one of the most successful automotive operations in the country. But what really stands out is his commitment to his charitable causes. Through his foundation Music Drives Us, ernie has helped fund hundreds of public school music programs and supported local musicians and organizations throughout New England. He's also a lifelong music lover and an avid guitar player, with a guitar collection that's just as impressive as his car collection. He's performed with some of the biggest names in rock and roll and has built lasting relationships in the music world.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

That might surprise you, this conversation goes beyond business. It's about legacy, leadership, creativity and giving back. I think you're really going to enjoy this edition of the Executive Profile featuring Ernie Boch Jr. Take a look, Ernie. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your very busy schedule to spend some time with us here at CBT News. Thank you, thanks for coming. Sure, this place is just amazing. I know our viewers are going to get a lot out of today's show. Let's start.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

There we're in this incredible salon. How'd this come about? I am in the automotive industry. I'm third generation. My grandfather started the business in 1938. And in the late 40s my father took over and in the early 2000s I took over and I always liked vehicles. But to me at the beginning it was just transportation, it was providing a service and it was to make some money for my family friends, everybody working there, and then I kind of got into it.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

I get into the various types of vehicles and what they are, and when I was a kid, when I was a kid, there were people that loved, like you know, the Camaro and the Charger. My father used to drive around a black Charger GT 69.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Great car, great, great car.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Because, you know, we were a Dodge dealer at one point and I liked them, but I always was fascinated by the imports, you know, on the covers of the magazines, because there were so many, but I never saw them, but they weren't around here, they just weren't here. We just never saw them live. And it's not like I was traveling around at that age. And then when I got exposed to it, the idea of Ferrari and Lamborghini and that whole, it fascinated me and then I became a Ferrari dealer, okay, and it's. I don't consider myself a collector, okay, I consider myself a preservationist. Okay, there's a lot of cars here, that very few models, yeah, and if they're not restored they're gone, yeah, yeah. So that's, that's what I'm doing, that's fantastic.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

When was this built? This June of 2020.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Okay, yep, pretty much in the in the middle of lockdown?

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Sure, yeah, no, no question about it. Let's go back to your, to your upbringing. How many kids in the family your dad was the dealer?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Your grandfather, as you mentioned, started the company. Talk to us a little bit about that. Ok, my great grandfather came to the United States through Ellis Island and when I was a kid my great grandfather was alive and I was scared to death of him Anybody that was young enough to have a great-grandfather Italian. You just very, very scared of them and you know it didn't traumatize me or anything, but you really didn't go near them. And then my grandfather, my grandfather was born in the United States, in Boston, and he was always. He was always a tinkerer, he liked to tinker and as he got older he got fascinated by cars. So he was fixing friends cars in a little tiny little garage which stands today stands today on a local street here in norway.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Yes, and he became so, uh, good at it. He wanted to do it for a living. So he worked at boston cadillac now boston cadillac on com av. Yeah, back in the day, these it's now a part of boston university. Oh okay, these giant giant buildings and giant giant rooms, those were showrooms. Those were built by the titans of the automotive industry. And on the weekends he would fix cars and my grandmother would shag the parts. And business became so good that he quit Boston Cadillac and did a business out of the garage. And then the garage became so busy. He bought a little piece of land on Route 1 in Norway in 1938, built a building, and it's actually.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

It's that building right there. It's that building right there. I don't know if you're getting a shot of it. We're showing it on the screen right now.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Yeah, that building right there. That's 1964. Wow, that's 1964. But it was a gas station fixing cars, no brand, no, anything, okay. And when my father got out of the army he joined my grandfather His brother was already in the business. He did the back end, he was service, he took care of all the service. And when my father came he said you know, I want to do sales, I want to do it. And everything was good. They're selling used cars, they're fixing cars, they're pumping gas.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

But not a new car. No, not a franchise, not a franchise, everything's good.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

And then one day the bookkeeper stole ten thousand dollars. No kidding, the bookkeeper stole ten thousand dollars a lot of money back there.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

I'm gonna get emotional here sold, stole ten thousand dollars and that was it. They were going out of business, oh my gosh. So during the final days of having to wrap it up because no bank would give many money, yeah, they, they, just they, just. My father was pumping gas and a gentleman pulled up and he said why do you look so long? Yeah, and my father explained it to him this that, and the gentleman was Dominic Sansone, vice president of a New England merchant bank. Wow, and he said Ernie, I'll give you the money. Wow, so we got the money, continued the business and to the day my father died, they were best friends, no kidding. Wow, he got involved in everything. Yeah, um, as the business went on, we had a, a, a, a goal, a journey to be debt free. So we are debt free and we've been debt free since, you know, probably the mid 70s, sure.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

So our relationships with banks are different. Yeah, you know, we don't ask for money, right. And then my father was pumping gas also Everything's going good and a gentleman pulled up and he said hey, this place looks good, you should be a Nash dealer. Oh, wow, and my father's like Nash dealer. And the guy goes if you do a good job, you could sell 10 or 15 cars a year. A year A year, right. A year a year a year, right. By 1958 we were the number one nash dealer in the country. Oh my god, in the country, wow. And then nash rambler, american motors, you know, it started to change and then in 1971 we got osmobile and is this still at this same location?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Yes, nash Rambler, which is right there, if you see the sign. Yeah, yeah, bunk Nash with the Rambler. Sure, that's at that building. When we got Oldsmobile, we bought a building down the street Okay, down the street and it was Oldsmobile, saab and Simca, simca and Saab.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Saab and.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Simca, wow. And then when Nash and everything went in 71, we put Toyota there and in 1971, it was Toyota Kawasaki, skidoo. You know it was a mess, yeah, yeah, a complete mess, sure, and as we got into the business and as we started rolling, we said no, no, no, we get a concentration. We threw everything out, just toyota. We threw everything out, just all of them. Sure, yeah, good good good choices, exactly, and that's how that we went to olsenville right to the end yeah, right to the end, we we went to.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Oldsmobile and with Toyota. At the time, in 1971, the number one import was Volkswagen.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, that's right. Toyota was nobody, the beetle bug just was everywhere.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

It was the number one import and Toyota wasn't barely on the map until 1974, until the gas crisis, that's right. The crucial year was 1980. In 1980, bach Toyota became the number one Toyota dealer in New England. Okay, in New England. Okay, and we sat there. We sat there for you know, up until up until I sold it, wow. But when I took over, we had, we had Toyota, we had Mitsubishi, had Toyota, we had Mitsubishi. Okay, and what year is this when I took over? Was 2003. Okay, so I immediately jenisoned Mitsubishi. Okay, I bought another Toyota store, bought another Honda store and you know, I've always had a rental and I've always had a. Really, the body shop in 1978 is still here there to this day. Oh, my god, he was, he was a kid. Wow, his name is bobby brown. Where's the camera? Where's bobby brown?

Jim Fitzpatrick:

is still there.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

One of the greatest body guys in the world. That's fantastic, yeah, it's good. So everything started going and then, then, then I actually to make a side note I got fired. I was running, I was running mitsubishi and I got fired. The old man brought me into the office and fired me what'd you do so?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

wrong. Well, and uh, what was it? October of when was it? When was the crash? I can't remember 1987. October of 1987, I lost every deal. We were working and business was terrible and I got fired. He sat me in the office and he says you're done. If you want to go over to Toyota, you can go over and sell cars at.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Toyota. This is like the mid-80s.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

That's where I cut my teeth on some serious volume, because you're a number one Toyota dealer in New England. Serious volume Got this, got that, started to be a manager and then ended up taking over the store. And when my father died in 03, we were number one Honda store in New England, which was a really fun thing to achieve. And then number one Toyota dealer in New England Wow, two of those most powerful brands.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, that was good.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Six states and I said to myself there's got to be more, there has to be more, there has to be more. I want to be the number one Toyota store in the world. I want to beat the top guy. And then, with Toyota, I learned very quickly the top guy is Longo Toyota who's? Number one and the second guy. They beat him by a thousand cars, so it was like whoa, maybe not number one but number two I want to be the second largest Toyota dealer on the planet, and I achieved that.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

And then with Honda.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

I wanted to be the number one dealer on the planet. Okay, and the last guy I took out was Norm Reeves in California. Wow, number one, number one in the world. That is fantastic Because if you're number one in the world in a franchise, if you're number one in the United States in a franchise, you're number one in the world.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Right, you're absolutely world Right, your absolute strongest market. Strongest market, most volume, no question about it. So let's go back a little bit. When did you all acquire the Subaru distributorship?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

1971. 1971, we got Toyota, the distribution, Toyota, yeah, Toyota and the distribution rights for Subaru for the six states of New England in perpetuity.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Okay, wow, that's fantastic. Right, and you didn't have anything to do with the distributorship, you were running more of the retail side. I was running the retail stores.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Okay, I was running the retail stores we were doing big volume, I was running and I was exposed to Subaru. I started going to Japan with my father in 1986. And you know getting a feel and everything. And then you know, as generations are handed down I'm third generation, the second generation. My father had to get approval from the Japanese, so I was hanging around doing it, showing them.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

You know, trying to get tight with subaru of america and and the japanese and I was finally deemed that I could take over.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Yeah, and there's only four distributorships right. There's two toyota and two subaru left in the united states.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Okay, that's pretty cool.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Yeah, it is because they were bought up they were bought up by the, by the, by the manufacturers. When they first hit here they they didn't know the market, the, advertising this, that. So they gave one guy to build an area. He distributed the cars in the area and they all became super, super successful and they bought them back. And the only two they haven't bought back are the two Toyota and two Subaru.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

And is that? Where did they constantly knock on your door? No, no, because of my relationship.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

No, because of my relationship. No because of my relationship. It's, it's, here's a. Here's a good example of something like that.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

We have our franchise in New England called the 99.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Are you familiar with it? It's a. It's a regional restaurant, ok, and some are corporately run, right, and some are privately owned Right. Well, there was a big shakeup and a lot of them went out of business. Who went out of business?

Jim Fitzpatrick:

The corporate ones went out of business.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

The operators are still cooking and doing a great job.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Right right, there was no reason for them to come to you right.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

There was no reason and they knew that I was doing a better job than them.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Let's talk about that better job. Give me some stats on that, because I happen to know them and they're very, very impressive. The job that you guys For Subaru, yeah, for Subaru.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Subaru of New England is the third best-selling car in New England. Toyota, honda, subaru that's strong, but in 22, I beat Honda 17 months in a row, wow, so one year it was Toyota, subaru, honda. That had to make you happy. Yeah, it was. And what do you attribute that to? Um, I contribute that to the people that work with me and for me and everybody around me, and the support and and and our dedication. And single point dealers yeah, subaru in new england is the only market in the world where they're single point Subaru dealers. No duels, okay, no duels, okay. My father started the no duels in the mid seventies.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Okay, which had to be a little difficult to do. It was very difficult Because the dealer's going to say yeah, I'll take your cars on, but I'm not building a whole showroom. That's right. Or take, or take this franchise.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Take this sob thing and throw it the hell out and keep subaru right. And now it's subaru of america's model. They want. They want single point dealers sure it makes sense.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, makes sense. So where does it stand today?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

you guys are number today right now we're third in new england toyota honda subaru 65 dealers.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

We yeah. It's interesting because in 2019, we were kissing 70,000 cars, we did 69 and change, and our goal in 2020 was to do 70,000 cars and then shit hit the fan and, as we are right now, in 2025, our goal is 60. Okay, so we got pushed back a little. Yeah, we got pushed back a little, yeah, but it didn't. It's really the only time in the industry, because I always told the dealers if you don't sell cars, you know I don't make any money. That's right, you know I don't make any money, you know. And this little period? Because when the cars get tight, I only I sell them for a set amount.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

You know, so I can only sell for that.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

But they, they can, they can sticker you know sticker for the first time ever.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

And then when? Then, when my dealers, when the Subaru of New England dealers started started charging over sticker, right, I immediately I did not come down, uh, I did not come down hard, I did not come down with any policies, any procedures, I basically begged them. Do not do that. It's not the right thing to do. Right. Thank the stars, you're getting sticker, that's right. That's right.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

And it's some of them.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Some of them. Some of them. Well, no, now's the time this is what he's doing.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

I go no, no, no, no so.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

I pretty much got my guys in line with that concept Right. That's good advice.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, and many manufacturers, as you know, many OEMs, saw that and said, well, let's increase the price of these vehicles and and I think Stellantis was really led that that led that situation where they said, hey, wait a minute, these dealers are getting next number of dollars. What's your take on the Stellantis situation that we see right now? Well, I am a. I am a.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Ferrari and Maserati dealer. Yeah, so Stellantis is, I guess, home base. I never see anybody from there. But Maserati and then Ferrari is its own entity. They cut it loose. It's on the stock exchange, it's got autonomy. But I think the whole Stellantis thing and the Nissan thing is management. It is Nissan breaks my heart because it's a great car. It's a great great car and the way they abused the dealer network there's still traces of it now. You can't do that. You can't do that. They are the kings. You're a servant. If you're a distributor in a manufacturer, you're a servant to the dealers. That's right. That's right.

Announcer:

And they lost sight of that.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Yeah, they lost sight of that, as did Mitsubishi back in the day, and Stellantis now. Stellantis now needs good management. Maybe they'll jettison a few and get it down and really make it happen.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Sure, sure To back up a little bit this salon that we're in. How many cars are in here today?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

About 40.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

About 40 cars.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

About 40 cars. About 40 cars.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

And you built this in 2000. Finished it in 2020. 2020.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

June of 2020.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

And I should mention that this sits on your for the lack of a better term. Your estate right here. Your home is just over my right shoulder, right.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

I bought a piece of property in my hometown. Now I was born in Providence, rhode Island, but immediately jettisoned to Norwood Massachusetts and I went to public school all the way through high school in Norwood Massachusetts. In 1987, I bought my first house in Norwood Massachusetts. You were a hometown boy. Yeah, I was working at the dealerships 12, 14 hours a day, which are just a stone's throw from here.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Right, let me tell you.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

I don't go into the office that much right now. We're so close. They come here.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Okay.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

If I miss the light going to work, it triples my commute to three minutes.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

That's a beautiful thing, right. It's a beautiful thing, that's right.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

And then I bought this in 97. It was on a little less than two acres, and then it took me almost 20 years and I bought the 17 houses that surround it and now I'm on 7.9 acres. Wow.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Wow, you're going to keep buying.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

No, I'm done. I literally have the whole block. I'm done.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

That's fantastic, and I should mention that you've got actually a mausoleum. Your parents are here. I built a mausoleum in honor of my father.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

My father's there, my mother's there, my mother's brother is there and I will be there. It's funny when you build a mausoleum, because I had the idea and I said, wow, you know, mausoleum that's going to, there's going to be some laws and rules and stuff like that.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

You would think right, I investigated, investigated, did it. You have to do this, this, this, this this. And I built it. And then I had to get approved. So I went before you know the big mucky mucks that approve it, and they said Ernie, you need this, this, this, this Got it Approved so I can put bodies above and below ground on my property.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Wow, that's fantastic. It's like a cemetery over here.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Well, we're all going Sure, we are all going Nobody's beat that, nobody's beat it. You're not going to beat it, that's right. Why not be comfortable and around what you love when you go?

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, sure, sure, and it probably means something special to you to have your parents on the property. Absolutely, yeah, absolutely yeah, and I would imagine that you want your family to take over the estate.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Yeah, that's a funny one. That's a funny one because my daughters want nothing to do with being buried at the mausoleum, but my son is like, yeah, right next to you and and you, you suppose they'll, they'll take over the house and live in the home. Well, I have, I have the I have, um, you know, the estate plan all worked out, everything like that. My son, my son will get here.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

He will be fourth generation, okay, yeah, wow, that's pretty cool yeah, fourth generation I mean look at the stats of success on the second generation, the third generation, Now you've got three sisters, right?

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yes, okay, so were they in the business at all? And okay, so it was just you and your dad building the business over time, right, my?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

sister's. My sister's husband, michael, is invaluable to me. He's like I don't even think we ever gave him a title. He's like an operation guy. He like does everything. There's a problem from-.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

For everything, everything. Okay, wow, for everything.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

That's great. That's great, fantastic. Right now we're planning the expansion of our Subaru warehouse.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

We're putting an extra 100,000 square feet on the warehouse Wow, fantastic he's heading. You know they suffer from the fact that their family breaks up during the business or after mom and dad pass, and then all of a sudden there's lawsuits.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Well, that's because that happens, because and I've seen it happen and I'm seeing it happen now and I'm talking to people about it when you have multiple kids I don't care how many kids you have you don't split it evenly In your heart. You want to. You don't you designate who's in charge, and all the successful generations have always done that. When my father did, he gave it to me and then you take care of your family, right right, so there's not animosity on the side of your sisters.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

that go well. How come he got it?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

No, no, no, Everything's planned out. Everything was planned out Right, right, right, as I am planning it out.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah for sure. That's fantastic and I think a lot of dealers are. You know they struggle with that. That because they know that could happen. Never, ever, split it evenly, ever, ever. And they never had any kind of a desire to come into the business. No, no, they just said leave that to dad.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Yeah, it's funny, it's the auto industry is. The only industry that I say is tougher than the auto industry is the restaurant business. Yeah, it's pretty tough.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

The restaurant business is pretty tough and the automotive is right next to that, yeah yeah, it's extremely difficult.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

It's a lot of hours and it changes and the right thing changes state to state that's right, that's right.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Let's talk about that. You know there's so much right now out there about the franchise laws. We see companies like Rivian and Tesla that have come in and sell their products directly to consumers and now Volkswagen is saying, hey, we want to come in with Scout and sell these just the way Tesla does right to the consumer as a distributor and a dealer. What's your take on that?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Here's my take Volkswagen can't do it. They already have a dealer network. When Tesla started coming around, tesla had to fight state to state. And when they, when Tesla came around, all the dealers got together and they're like, oh, we can't do this, you can't do this, you can't do this. And I was the only one that said, let him, there is no. There is no franchise. He's not breaking any franchise laws and it's new. And why subject the customers to the normal way that we've been doing it for 100 years? When something is new, let's embrace it, let's see if we can learn from it. And the technology is I mean I'm a big Musk fan the technology is amazing.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Here we are in March of 2025. And there's a little bit of groundswell against Musk and it's to me I don't understand it. We can go so deep on our opinions on that, but the bottom line is, is the guy is the Ben Franklin of today?

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, yeah, no question about it. But the dealers that would tell you I'll play the devil's advocate that when you let those car companies come in, whether it be Tesla or Rivian or the others, that door just keeps getting wider and wider. And then, all of a sudden, we find ourselves being threatened under the franchise laws that currently exist. And then what happens if a legacy company does decide? What if Ford or Toyota-.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Ford tried it. It's not gonna happen. It's not gonna happen through the franchise system. And you say, oh, they're gonna come in and do well, raise your game. Raise your game. What are you gonna stay the same while everybody eats your lunch? No, raise your game, it will help everybody.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Right, right, let's talk about that for a second. Buying a car for most people. And you know, obviously we're talking to dealers right now, not consumers. But you know it's still tough out there. You know, I don't care what you say. Everybody, every dealer out there goes well, they don't do that at our dealership. Yeah, they do, they still. They still run those customers through it. They do.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

But I got to say you're right, and probably a majority, but there is a little bit of of of an oasis of dealers who are just amazing, but they commoditize the purchase. Yeah, yeah, that's the difference, right, you know? I mean, I started selling cars and we were squeezing every dollar out of every car. We were paint sealing, we were undercoating, we were you know, yeah of course we all did it.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, you had to do it. It's not like that anymore. It really isn't. In fact, as you know, many times we gave the car away, we lost money on it Absolutely, because we'd pick up a trade, we'd pick up. A two grand back end, we'd pick up. So the car became the vehicle. No pun, just to make that extra money, Right.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

And in a dealership situation, there's not one thing that makes it successful Right, but there are many policies that do make it successful, and I've learned in practice move the money, move the money, make the deal, move the money, keep the money moving, it will happen.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Right, right. So how many dealerships did you and your father finally acquire? Not that many, not that many.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Two, four. I should have that off the top of my head, but I'm going to do a little math here Two, four, five, six you mean at?

Jim Fitzpatrick:

the end yeah, yeah, at eight or nine, eight or nine stores, okay, and you all were. I mean, your dad was legendary in terms of his commercials. He was out there, it was.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

You know, come on down was the slogan For those not in the New England area or not in tune to legacy dealers. I would akin my father to Cal Worthington out in California. Go see Cal. Yeah, who was? I mean, if you're in the industry and have any sort of history, historic knowledge, you know who Cal.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Worthington is Of course every dealer probably does that my father was Cal Worthington of New England. Okay, okay. And then you followed suit. I mean, you were out there. Well, I was out there, I was out there slugging working you know, 12, 14 hours a day on.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

TV, on radio, doing this, doing that and yeah, yeah, getting action. You know, number one Honda deal on the planet, number two, doing a thousand Toyotas a month, 800 Hondas a month. Yeah, wow, it takes, it takes a lot to do that it really does, of course, why.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Why stop that? Why sell it Well?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

I just it was time. It was time I had a fairly successful retail environment, yeah, and all the while running Subaru, which is a wholesale business, and I said to myself I can sell these stores and I can concentrate on Subaru and do a better job and make more money than adding the retail stores and Subaru together.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Really, and I achieved that. Okay, that's fantastic. You did keep a couple of stores, though.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

I kept Ferrari and Maserati because, because, that's you Because. Ferrari is it's just. It's such a legendary brand and I love the cars.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Sure.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

And I love the clientele.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Right, right, one thing everybody in the industry knows about you and I told a number of dealer friends of mine that I was going to be coming up here and interviewing you and they all know you. I mean, the industry, everybody knows you and they know you as an amazing guitar player and sit in on many famous bands and such.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Talk to me about that. How did that get started? Well, I grew up. I grew up in the uh, in the 70s. Okay, you know, I was in high, graduated high school in 76, but in junior high and you know, when I was a kid, every garage had a band, oh yeah, every garage I mean, you know, when you're 12 years old, they hand you a guitar and they hand you an acd record, led zeppelin record, right and it's off to the races.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

And I really liked it. I did it. And what really changed me as a kid because I'm growing up in Norwood, massachusetts, at home, I'm not a worldly figure by any means then Woodstock.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Woodstock happened and right, you know, back then there was no internet. Everything 71, so woodstock 68, 68 or 69, okay I was 10. Okay, I was 10, 10 or 11.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Yeah, yeah I should know that, but and that influenced you at that? Age changed my life. Okay, at 10, because I saw what was happening and I saw all these people and I said those are my people.

Announcer:

I love that.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

That's in the whoa, the music and this and that, and that's really when I started playing guitar, wow, and I got into it, and but but back then a song could change the world. Yeah, no question, it's it's different.

Announcer:

Now it is different.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

So I did it. I did it, had bands in high school, everything like that, right, and I this. You know, I I'll tell you right now, I'm not an intelligent person. I really am not. You know my, my gift or or whatever you want to call whatever I do, I have good, good instincts, okay, and I surround myself with good people, that's you know how I do what I do.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

And when I was in junior high and high school I wasn't the best student and I used to get sent home and suspended, and every time I got sent home or suspended, my father would throw me at the dealership and I'd be picking up trash washing walls. Doing this. Doing that, I got friendly with the managers and when I turned like 14 or something like that, they didn't really know how old I was. So one day I was doing cars. I've been driving since I was 10. I was moving cars around the lot, never leaving the lot, no license, never leaving the lot and everything was good.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

And one day the manager threw the keys at me and said go get my car washed. He didn't. So I'm 14 years old, driving around the street, no license, and I did that for like a year before I even got my learner's permit One day. I had washed the manager's car and I pulled up in front of the dealership and the old man pulled up right next to me. Uh-oh oh, he pulled up right next to me and he saw that I was driving and he lost his shit on me. And then he lost his shit on the manager.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, that's amazing Because your dad's got a lot more to lose at that point in time, right, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

And then the second I turned 15 and a half. I got my learner's permit, like almost to the day. Sure, it's funny, kids don't like that.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Now no, I know they wait. It's my son and his friends.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

It's crazy Because the automobile was freedom with us.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

That's right. That's right. Speaking of kids, you've got three kids, three kids here, and what are the ages?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

I got a 12 year old daughter, a 22, 22, 23 year old son and 23 24. All that you, you know you you lose the as they get older. You lose how old oh I know, no question my son went to school and I used to pick him up at school and you know I love driving the kids to school it's the best and I went to quality time.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

I was in the.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

I was in the, the, the parents lane, or whatever you call it, and you know they. They check you out before you go pick up the kid and I go. I said, yeah, I'm, I'm here to pick up Alex Bach, seventh grade. He looks at me and goes Ernie, sixth grade.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

That's fantastic. So is it your wishes that they get into the other industry? It is All of them. No, no, no.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

They're doing. It's just my son, just my son, and he's focused. Fourth generation Generational wealth. We haven't talked about that. It's very difficult, but achievable, right right, let's talk about it.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

What say you on this topic?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Well, the way I look at business, the way I've always looked at business, is and as I sit here with this, I go. It's not for me. It isn't it's not for me, it's for them. Okay, and them being the kids.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Them. The first generation gave it to the second generation, the second generation gave it to the third generation. I got it better than the second and the second got it better and I built it up and everything, and I and now it's not for me. I may live like this, but this is all for the kids. This is all for the kids. I'm setting everything up and we're off to the races.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

It's going to be great, sure, sure, fantastic. So you think that he'll come into the business, or that's the plan. That's the plan He'll run.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

He went to Northwood. Okay, the famous Northwood, that's right, great university.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Automotive-centric university. That's right, that's right and he's doing well there. He's doing well. He loves it. He said they play your show every morning. They do, they do, and we are so honored to have them as viewers. What's really cool is now we're 12 years old. We've been around doing this for 12 years ago and now I'm running a dealership.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

I mean, I go to NADA every year and I come up to you and tell you I'm a fan. You guys do a great job.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

We appreciate it, we appreciate it. So let me ask you this your son's in college now and the average price of a vehicle is almost $50,000. In college now and the average price of a vehicle is almost $50,000. Where will it be when his kid is in college If this affordability issue isn't addressed? Okay, talk to me about that, obviously as a Subaru, the affordability will be addressed.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Okay, it has to be addressed. What I don't want is the Chinese coming in and addressing it Right Okay, I don't want that. I want the auto manufacturers to get their shit together and bring those prices down and get an entry-level vehicle. I was talking to somebody the other day and I learned to drive stick. I learned to drive stick on a dollar car. Do you know what a dollar?

Jim Fitzpatrick:

car is. I don't know what a dollar car is A dollar?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

car is. Back in the 70s and 80s, people would pull up with a car that was barely running dented. We just called them beaters, yeah beaters. But we brought them in for $1 because you had to fix them so they could run through the auction. You had to clean them, you had to ship them, you had to pay the fee. So we put a dollar on those cars. Yeah, makes sense. And a lot of them were stick and I took the dollar cars and learned how to drive a stick.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Right, right, right, so affordability.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Affordability has to happen. Yeah, it's got to happen.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

It has to happen and you know this map that we showed when we interviewed him, where North America, Canada and the United States were on an island. That's his take, Because throughout the entire world, Chinese vehicles are being delivered Absolutely At a very, very astounding rate Absolutely, if you travel, you see them everywhere. That's right, and BYD has got an incredible car and that's a real threat to the way. Absolutely, if you travel, you see them everywhere. That's right, that's right, and BYD has got an incredible car and that's a real threat to the US.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

It is a real threat. There are many theories on that, that they're teetering, the whole country is teetering, the economy, the population, you know. There's that whole thing producing something that people are driving. Look at Farley. Farley was over there for a while, right.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Jim Farley was forward checking it out, seeing what's going on, getting educated on it, which we have to do. That's right. That's right. And while we sit here now you know the country is going through this situation as to where these cars will be built. Is it possible for the US to build an affordable vehicle with?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

the demands that the union puts. Well, yes, absolutely 50% of all Subarus are built in the United States and by I might have the number wrong by 2036, 100% will be built. Oh really.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Okay, if that's the case, why are car companies even going outside the borders of the US to build cars?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Well, I mean, they've been doing it. They have to labor. Bringing it back is a good idea. Bringing it back is a good idea.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, yeah, for sure, for sure. And let's talk about some of these crazy numbers that we've seen on acquisitions. We're sitting right here, obviously here in Massachusetts, and a friend of yours, Herb Chambers, made all kinds of headlines, the famous Herb Chambers, the famous Herb Chambers. I'll tell you and I say that with respect.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Right, that guy is one of the best. Yeah, he is. Yeah, but I knew it though, because he's 83 years old. Yeah, and watching him from afar, I knew his son wasn't going to take over.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, you know, I think I think they they carved out a store or two for him, okay, you know as of right now, right and yeah, so Herb did it it was time, and you know he's 80, he's 83 years old.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

You know I talked to him and I'm going to. I don't think I'm I Herb, I don't think I'm talking out of school when I say that. I said because I talk to people that have hundreds of dealerships and I say to myself, why the aggravation? Oh, why, why? But most of the people that have them, they're so insulated Sure, they're so insulated. They went through the day-to-day craziness You're right, I said, herb, why don't you sell?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

He said, if I sell, I'm just another rich guy in Boston. I'm Herb Chambers. And I said yeah, you're right, you are Herb Chambers, this is good. So something in his mind must have clicked or something like that. But it's his business, he built it. He can do whatever he wants with it.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

That's right.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

That's right Spend more time on his yacht.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

He's a yacht, he's a plane he's in Barts. I love the guy Really, when you watch him and what he's done with that company, it's just incredible, Incredible. Here's a guy I believe never finished high school, Just a self-made guy.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Started with a coffee company. He's got this guy, jim Ziris. Jim Ziris that works for him. That's like his right hand guy who's fantastic. Yeah, you can't build a network like that, or any company, without really good people around you.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

You have to, that's right.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

My, my policy is hire somebody more talented than me. I want to learn from them. I don't want them learning from me. Right, I don't want to be the sharpest knife in the drawer. I want people that can bring something to the table.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Um, the car business, though, still suffers from a huge turnover rate. I mean, it's just, it's something we've been dealing with for so long yeah, but it's almost like a.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

It's almost like a, an interim job, yeah, unless you grab it. You know you grab it and want to do it. A lot of the sales guys are like yeah, I'm doing this, because I'm doing that, because I'm doing this. And some sales guys, yeah, want to be the manager, want to own my own store.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

And they have an opportunity to do that.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Let me tell you, dedication is everything If you dedicate to what you want with blinders on and don't listen to the naysayers or any of that stuff you will be successful.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

That's right. That's right With the acquisitions that we've seen over the course of the last four or five years, which are huge numbers. What is your take on the mom and pop, the person that's got a Chevy store or a GMC you know store, gmc Buick store whatever is their future, absolutely. If they want to keep it, they can keep it.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Yeah, absolutely okay, okay you know, the franchise laws give them their own little territory yeah, they can they can, they can do it when, I sold my businesses. I kept the lamp. Yeah, yeah, I kept the land. That's very nice. Wow, it's a beautiful thing.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, no question about it. So I know that you are all about being very charitable. I mean, you the, the, the money that you spend giving back not just to the community but to these incredible charities. Uh, talk to me about that. The, uh, the music drives us, for instance. Right, I mean, I have a foundation.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Music drives us um. At this point in my life I'm putting everything in line, making sure everything is good, and there is some, some part of me and some mechanism in which I can giving back. Is I, I, it's so. It's so cliche. You know what I mean. I do what I love, I. I have a music foundation In New England. We don't have co-op to the dealers. There is no co-op.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

They do what they do.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

I incentivize them. Believe me, they're happy. They get the national stuff and I do the New England stuff. But we have one voice in the six states Same commercial. They can advertise their local market and they can do this and they can do that, but we have one voice and we write and produce our own jingles, the music. We don't pay any publishing costs or anything like that. Andy Valerio, who works for me, who does a fantastic job, we write the commercials and I play on them. That's pretty cool. So when you see the new electric Subaru ad, it's electric. That's me playing guitar.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

That is very cool. You have played guitar with some pretty big names. Share that with our viewers. I know that you're like I don't want to talk about it, but it's pretty cool.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

I am not a good guitar player. I can get by and I have a lot of friends in the industry and one of the greatest things a friend can do is ask another friend to sit in sure it's just, it's just a, it's like a musician thing, right, and I've been asked to sit in. I've been asked to sit in les paul. Les paul himself, this close, asked me to sit in. Oh my gosh, I said no.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

I said no because because what is it to lose? I?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

mean, I was in a room with all these crazy guitar players. I'm not going up there with les paul. I was on the side of the stage, wow, watching my friends cheap trick, right, play right. Rick nielsen walked over to me, took his guitar off and said go, started pushing me. Wow, started pushing me and so I pushed. I went sideways, I took the guitar off, put it on my son and he went out there. He doesn't play guitar. Oh my God, he doesn't play guitar he went out there too intimidated, yeah, no.

Announcer:

I've turned down many, many people.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

And then the last you know name people that asked me. I said to myself see, when you have kids, you don't skydive, you don't do dangerous things, you want to stay around. So stepping on stage in front of 10,000 people is such a rush that I like that. It's scary, it's fun, it could go either way, I love it.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

So we're sitting in this incredible salon and obviously you're seeing it on air right now, but you've had some amazing bands writing here for charity events.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Yeah, we have a yearly fundraiser for Music Drives Us, where I bring in a national act. I've had Cheap Trick play here. I've had Stone Temple Pilots play here. I just had Kiefer Sutherland the actor. He was fantastic, he's doing it. Fantastic. You know the Go-Go's, I mean. I've had a lot of people on the property for fundraisers.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, that's great. That's great. Tell our viewers what the objective of the charity is Music.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Drives Us is dedicated number one to keep music in the schools. We have done teachers, we've done instruments, we've done this, we've done that, so we have organizational grants. We have performance grants and we have instrument grants. We've done this, We've done that, so we have we have organizational grants, OK, we have performance grants and we have instrument grants. We've given thousands of instruments.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Wow, that's fantastic, and with good reason, because that's one of the things that many school boards said we don't first thing they cut some, we don't need music, right, that's a luxury, yeah, and that's a shame.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Right, and I was, and I was fortunate to grow up yeah, and that's a shame. Right, and I was fortunate to grow up my, not my but the high school and junior high band from North Massachusetts was famous. They kicked ass in all the national competitions because we had the legendary Paul Alberta as a music director. So you know, when I grew up there was a lot of music in schools and now there isn't, and I'm trying to change that. I know. Yeah, there's no question about it. Grant cycles are open.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Musicdrivesusorg. There you go, we'll show it on the screen. So you want to make an impact and bring music back to schools? That's a good way to start right? Yeah, absolutely, there's no question. So many dealers that do give back. I know it's a cliche, but they for the lack of a better term they give back to their communities. And how did you zero in on that? Just because of your love for music.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Well, we have the Subaru Love Promise developed by Tom Dahl. I mean, we've given millions, millions back. It's incredible, it really is. We give a certain amount of monies for every car sold in December to these four major charities, and then they, the dealers, can develop their own charity.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

It's really, it's really good. It's amazing what the Subaru dealers have done.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

It's real and I'll tell you Subaru love promise has been tried. I'll tell you the Subaru love promise people have. Manufacturers have tried to copy it and failed.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, yeah, I know, and you see them every now and then come out with things.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

You see them now, now and then.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

That's got Subaru written all over it and you know what's funny?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

You see it, and if you dive in deep, at one point they work for.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Subaru. Oh, I see, okay, okay, that's interesting. I've met a few people that work for you, and they've been working for you for a long time. Yeah, how do you cultivate today, with all that's going on in the industry, a culture in a company, whether it be at the distributorship or the dealerships, where people want to stay? Yeah, they want to stay because you have to.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

First of all, it's a business necessity, right, and you've got to treat them well, you've got to pay them well, and you've got to pay them consistent, yeah, and create a vibe. The whole thing is a vibe. Yeah, the whole thing is a vibe. Sure, you know, when you walk into a dealership, you can feel it, you can absolutely feel it. I mean, I've walked into many dealerships that are for lack of a better word dead, and then I've walked into dealerships that were humming.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

You can feel it. You can, there's no question about it. Yeah, without a doubt. If your dad was with us, what would his take on the last 20 years since you took over and he passed?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

You know, he was amazing. He was an old school guy. Almost every business concept I've ever learned I learned from him, but it was different. Yeah, yeah, it was different. It was different he was. You know, I was his son and basically 90% of the time I've ever talked to him in his whole entire life was about business.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, really no kidding. Did you ever go head to head with him?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

I got fired twice.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Absolutely. I know there's a lot of kids that are watching that work for their parents in dealerships right now. They think, oh my gosh, I don't think I can do this. But the parents want the best for them, right? But not always is it on the same.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Let me address that. Yeah, let me address that. You're right. Yeah, you're right. Family businesses are a unique dynamic. Yeah for sure. And if I had to give advice to somebody some kid or younger, whatever, working for a successful business and their father runs it, I would say step in line, do what he says and let's make this happen. Yeah, yeah, because there's no sense having this, there's no sense having that thing. And when I I woke up one day after, you know, we would have arguments about a lot of things, and then I woke up one day and I said, wow, he's right. And he died in 03. When I was working for him, I thought I had the toughest job Because I thought I had I'm out, I'm doing it. And when he died and I woke up one morning I'm not taking orders I had the easiest job.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

He was like do this, this and this, and that's the easiest thing to do. It's coming up with this, this and this. That's the difficult thing. So if you're in a family business and the old man is crazy, just do what he says and work it out.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

That's good advice. It waits your turn. Right, just wait your turn, because if it's done right, there's no question. Right, just wait your turn, because if it's done right, right.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Right, there's no generational wealth and the family business dynamic is so unique. You have to, you have to get in there.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

You have to make it happen. Yeah, no question. When, when I got into the business in the early 80s and we're not too far apart on age my schedule was on the front door, you know. My sales manager said there's your schedule, right, if you want the job, you know it's yours, but it was key to key. Was it nine to nine, of course?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Nine to nine, six days a week Exactly.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

And if you took that seventh day off, they looked at you sideways.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Plus the height. You're not hitting your number On that seventh day. Seventh day, that's when the two deliveries that you have scheduled will want to come in Now.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

It's a half a deal. Yeah, yeah, exactly, there's no question about it.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

When I first started managing Oldsmobile, they had a closed floor. They had an up system. Oh my gosh.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Because everybody was Wow, everybody was that's old school, had been there forever, yeah, yeah.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

And they were all like 65.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

had an up system. Oh my god, I came in and destroyed it.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

They literally walked out. Yeah they, they really did walk out and I told them I said go walk. Yeah, individually they came back and one of them one of them said I've been here a long time. This is not the way to do it trying to convince me, yeah, but I did it and you know an open floor is the only way to oh yeah, of course there's.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

There's no question about it. You guys, the only the strong, will survive, right? But having said that it, you know, I didn't see any soccer games, I didn't go to any little league.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

I wasn't there for the family, you know, and it cost me, you know the the most heartbreaking thing on that subject. Yeah, for me. Yeah, when my kids were growing up and I was building and I was gone for three days and I woke up and I loved to have breakfast with them. Before I drive to, school.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, yeah, it's the best.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

And I woke up and I go down to breakfast. I go hey, kelsey, it's good to see you. She's like hi Dad, I go. What do you mean? Hi, dad, I go, I've been gone for three days. She goes, oh, I go, I've been gone for three days. She goes oh, you have. Oh, wake up call. Yeah, yeah, I didn't even know it.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, she didn't even know it. That's right. That's right. What about today? What about what? What should the? How do we in the industry? We still have a tough time getting that top-notch, you know kid out of college, or that, that quality person that comes in because they perceive the industry as 67 hours a week there are there are as Dana White says there is a group of young lions.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

That is destroying the competition. It's smaller. When we were there, we would work 12 hours a day because we wanted to make money. We didn't well, we cared that we missed weddings, but we had a mission.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

We're going to do it.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

There was no balance. You know you're not going to I firmly believe during the building process and to be super, super successful. There is no balance. You accept that this?

Jim Fitzpatrick:

is it, or you get out Right right. You got to do what you got to do and if you want some off time and get to that level because of your, efforts.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Do it in your 20s and 30s so that your 40s, 50s, 60s I'm in my 60s now- yeah. Yeah.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Work comes to me. Right, that's right, that's right. And having said, that is your home, your home office. Now I mean, yeah, this place is amazing. Yeah, we do all the meetings, here you do.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

But, before I stopped going into the office about two years before COVID Okay, because you know it was time and I, everything, everything went by my desk for initial I'm talking everything, a little control freak at that Well, I didn't micromanage. I didn't micromanage, but I wanted to see everything. And then, slowly, department by department, I stepped back and, instead of taking them to 100%, I said you take it to 100% and just run it by me, yeah, and I did that to all the different departments and I slowly went back and then, right before COVID, I stopped going in, and it wasn't because of COVID, yeah, and that's how it is now. I run the businesses, I run the charities, I do everything. I do it out of the house.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, did any of the people at us at subaru um of new england work remotely and at the beginning this is always a touchy subject at the beginning, when you know we were forced to do what we did yeah, we were forced to to to be remote, but now, no, no, I do not believe in remote working.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Everybody's there. And if you want to. I've had many people for jobs for spaces. They want to work Friday at home. No, no, that's not going to work for you.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

It's not going to work. And I'll tell you what's a good measurement that you're running a good show is that I've had four or five of the women have kids and weren't pregnant when they were working, got pregnant, took the time off and came back, came back, came back, hit the ground, running back into it. That's fantastic. Because a lot of times they don't come back right, right, all these cars in here.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

They seem to be plugged in. Yeah, they're not EVs.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

I do. I bought a Tesla Cybertruck. Okay, I bought a Tesla Cybertruck. I'm not ashamed of it.

Announcer:

I bought it, why should you be?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

ashamed of it well here we are, march of 2025.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

I am not ashamed of it.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

But yeah, they're all plugged in, they're all tickled, charged and they're all ready to charge and they're all ready to go. They're all ready to go. And the way they're parked, you can literally drive them out. I would love you know. I see these guys with collections and they're like side by side. Yeah, Okay, Trailer queens.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, you mentioned to me you actually drive these.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

You'll jump in and drive it around drive these and you'll jump in and drive it around and rather than stopped I've been stopped a few times I like to. I like to go out early sunday morning. Okay, six o'clock five am. We've gota nice highway system and I've been, I've been stopped so that, so the local police know you times and the guy, the guy, you know the guy, comes up, he goes ernie, I know what you're doing, I know what you're doing right just go home.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Just go home. Exactly, you're getting too old for this. The reason I bring that up is because EVs is just something that you know and all dealers are trying to get their hands around it Manufacturers, the government. You know it's just when you say those two letters together, it just it's polarizing in a lot of cases, although we're selling more EVs. But, as a Subaru distributor, what's your take on?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

this. We have one complete electric vehicle and others coming. My problem with the EVs is the government telling us what we can drive. That's my problem. My problem is, hey, government, my people will drive what they want to drive. If they want to drive EVs, I have EVs. If you want to drive an ICE car, I have ICE cars. You want a hybrid, I have a hybrid. But the government shouldn't tell me this much percent EV, this much percent ICE and, by the way, we don't want any ICE by 2035. Yeah, no, no, no.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, just get out of that. Yeah, If you want an EV.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

we'll give you an EV. It'll be great Not give sell. We'll sell you an EV.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Many car companies, as you know, went pretty deep on EVs, but Subaru said, eh, not so fast. Well, Subaru, is.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

You've got to remember. Subaru is small. We do 660,000 cars nationwide and in the world just about a million.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Okay, and that's small yeah that's small compared to compared.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

So they can't, they can't go all in. They were when, when the first ev scuttle what's to happen, subaru's saying or what they wanted to do was intelligently follow. And they've changed that now and they understand what they wanted to do was intelligently follow. And they've changed that now and they understand what they're doing. And I am proud to say that Subaru of America and and Subaru Corp, which used to be Fuji heavy industry okay, who you have, the industry know that we named it.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Subaru Corp. Okay, fuji heavier industries I love that name and they're name and they're ready to move. They're ready to move. If we have to do this, they have it If they have to do this, they have it, we have it, right, right.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Very interesting. Yes, you mentioned Tom Dahl earlier. A legendary Tom Dahl. That's right. That's right. Talk to me about that, because obviously he stepped down, tom.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Dahl was the first American to run Subaru of America without a Japanese to answer to in America. Yeah, and he was on the board at Subaru Corp or Fuji Heavy Industries. Japanese Tom Dahl was one of the architects of what made Subaru Subaru. Wow, we went through what we call the Valley of Despair when Subaru was doing like 185 cars a year for years and years and years and Tom Dolly got to know him very well, okay, and we would often talk we got to make this car company cool.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Yeah, that's the problem. Yeah, this is a cool car. This is all-wheel drive. This is something special, sure, and we and I can't I'm not going to say that I had anything to do with them, I was in on the conversation you might have been influenced I go to japan we look at the products. I give my opinion but by no means is it me, but they, they developed it and they they did it, and you they got the right advertising firms and it was good yeah.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Why do you think that? What draws that consumer to say I'm only buying a Subaru? I mean your loyalty among your Loyalty is crazy, it's unbelievable.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

You can't even show them another car and as of now, in Consumer Reports we're number one Unbelievable, I know.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Number one in.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Consumer Reports Wow, yeah, reports, we're number one, unbelievable number one in consumer reports. Yeah, because subaru's got the vibe. Yeah, it's a cool car.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, it's all-wheel drive it's, but anyway, it's funny because it had a very stodgy. What are you driving a subaru for? But, man, over the years you guys have successfully changed all-wheel drive is not just for the snow.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Yeah, you know a lot of people, a lot of guys in english like oh, you're doing so good because you're in the Northeast and you get snow no, it's not like that. All-wheel drive is great for drive pavement, yeah. But Subaru is a really good if you look at it. It presses the buttons and it's very reasonably priced. It's not crazy priced, that's right.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

That's right. It does a lot. That's right. If we're sitting here 10 years from now hopefully we're both sitting here 10 years from now what are you doing? What am I?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

doing Well. I'm probably watching my son run it. Hopefully we're doing 100,000 cars a year, Okay 100,000 cars a year 100,000 cars a year and everything's going good. My foundation is funding all sorts of projects, and it's good. There's world peace. You know we can go to Iraq and Iran as tourists.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

That's right. Imagine that. Imagine that with all that's going on in the world today right. A lot of consumers and dealers alike. They get so tied in knots as to what's happening outside the US borders. And then you know, I guess rightfully so in many cases. But they can really. You know it can mess with your mind.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

You know the fact that yeah, you know that's a whole discussion. Yeah, I am a conservative, sure, you know I'm socially liberal and financially conservative. I'm a capitalist with a conscience, okay, and I'm concerned with it.

Announcer:

But I can't you know?

Jim Fitzpatrick:

there's nothing I can really do about it. It's not going to derail me. We're in America, come on, come on, we're going to sell some cars here. Final thoughts what's your take on the overall industry as you sit here today? Is there anything that keeps you up at night that you say, yeah, we got to be looking out for this.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

I'm constantly trying to come up with ideas. I have a very small group of friends, very, very small, and we spit out ideas on everything, on everything. I mean, if I have an idea, they'll do it, they'll do it, they'll do it, they'll do it. They got it, they would do it, they'll do it, and it happens. The latest, the latest thing I'm going to do is hopefully I'm going to get it done before before school's out, before, because in Boston 300,000 people leave the city in the summer, all the students, and they all come back. So I'm, I'm doing, I'm doing a shredder contest.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

You know what a shredder contest is. I do not know what that is. Well, you know when you play guitar and you're shredding.

Ernie Boch Jr.:

Yeah, yeah, you're shredding, yeah. So I'm going to have a competition. I'm going to have a competition and I'm going to give $10,000 to the winner, and we're going to do it as a benefit for Music Drives. Us and I'm going to bring in my rock star, and where would that be held? Well, I have a friend that has some restaurant and bars in Boston and he has said that he will help me out Patrick Lyons, the famous Patrick Lyons in Boston, Massachusetts. And we're going to get that together.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

That's fantastic. That's fantastic. I would now say you know, knowing you and being you, know watching you over the years from you know my perch at a dealership somewhere and hearing the Bach name and the Ernie Bach name. You've added such color to the industry. As I sit here today, you look more like a rock star than you do the president of Subaru of New England. Right, has that always been kind?

Ernie Boch Jr.:

of your. Well, you've got to have fun. You have to have fun. I love music, I just love music, and I have integrated my love for music into my business yeah sure, into my business. You know, there's a saying, and you hear it a lot Do what you're passionate about and you'll never work a day in your life. That's bullshit. It's complete, absolute bullshit. Do what your talents allow you to do. Make the money Then do what's passionate.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

Yeah, yeah, and this is your passion right here. Yeah, yeah, I mean, but it sounds like you're having fun every day. I am having fun.

Jim Fitzpatrick:

You have to have fun. Yeah, absolutely. Ernie Bach Jr, thank you so much. Appreciate it, really appreciate it. Honored to be here. Yep, thank you so much. Well, now I've been thinking back on all the stories, how it was back in the day you tried to rewrite all the glory, thought that the truth had been in the way we were traveling all down the high road. Everything had not come in the down.

Announcer:

Pretending you changed direction, tried to drive me right into the ground. Oh no, you can't average your weight. You can't change the past. I guess it's true what they say the pure times never end. Oh yeah, thanks for watching the Executive Profile exclusively on CBT News. Today's episode has been sponsored by the Presidio Group.