Farmington Hills Dealership Among Nation's Top Employers

When Sellers Buick GMC owner Sam Slaughter drives into his dealership's parking lot, he takes a spot in the back.

Slaughter said another entrepreneur advised him long ago to take the long walk through every department each morning. It allows him to casually greet employees, and it's part of the team philosophy that earned the dealership a spot on the 2013 Automotive News "Best Dealerships to Work For" list.

Sellers is one of three Michigan dealerships honored and the only one in metro Detroit. At an October gala in Chicago, the company will learn its rank among the top 100 dealerships in the country. 

Slaughter, who started at Sellers as a porter when he was 16, said he has worked every job in the dealership. It's a perspective that employees notice. Customer care manager Steve Buckman said Slaughter is among those out on the lot clearing snow off vehicles after a winter storm.

"You just don't see that everywhere," Buckman said. 

Regular all-employee meetings, equally distributed bonuses and lunches that allow workers to provide meaningful feedback are all part of the Sellers culture, Slaughter said. 

According to the Automotive News website, dealerships are selected based on excellence in workplace satisfaction, talent retention and fair treatment of their employees.