We at Automotive State of the Union are proud and ridiculously excited to announce after a seed round of funding, we have become the only dealer-owned media publisher in auto history.
The Automotive State of the Union began as a response to the chaos and uncertainty when the first lockdowns began to in early 2020. Paul J Daly, author of the Automotive Manifesto responded with a Livestream event with the intention to gather the industry in a show of solidarity and encouragement. Thousands showed up.
Focusing on the power of Dealers banding together, there were five more live streams as well as the very first hybrid in-person / live event in Philadelphia in November of 2020. As the the ASOTU community grew and the world began to open up, Paul met a friend and soon-to-be business partner in Kyle Mountsier who’s shared passion for Franchised Retail Automotive promised to further ignite the ASOTU community.
In early 2022, ASOTU Inc was formed as a modern media publisher to champion Retail Automotive Dealers and the Industry Partners that empower them. With a focus on inviting everyone in the dealership into the conversation, Paul and Kyle knew it would take a special level of intention and credibility.
At the 2022 NADA Show, ASOTU announced the closing of a seed round of investment consisting only of notable Dealers and operators from across the country.
Now that we are backed by leaders and pillars of the automotive community, we are able to expand our operations of creating and delivering content that applies to every store member, from Lot Porter to General Manager. We believe it is more important than ever that every member of the industry pays attention to what is going on.
Liza Borches. The President and CEO of Carter Myers Automotive which is an amazing 26% associate owned.
“What we love about ASOTU is all of our associates will be on the same page as us and what we need to be doing to invest in our industry. We want them to see the bigger picture, that what they do matters” -Borches
Brian Benstock. The GM and Vice President of the #1 certified Honda and Acura dealer globally, Paragon Honda and Paragon Acura.
“Disruption always comes from the outside and these issues need to be aired so we can ask ourselves what we are going to do. We need to have a voice in this discussion. Better understanding and awareness creates better daily decisions and those lead to better results. We need to start with that awareness” -Benstock
David Long. The Founder of the Pandemic of Positivity and Executive General Manager at Hansel Auto Group
“The main reason I decided to join was because of Paul and Kyle. We made an investment in who you are and what you represent first and foremost. The other thing is when the disruptions come, I want to be the first to know” -Long
Scott Simons. The General Manager and Managing partner at Valley Chrysler, Dodge, Honda, Jeep, Nissan, Ram, Subaru, and VW.
“I knew the people involved and said ‘this is a no brainer.’ I like the ability to give back to the industry and I think we are going to have a lot of fun doing this.” -Simons
Brian Kramer. The General Manager of Germain Toyota and the General Manager of AutoNation
"Kyle & Paul reached out to see if I would invest in the Automotive State of the Union, along with a few of the brightest auto retailers in North America. The rare few that cause trouble each time they blow up the status quo. How do you say no to that? The answer is that you don't. You just keep adding more fuel to the fire. The genie is officially out of the bottle, and there's no going back..."-Kramer
Patrick Abad. General Manager of Beaver Toyota of Cumming in Georgia.
"I love what ASOTU is all about! Kyle and Paul have developed a way to deliver unique and relevant information that people across our industry can trust. I am super pumped to be a part of ASOTU." - Abad
One investor was not available or comment at the time of the announcement.
Damon Lester. The Owner of Nissan of Bowie and President of the NationalAssociation of Minority Automobile Dealers.
We are committed to being the trustworthy source for news that matters to dealers from every corner of the industry. With so much support from members of the community we love and hope to serve, we are only picking up speed!
“When Dealers Band Together, No Crisis Can Win.” - Paul J Daly