When evaluating a company, whether to determine if you want to work there or if it is a company you want to do business with, one key measure you want to look at is employee longevity. If employees don’t like where they work or don’t believe the company they work for will grow and prosper, they leave.
Judging by that metric, Mike White Ford is definitely a thriving company with a positive work environment, and you don’t have to look any further than their Controller, Karen Castle, for confirmation.
Karen has been with Mike White Ford for nearly 32 years! Well, technically, that’s not true. She was with the company when it was Tom Addis Ford, then Lake City Ford, then when Mike White and Jim Parker bought it in 2016, and still there when Mike White bought it independently in 2018!
You might wonder what it is that makes Mike White Ford so special. And while Mike White Ford is special, the truth is that Karen’s long-standing relationship with this Ford dealership also has to do with the fact that Karen is rather special herself.
Karen’s job as Controller is to oversee every accounting function of this dealership. That’s a significant responsibility when you consider the volume of business this dealership handles new and used vehicle purchases, new and used car sales, service, and parts. On top of that, they work with financing firms like banks, credit unions, and Ford Credit. Karen’s success in this position can be attributed to her attitude, which she sums up simply:
Work like it’s your business and the money that you are spending and handling.
When your controller operates under that principle, you don’t have to wonder why Mike has no reservations about trusting Karen with the financial side of his family’s business.
But if you think Karen is all about calculators and columns of numbers, you would be wrong. She is all about people. A big part of the reason Karen stays at Mike White Ford is that she loves Ford vehicles and loves the “big family atmosphere” among the staff. She also knows that the dealership’s success is a result of its focus on customer and employee satisfaction.
When Karen is not crunching numbers, you can probably find her at a remote campsite with her family or barbecuing for friends during one of northern Idaho’s long summer evenings.
To meet Karen or any of the other friendly staff at Mike White Ford and test-drive one of our latest Ford vehicles, come see us at Mike White Ford in Coeur d’Alene or Sandpoint, or give us a call. We welcome your questions and would love to help you find your next vehicle.