Q+A: JOSH ‘CHOP’ TOWBIN:

‘King of Cars’ says ‘the secret is simple: Developing relationships’

Josh “Chop” Towbin poses in a 2016 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider at Towbin Fiat Alfa Romeo, 2550 South Jones Blvd., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016.

Josh “Chop” Towbin started washing cars when he was 14, began selling cars at 15 and was general manager of Towbin Dodge by age 22. The co-owner of Towbin Automotive, Towbin has enjoyed numerous regional and national accolades and was featured on two television shows — “The Chopper Show” and “King of Cars.” He says building relationships with customers, co-workers and the community are the foundations of his success.

What is the best business advice you’ve received, and whom did it come from?

There are two recent quotes that have resonated with me:

Tony Robbins: “People have jobs to earn money or power — but does your job have meaning?”

Charlie Munger: “Go to bed smarter than when you woke up.”

The Tony Robbins quote reminds me to continue to make my job something that is meaningful. How about for my employees? My customers? The community? On the second quote, no matter what field you’re in, no matter how much success you’ve had, there is always the opportunity to learn more and make yourself better at whatever it is you do.

What do you find appealing about the automotive industry?

It’s always improving. I love seeing those changes and watching these brands grow.

My sons all love cars. It is so cool to go with them to car shows, and to see their excitement. My 14-year-old knows so much and he is so smart – sometimes he will know more about a certain model than I do. Still, I’m careful to not set any expectation for my sons to follow in my footsteps. I want them to do whatever it is that makes them happy. If they want to learn more, I’d love to continue teaching them.

Your parents, Dan and Carolyn Towbin, have been a part of Las Vegas’ automotive industry since 1989 and your sister, Jesika, co-owns Towbin Motorcars. What are the perks and pitfalls of working with family?

I take pride in finding my own path and working to achieve success in doing things my own way. My family is all in the automotive business, but nothing was ever given to me.

When you’re working with family, I think it is most important to recognize each other’s strengths, and use those strengths to complement each other. Jesika’s strengths, for example, are very different than what mine are, so we assume roles that best utilizes what we excel at. Recognizing those strengths is key, because it leads to appreciating each other’s functions. I think a good goal is to not talk about business outside of work; I think it helps us.

If you could change one thing about Southern Nevada, what would it be?

The issue that concerns me most is the amount of people who live in poverty or are homeless. My family provides ongoing support for Three Square Food Bank, which provides meals to those in need throughout Southern Nevada.

It’s crazy to think that there are so many children and families in need of meals that are living here. Last year, Three Square distributed more than 34 million pounds of food; the equivalent of 28 million meals through community partners. I would like to see more awareness of this issue.

We also do our best to help homeless dogs and cats find homes by hosting adoptions at our dealerships. It breaks my heart to see how many animals are living, and dying, in shelters.

My newest initiative is working with disadvantaged teens and young adults to teach them job skills and how to learn a trade that gets them hired in the right job for them.

Your dealerships consistently rank No. 1 for sales locally, regionally and nationally. What’s your secret?

The secret is simple: developing relationships. We focus on giving our customers excellent service so they’ll keep coming back. Repeat business helped us stay afloat when the economy was down. Long-term relationships are important because our customers will trust us with their automotive needs and tell their friends and family about us. We now have customers who have purchased five, 10 and even upwards of 40 cars from us. We have one customer who has bought 111 cars. And it’s all because they have a relationship with us.

Doing the right thing is key, and so is keeping our customers happy. They need to know they are going to get a value, and they are going to be treated well. We go to great lengths to ensure that we are constantly building new and nurturing old relationships, and that doesn’t always mean making the profitable business decision. Sometimes we even lose money, but we keep the relationship, and that has been the key to our success.

What do you do after work?

I love spending time with my kids. Every weekend, I make sure to take them out on a fun adventure, like going to theme parks, car events and hiking. We build memories together, and we have an incredible bond.

Describe your management style.

I find out my employees’ ultimate career and/or life goals, then work with them to figure out what steps we need to take to make that happen. I also want my employees to care of the customers and do their best to find them their perfect match in a car. I train my employees to not take that stereotypical, aggressive car-selling approach. I always do my best to promote from within the company, as well, and feel a deep sense of pride in watching Towbin employees reach their goals. They appreciate that, and it creates a better team environment.

What is your dream job, outside of your current field? Why?

After being involved with TV, I became very interested in that industry. If I weren’t working with cars, I would be a television producer because I would want to share other people’s stories with the world.

If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?

I would love to live in so many areas of our country, but San Diego stands out for me because of the weather and it’s such a beautiful city. But there’s no place like home here in Las Vegas.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

When people make excuses for not doing what they’re supposed to do. I believe in giving everything I do 100 percent effort.

What is something that people might not know about you?

My first job was running a barn and taking care of six horses when I was 11. Even as a child, I believed in paying my dues and knew that hard work was the way to success. I never accept loans, favors or anything that’s free because I want to earn everything that comes my way. In my experience, if it’s not earned, then it’s not appreciated as much.

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