Dave Campbell was surprised when Phil Long Dealerships CEO Jay Cimino told him nearly five years ago during a job interview that southern Colorado’s largest new vehicle dealership group wasn’t really in the car business.

The longtime Phil Long top executive said the company was in the people business — if the dealership group treats its customers and employees well, profits will follow — a philosophy the organization has followed since World War II veteran Phil Long started the company. That philosophy has helped Phil Long grow from a single Ford dealership in Colorado Springs to 17 dealerships in Colorado and New Mexico that employ 1,200 people.

“We have been incredibly successful with that philosophy that people have to come first. We have invested heavily in making sure our culture matches our mission statement,” said Campbell, vice president of human resources and risk management for the dealership group. As a result, more than 10% of Phil Long’s work force has spent more than 20 years with the company in an industry known for its high employee turnover rate — 46% last year.

Phil Long demonstrated its commitment to employees by keeping sales staff on the payroll even when they were furloughed for a month early during the COVID- 19 pandemic when a statewide order forced auto dealers to close showrooms. Phil Long quickly came up with a way for employees to work remotely by selling cars entirely online and delivering them to buyers’ homes or allowing buyers to pick up vehicles at the dealership’s service department, which remained open.

Campbell credits the company’s program of providing opportunities for employees to move into management for retaining staff. A parts delivery agent can easily be promoted into management and Phil Long’s corporate attorney, Tim Lamb, started with the company in sales and another attorney, Dustin Brooks, started with Phil Long as a service manager.

The company makes sure the commission structure for its sales staff is “the most competitive” and technicians are paid a standard hourly rate based on how long a repair or maintenance task should take, even if they finish the job early. As a result, technicians can receive pay for 100 hours of work during a standard 80-hour schedule for a twoweek pay period, boosting their pay by up to 20% for efficiency while maintaining quality, Campbell said.

Phil Long offers common benefits such as medical, dental, vision coverage, short- and long-term disability insurance, company-paid life insurance, critical care coverage and company matching for employee contributions to retirement savings accounts. However, the company doesn’t charge employees deductibles or co-payments for insulin, prescription drugs or doctor visits at Phil Long’s onsite clinic. The company also operates a wellness program with fitness centers at four locations.

The group also offers generous paid time off — up to 240 hours, or six weeks and employees also get up to eight additional hours a year for volunteer work. They also can access a special employee assistance fund (from coworker contributions) if they are facing financial hardship.

The dealership supports numerous nonprofits and fundraisers and Cimino, its CEO, started both the Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center in Colorado Springs and the Mt. Carmel Wellness & Community Center in Trinidad, his hometown.