As a part of our ongoing series, we highlight exceptional women in the industry. There is a misconception that the auto industry is only for men, and it is time to break this stereotype.

The best way to encourage women to explore career opportunities in auto retail is by highlighting the success stories of women who have made it in the industry. In this edition of Montana Auto Dealer, we are featuring Tammy VandenBos, general manager at Van Motors in Conrad, Montana.

We recently sat down with Tammy and talked about her career, her experiences in the industry and what can be done to encourage others to choose this career path. The following are excerpts from our conversation.

Please tell us about yourself. How did you get into the business?  

I’m a second-generation dealer. My father, Kenny VanDyke, owned ITB Intercontinental Truck Body, which manufactured high-cube vans in Conrad, Montana. He had a bailment pool with Chevrolet, GMC and Ford, where he received chassis from the manufacturers, built the van bodies and wholesaled them to dealers in several states. 

In 1987, a small GM dealership came up for sale in Conrad. My father wasn’t interested in being a retail dealer, but there was a beautiful paint facility at the dealership that he thought would be a great place to paint his vans. That was the beginning of Van Motors and my career, little did I know at the time.

I was attending college in Sioux Center, Iowa, pursuing a degree in business management. Just as my senior year started, my father called me and asked, “Tammy, do you have any interest in coming home and working at the dealership?” I didn’t know anything about the car business, so I decided I should find out more about the industry. I did an internship at a small family dealership in Sioux Center. What an awesome experience it was. I graduated in May of 1990 and began my career at Van Motors in sales and finance.

Back then, district managers from every franchise would visit the stores on a quarterly basis. On one occasion, our Buick rep, Bill Miller, was visiting, and my father asked him, “My daughter’s here, and I really need a good general manager for three or four years to train her and get this business on its feet. Do you know anyone who would be interested?” About three weeks later, Bill called my dad back and said, “Kenny, I found you a general manager.” My dad replied, “Wow, that’s great. Who?” Bill said, “Me!” 

Bill had put in for his retirement with Buick, unbeknownst to us. He had always wanted to run a small dealership. Bill moved from Michigan to Montana and was here for about three years, training me, building trust with the community and making Van Motors a thriving business in Conrad.

What is the greatest accomplishment of your career? 

In this area, agriculture is the primary industry. When I first started, not only was I the owner’s daughter, but I was also a woman. When farmers and ranchers would come in to buy pickups, I would head out to the lot and greet them. More often than not, they’d say, “We want to talk to a salesman.” To their surprise, I’d reply, “Great! What can I help you with today?” I had to prove myself, do a lot of training and be up to speed on the latest to build trust, earn credibility and respect. I had a lot of fun doing that and many customers became lifelong friends.  

Today, we have generations of families that come back and do business with us year after year. But I didn’t do this on my own. Your people are your business. You can’t be successful without your employees. I have been so blessed with great employees who have been here for years. In fact, I have a technician who was here before I was; he was actually with the dealership when my dad bought it. We don’t have a lot of employee turnover, and that speaks volumes. This is a family business, and my employees are just like family. I think that feeling radiates through to the people that walk through our doors.

As a woman, you’re in the minority; what are your thoughts about the auto industry as a career path for women? What can be done to hire more women?

Working in the auto industry is an incredible opportunity for anyone, but especially women, whether it be sales, service management or ownership. It’s fast-paced and constantly evolving, and mentoring women is important. 

We have a young gal who was very ambitious, working in the car wash detail department. It didn’t take me long to see she had so much more to offer. We recently moved her to the service department with the goal of training her to be a service writer. As it turns out, she also fills in at the parts counter. She has more potential than I ever thought. I also recently hired a young woman technician. She is extremely talented and pays such close attention to detail. I feel the auto industry for years has been stereotyped as a career for men. So much has changed over the years, and we cannot afford to overlook women. 

To anyone who’s considering this industry, I say, embrace it! Show up every day with a strong work ethic and integrity, and people will respect you. This job is not just about selling and servicing cars — it’s about building trust and relationships that continue through the generations. Bring your best every day, and the opportunities will follow. 

What do you love about the industry? 

This has been a great career path for me. The flexibility has allowed me to raise my family, all while building a career. If you have good people in place at your dealership, which I do, when I needed to be at my children’s events, I was able to do that. This has allowed my career to be sustainable and fulfilling, letting me grow professionally without sacrificing time with my family.

My husband, Bill, and I have four sons: Tucker, who is a software engineer; twins, Trever, who is a Construction Engineer, and Tanner, who joined the family business in sales and marketing for Van Motors and our newly acquired High Country RV & Trailer sales; and Tyler who will be a junior at Montana State University also pursuing Construction Engineering.

That’s the beauty of this business — I’ve been able to raise my boys and be a very involved mom, all while setting an example of what it takes to have a career and the work ethic required to run a business such as this. In addition to raising a family, my husband and I have a farm and ranch that we enjoy spending time working on. 

I also love the relationships that I have built over the years with so many people. I have met a lot of customers who have become dear friends. I feel that women professionals, especially, bring empathy, clear communication and trustworthiness, which are invaluable qualities for building long-term relationships. I met families with babies 35 years ago, and today, those babies are buying cars here. I find this so rewarding!

Success for me has been building a business that fosters a culture of honesty, integrity and trust for our customers as well as the opportunity to be a “boy” mom at the same time. And that is exactly what this industry offers.