Dealer: Ryan LaFontaine

Dealership group: LaFontaine Automotive Group

Full-time employees: 49

General Manager Scott Tarwacki on learning how to be a better employer from managing through the pandemic: “We have always run our dealership with the ‘Family Deal’ mantra — treating both employees and customers like part of our family. The pandemic underscored the importance of a work-life balance and being flexible to accommodate the needs of our employees.”

General Sales Manager Jorden Schultz on long-term changes in hiring or employment practices because of the pandemic: “We’ve become more aggressive in our marketing of open career opportunities as competitors around us reduced staff and hours. We also worked on a campaign to attract individuals from the hospitality and restaurant industry who were displaced during the pandemic.”

Tarwacki on diversity, equity and inclusion as it relates to hiring and employment: “Being a family-owned business, we take great effort to attract, hire and retain individuals from a diverse background. We strive to have our team be diverse and well suited to meet the needs of our customers.”

Schultz on offering employees a career path: “Our internal LaFontaine training team is paramount in providing the feedback, mentorship and training to allow our employees the platform to have a successful career. Our employees see our track record of promoting from within, showing that if an employee shows the passion and has delivered the results, we have a robust career path and areas for promotion.”