General manager: Ray Desimone

Dealership group: Lithia Motors

Full-time employees: 78

General Sales Manager Adrian Acosta on learning how to be a better employer from managing through the pandemic: “Being a better employer translates to an appreciative staff who enjoy coming to work every day. The happier our team is with their workplace, the happier they make our customers. It is a win-win for our organization.”

Acosta on long-term changes in hiring or employment practices because of the pandemic: “We are now much more flexible working around the personal needs of our employees and their families, which has been very effective for the team’s overall morale.”

Acosta on diversity, equity and inclusion as it relates to hiring and employment: “We promote hiring regardless of sex, race or religion, with attention to the balance of our work force.”

Acosta on offering employees a career path: “We continuously advertise to our team how we are all growing as individuals along with our organization. We discuss frequently how every manager within our team has been promoted from within.”