40 Under 40

Donell Cruz spent most of his free time as a child helping his father fix cars at a small repair shop near their Florida home. That’s where he realized the automotive business wasn’t for him — at least not the part that involves wrenches and grease. 

Cruz much preferred helping out in the owner’s office and developed a knack for filling out invoices, signing for parts and taking care of other back-of-the-house details.

“I always liked the business part of it more than the cars — the managing people, leading teams, the thrill of the achievement,” he said. 

At 16, Cruz landed a part-time role in shipping and receiving with Discount Auto Parts. Within two years, he was promoted to managing his own store before being hired away by Pep Boys as a service manager. He later moved to Midas, where he eventually was named district manager overseeing 12 stores across a 50-mile stretch of Florida. 

After a few more pit stops at other companies, Cruz joined Rick Case Automotive Group in 2011. He serves as the organization’s fixed operations director at a time when dealerships are relying on service work more than ever because vehicle inventory shortages have reduced sales.

Cruz last year implemented a number of programs to retain service technicians, including performance reviews that generate special longevity bonuses. He also added smaller perks, such as offering to replace his techs’ expensive work boots every year. 

He created a centralized service business development center to handle calls, answer questions and schedule appointments, easing the workload of his service advisers. The decision helped the fixed ops department increase profits 21 percent last year. 

“It’s been a key player in keeping our dealerships profitable,” he said. “But the biggest piece is being able to support the sales department. It’s not about just having the part, it’s about being able to support the sales department to get that car out quicker.”

Unlike earlier in his career when he switched jobs relatively often, Cruz said he plans to remain at Rick Case long term and aspires to become COO. 

“It’s a family,” he said. “It’s a sense of accomplishment to know I’m going to be here for the long haul. It takes the stress off and allows me to focus on the task at hand.”

— Michael Martinez