40 Under 40

It all started in 2015, when Meg Knoedler, then 25 and working in local radio, made a routine sales visit to Scaffidi Motors, which would later become Stevens Point Auto Center, part of the Rydell Co.

The Wisconsin dealership's general manager asked if she was interested in an Internet sales position. Knoedler accepted, and her career in auto retail took off.

Eight years later, Knoedler heads Stevens Point Auto Center's business development team — a team she has grown to six people. The auto center includes Hyundai and Volkswagen-Ford dealerships.

Winding up in the auto industry was a surprise for Knoedler, but she always knew she wanted to work with people.

Knoedler, who earned an associate degree in marketing from Northcentral Technical College, leads her team with an emphasis on mutual respect and clear goals.

"The job comes naturally to me," she said. "We deal with people 24/7, and I love being able to share my experience with our employees."

In February 2021, Knoedler was the first and only employee on the business development team at Stevens Point Auto Center. She was able to set 48 sales appointments that month.

As she began to build the team, appointments nearly tripled year over year, and the location's sales volume has risen in tandem.

In March, Knoedler's team set a record 250 appointments, and the auto center sold the most used and new vehicles it had in 40 years.

The dealership's service department also has nearly doubled its revenue year over year since the business development team launched in 2021, thanks in part to improvements in scheduling efficiency.

"Being able to answer the phone and have a live person talking with these guests, working with them through their service questions and getting them scheduled properly — a full staff is key to that," Knoedler said.

Knoedler hopes to one day become a general manager or dealership owner and is passionate about understanding the business.

"There's not a day that goes by that I'm not asking questions," Knoedler said. "I love learning all aspects of the dealership."

— Abigail Ham