Despite crisis, Miami dealer increased advertising to keep up sales
Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News Europe
  • Automotive News China
  • Automobilwoche
AN-LOGO-BLUE
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Account
  • login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • Dealers
    • Automakers & Suppliers
    • News by Brand
    • Cars & Concepts
    • Coronavirus Coverage
    • China
    • Shift
    • Mobility Report
    • Special Reports
    • Digital Edition Archive
    • This Week's Issue
    • Working online to book COVID shots, office manager Billie Jean Pellet “typed so fast smoke came off the keyboard,” said dealer Earl Stewart.
      Dealership team hunts for vaccine
      Hope stalls for rebound in European auto sales
      Dana net income falls 53% in Q4
      Daimler hq Stuttgart web.jpg
      Daimler expects to recover production lost to chip shortage amid bullish outlook for 2021
    • Geely to create separate EV business unit
      Valeo, Faurecia outperform China market in 2020
      Hyundai to build hybrid, electrified commercial vehicles in Ziyang
      Daimler in silver
      Daimler CEO puts struggling EV brand Denza on notice
    • Detroit Aerial Panorama during sunset
      Developing future workers to fuel growth in mobility
      Getting around in Las Vegas often involves long waits for a crowded monorail ride, below, or taking escalators up and down to cross elevated pedestrian walkways along the Strip.
      Las Vegas offers best and worst in transportation challenges
      In pandemic environment, RV industry ‘roaring back'
      Where is transportation headed?
    • Electric vehicle recharger
      Consumers on the fence about EVs, J.D. Power says
      Joby
      Toyota's air taxi partner Joby to go public in $6.6 billion deal; firm hires Ford exec
      The Fisker Ocean electric vehicle on display
      Fisker to form EV partnership with Foxconn
      Motional moment: Driverless testing begins in Las Vegas
    • Elon Musk interview
      Tesla’s Model Y, on sale since March, is a showcase of EV technologies competitors will benchmark.
      Technologies of Electrification
      Cadillac’s Lyriq EV will be unveiled Aug. 6.
      Future Product Pipeline
      A CALL TO ACTION
    • Dealer lots could stay emptier long term
      Toshihiro Mibe is a veteran powertrain engineer, which has put him in close contact with the challenges Honda is facing.
      A return to tradition in Honda's new CEO
      Va. dealers pivot on emissions rules
      By hook or by crook: Hyundai, Kia system goes down
    • Access F&I
    • Fixed Ops Journal
    • Marketing
    • Used Cars
    • Retail Technology
    • Sales
    • Best Practices
    • Dealership Buy/Sell
    • NADA
    • NADA Show
    • Automakers
    • Manufacturing
    • Suppliers
    • Regulations & Safety
    • Executives
    • Talk From The Top
    • Leading Women Network
    • Guide to Economic Development
    • PACE Awards
    • Management Briefing Seminars
    • World Congress
    • Aston Martin
    • BMW
      • Mini
      • Rolls-Royce
    • Daimler
      • Mercedes Benz
      • Smart
    • Fiat Chrysler
      • Alfa Romeo
      • Chrysler
      • Dodge
      • Ferrari
      • Fiat
      • Jeep
      • Maserati
      • Ram
    • Ford
      • Lincoln
    • General Motors
      • Buick
      • Cadillac
      • Chevrolet
      • GMC
      • Holden
    • Honda
      • Acura
    • Hyundai
      • Genesis
      • Kia
    • Mazda
    • McLaren
    • Mitsubishi
    • Nissan
      • Infiniti
    • PSA
      • Citroen
      • Opel
      • Peugeot
    • Renault
    • Subaru
    • Suzuki
    • Tata
      • Jaguar
      • Land Rover
    • Tesla
    • Toyota
      • Lexus
    • Volkswagen
      • Audi
      • Bentley
      • Bugatti
      • Lamborghini
      • Porsche
      • Seat
      • Skoda
    • Volvo
    • (Discontinued Brands)
    • Virtual reveals (Sponsored)
      • MITSUBISHI: 2022 Outlander
      • NISSAN: 2022 Pathfinder and 2022 Frontier
      • GENESIS: 2021 GV80
      • KIA: 2021 K5
      • LEXUS: 2021 IS
      • NISSAN: 2021 Rogue
      • TOYOTA: 2021 Venza and 2021 Sienna
    • Auto Shows
      • Detroit Auto Show
      • New York Auto Show
      • Los Angeles Auto Show
      • Chicago Auto Show
      • Geneva Auto Show
      • Paris Auto Show
      • Frankfurt Auto Show
      • Toronto Auto Show
      • Tokyo Auto Show
      • Shanghai Auto Show
      • Beijing Auto Show
    • Future Product Pipeline
    • Photo Galleries
    • Car Cutaways
    • Design
  • OPINION
    • Blogs
    • Cartoons
    • Keith Crain
    • Automotive Views with Jason Stein
    • Columnists
    • China Commentary
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send us a Letter
    • Gerry McGovern is right man to steer Jaguar reinvention
      Forget the Ford GT; Moray Callum's biggest hit is the aluminum F-150
      Nikon turns lens on auto factory, build quality
      Bosch_information_domain_computer web.jpg
      Bosch, Continental battle to supply the brain of the connected car
    • view gallery
      1 photos
      Chip Shortage
      view gallery
      8 photos
      Leo Michael Cartoons - Q1 2021
      Dealers hiring from hospitality sector
      view gallery
      1 photos
      Hospitality Hires
      view gallery
      1 photos
      No ICE, Please
    • Shifting gears away from the stick shift
      SEMA still a wonderful circus
      Penske still has plenty of races to win
      Ford's turn in the hot seat
    • February 23, 2021 | Reliability continues to soar
      February 16, 2021 | Apple looks to take bite out of automotive
      February 9, 2021 | ‘Super’ opportunity for automakers
      February 2, 2021 | GM is all-in on EVs but will consumers follow?
    • John DeMarco
      How to manage a downturn? Clues are in the data
      Cam Hitchcock
      Benefits remain clear for on-site used-car auctions
      Dave Versical
      The ad that has dealers fighting mad
      Dan Shine
      Optimism for the future despite crisis, change
    • Shanghai hints at how Chinese cities will pursue electrification
      How Tesla, GM transformed EV market in 2020
      Is sales recovery nearing an end?
      Beijing's uphill battle to boost EV sales
    • Taiwan Semicon microchips BB web.jpg
      Chip shortage shows need for new thinking
      Digital demands squeeze smaller auto retailers
      President Joe Biden’s move to electrify all government vehicles could push forward charging infrastructure development.
      Dealers aren't wrong to be wary of EV hype
      Economy needs assistance, but dealers do not
    • Buying EV without dealer is just easier
      Dealers are right to worry about EVs
      GM's move to EVs is move for stability
      Tundra engine may not be up to the job
  • DATA CENTER
  • VIDEO
    • AutoNews Now
    • First Shift
    • Special Video Reports
    • Weekend Drive
    • AutoNews Now: Most buyers still undecided on EVs, J.D. Power finds
      AutoNews Now: Biden tackles chip shortage with lawmakers, order
      AutoNews Now: Kia aims to disrupt 'staid' minivan segment with Carnival
      AutoNews Now: Cherokee Nation to Jeep: Stop using our name
    • First Shift: Ford's Farley: 'We need to bring battery production to the U.S.'
      First Shift: Hyundai to replace EV batteries in $900M recall
      First Shift: Hyundai starts next-gen EV push with Ioniq 5 crossover
      First Shift: Ford idles two plants for weather-related parts shortages
    • COVID, chips and checks: Sales headwinds and tailwinds for 2021
      N.J. dealer helps position peers for ‘electric revolution’
      DCH Millburn Audi
      'Finding the diamond in the rough': How 2020's No. 1 dealership retains talent
      Don Johnson Motors
      'Distinctive culture' cuts turnover, carves career paths at Wis. dealership group
    • Why the pickup is the auto industry's 'battleground'
      Carlos Ghosn's quest to restore his reputation
      Why Ford must execute to avoid 'deep trouble'
      Why Honda is 'locked and loaded' for 2020
  • EVENTS & AWARDS
    • Events
    • Awards
    • Congress Conversations
    • Retail Forum: NADA
    • Canada Congress
    • Europe Congress Conversations
    • Leading Women Conference
    • Fixed Ops Journal Forum
    • ANE Shift
    • Shift: Mobility at a Crossroads
    • Shift: The Future of Mobility (CES)
    • 100 Leading Women
    • 40 Under 40 Retail
    • All-Stars
    • Best Dealerships To Work For
    • PACE Program
    • Rising Stars
    • Europe Rising Stars
  • JOBS
  • AN Solutions
  • +MORE
    • Leading Women Network
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars
    • In the Driver's Seat
    • Publishing Partners
    • Classifieds
    • Companies on the Move
    • People on the Move
    • Newsletters
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • RSS Feeds
    • Shift: A Podcast About Mobility
    • Special Reports Podcasts
    • Daily Drive Podcasts
    • AAM
    • Gentex
    • Reputation.com
    • Ricardo
    • Ricardo
    • Allstate: Want more from your F&I?
    • Ally: Navigating the future of automotive retailing
    • Amazon Web Services: Any place, any time, any channel
    • Amazon Web Services: The power of the cloud
    • Amazon Web Services: Universal translator: Harnessing sensor data to build better automotive software
    • Epic Games: Transforming the auto industry with digital assets
    • FTI Consulting: Crisis as a catalyst for change
    • Google: 5 trends shaping the auto industry's approach to a new normal
    • IHS Markit: Automotive loyalty in the wake of the COVID-19 recession
    • IHS Markit: Autonomous vehicles: Automotive and transportation disruption
    • IHS Markit: COVID-19: The future mobility delusion
    • Level5: 2020 Automotive E-Commerce Report
    • Naked Lime: Bring social reputation together as part of big-picture marketing
    • Wells Fargo Auto: Switching gears from LIBOR to SOFR
    • Ally: Do It Right
    • DealerSocket
    • Deloitte: Cyber everywhere: Preparing for automotive safety in the face of cyber threats
    • Facebook: The road to a zero-friction future
    • Guide To Economic Development
    • PayPal Credit: How consumer financing helps drive sales for online auto parts retailers
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Dealers
June 08, 2020 12:00 AM

Despite crisis, Miami dealer increased advertising to keep up sales

Hannah Lutz
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    “When you are responsible for 525 families, you cannot focus on the negative. You need to focus on solutions and opportunities so we can all succeed.”
    Arnaldo Bomnin

    In the 1990s, Arnaldo Bomnin was selling lobsters out of the back of a truck. Today, he's selling more Chevrolets than any other dealership in the U.S.

    Bomnin, who fled Cuba after earning a medical degree and trading his dream of becoming a doctor for a career as a car dealer, got to No. 1 in the midst of a pandemic the same way he has approached everything in life: "You always need to be different to succeed," he said.

    In early April, when many U.S. dealerships shut down to comply with government orders or voluntarily reduced hours, Bomnin, 49, told his employees that — other than implementing additional safety procedures — they would stay business as usual and spend more on advertising as competitors cut back.

    "In the last two months, we have spent more money on TV ads than we have spent in the last 10 years," he told Automotive News. "I knew people would be at home. I knew that people would be watching TV."

    Bomnin has three General Motors dealerships near Miami and one near Washington, D.C. His two biggest Miami stores, just 8 miles apart, rank first and third nationally in Chevy sales this year through May. Each has experienced less than a 10 percent decline year-to-date in a market forecast to be down at least double that.

    If inventory wasn't strained because of GM's two-month production shutdown and he could count sales of loaner vehicles toward the stores' volume, they would rank first and second, Bomnin said.

    In the second half of March, two of Bomnin's stores went from being on track for a record month to having their worst two weeks in the last decade. "The feeling was like a train impacting a concrete wall," he said.

    Starting April 4, as the coronavirus continued to sweep through the country, Bomnin limited all of his showrooms to 10 employees and shortened their hours, with most staffers working every few days.

    But he couldn't sleep that weekend because he felt he was "getting on the same train" as everyone else. So Bomnin asked his leadership team what they would want to tell future generations they did during the pandemic. Most wanted to be able to say they worked harder than ever to provide for their family, he recalled.

    Finding a way forward

    The idea resonated with Bomnin, who after arriving in Florida worked in landscaping, made boxes for avocados for $5 per hour and sold lobsters to earn enough money to bring his family to the U.S. So he called all willing employees back to work with safety measures in place.

    "When you are responsible for 525 families, you cannot focus on the negative," he said. "You need to focus on solutions and opportunities so we can all succeed."

    Most common areas within the showrooms remain closed, and customers and employees must wear masks and maintain social distancing.

    Bomnin sold lobsters out of a truck after he left Cuba and moved to Miami in 1996.

    Sales improved each week in April. New-vehicle sales were down 25 percent for the month, compared with an estimated 50 percent drop across the industry, according to the Automotive News Data Center.

    While Bomnin's extra TV advertising promoted the big discounts GM was offering, his dealerships posted videos about health and safety on social media.

    "What helps tremendously is the approach of being different," Bomnin said. "Taking the course that we're not going to hide at home and be at home every other day. We decided to step out of the COVID zone and not have fear."

    ‘Degree in the car business'

    In 1994, a 24-year-old Bomnin had just graduated from medical school and learned that the Cuban government wanted him to become a military doctor. He decided to leave for Miami to pursue his medical career in the U.S.

    After multiple attempts to secure a visa and a year of convincing the Cuban government to let him go, he finally moved to Miami in 1996. He came with no money, only three gold rings and a watch, and he didn't speak English. He studied the language at a Miami community college at night.

    Later that year, his cousin's husband offered him a job at a Nissan dealership. Bomnin assumed he'd be a porter or a service technician since he was still learning English, but the manager hired him as a salesman.

    Three years later, he reached a crossroads: pursue his medical career or continue in auto retailing and bring his family to the U.S. faster. "I decided I'd make a doctor's degree in the car business," he said.

    In 2000, Bomnin became sales manager at a Chevy store. A decade later, he bought the store, now called Bomnin Chevrolet Dadeland, with GM's help. He added Bomnin Chevrolet West Kendall in 2016, Bomnin Chevrolet Manassas, in Virginia, in 2017 and Bomnin Cadillac-Chevrolet Homestead last fall. The Dadeland store, which sold more than 7,100 new and used vehicles last year, remains his biggest.

    With those four locations, Bomnin Auto Group ranked No. 88 on Automotive News' 2019 list of the top 150 dealership groups in the U.S.

    His wife, brother and father now help him run the Miami-area stores. And two sons of the cousin who hired Bomnin at the Nissan store are his business partners at the Manassas dealership.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Dealer anniversaries
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

     

     

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    Infiniti dealers settle in for extended QX60 drought
    Infiniti dealers settle in for extended QX60 drought
    Dealer anniversaries
    Dealer anniversaries
    Subaru store's grand plan: Snap pics with pets
    Subaru store's grand plan: Snap pics with pets
    Sponsored Content: The Halo Effect: Digital Loves TV
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    See more newsletter options at autonews.com/newsletters.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Digital Edition
    Automotive News 2-22-21
    THIS WEEK'S EDITION
    See our archive
    Fixed Ops Journal
    Fixed Ops Journal 2-8-21
    Read the issue
    See our archive
    RETAIL TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER: Sign up for our Tuesday afternoon newsletter that breaks down the latest developments in how technology is changing the auto sales landscape.
    AUTOMOTIVE NEWS TV WITH TOM WOROBEC: Sign up for our afternoon newscast and catch up on the top news of the day with our brief video roundup.
    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    Subscribe Today

    Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that’s vital to your business.

    Subscribe Now
    Connect With Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

    Our mission

    The Automotive News mission is to be the primary source of industry news, data and understanding for the industry's decision-makers interested in North America.

    AN-LOGO-BLUE
    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit, Michigan
    48207-2997

    (877) 812-1584

    Email us

    Automotive News
    ISSN 0005-1551 (print)
    ISSN 1557-7686 (online)

    Fixed Ops Journal
    ISSN 2576-1064 (print)
    ISSN 2576-1072 (online)

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • Subscribe
    • Manage your account
    • Reprints
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Automotive News
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
    • NEWS
      • Dealers
        • Access F&I
        • Fixed Ops Journal
        • Marketing
        • Used Cars
        • Retail Technology
        • Sales
        • Best Practices
        • Dealership Buy/Sell
        • NADA
        • NADA Show
      • Automakers & Suppliers
        • Automakers
        • Manufacturing
        • Suppliers
        • Regulations & Safety
        • Executives
        • Talk From The Top
        • Leading Women Network
        • Guide to Economic Development
        • PACE Awards
        • Management Briefing Seminars
        • World Congress
      • News by Brand
        • Aston Martin
        • BMW
          • Mini
          • Rolls-Royce
        • Daimler
          • Mercedes Benz
          • Smart
        • Fiat Chrysler
          • Alfa Romeo
          • Chrysler
          • Dodge
          • Ferrari
          • Fiat
          • Jeep
          • Maserati
          • Ram
        • Ford
          • Lincoln
        • General Motors
          • Buick
          • Cadillac
          • Chevrolet
          • GMC
          • Holden
        • Honda
          • Acura
        • Hyundai
          • Genesis
          • Kia
        • Mazda
        • McLaren
        • Mitsubishi
        • Nissan
          • Infiniti
        • PSA
          • Citroen
          • Opel
          • Peugeot
        • Renault
        • Subaru
        • Suzuki
        • Tata
          • Jaguar
          • Land Rover
        • Tesla
        • Toyota
          • Lexus
        • Volkswagen
          • Audi
          • Bentley
          • Bugatti
          • Lamborghini
          • Porsche
          • Seat
          • Skoda
        • Volvo
        • (Discontinued Brands)
      • Cars & Concepts
        • Virtual reveals (Sponsored)
          • MITSUBISHI: 2022 Outlander
          • NISSAN: 2022 Pathfinder and 2022 Frontier
          • GENESIS: 2021 GV80
          • KIA: 2021 K5
          • LEXUS: 2021 IS
          • NISSAN: 2021 Rogue
          • TOYOTA: 2021 Venza and 2021 Sienna
        • Auto Shows
          • Detroit Auto Show
          • New York Auto Show
          • Los Angeles Auto Show
          • Chicago Auto Show
          • Geneva Auto Show
          • Paris Auto Show
          • Frankfurt Auto Show
          • Toronto Auto Show
          • Tokyo Auto Show
          • Shanghai Auto Show
          • Beijing Auto Show
        • Future Product Pipeline
        • Photo Galleries
        • Car Cutaways
        • Design
      • Coronavirus Coverage
      • China
      • Shift
      • Mobility Report
      • Special Reports
      • Digital Edition Archive
      • This Week's Issue
    • OPINION
      • Blogs
      • Cartoons
      • Keith Crain
      • Automotive Views with Jason Stein
      • Columnists
      • China Commentary
      • Editorials
      • Letters to the Editor
      • Send us a Letter
    • DATA CENTER
    • VIDEO
      • AutoNews Now
      • First Shift
      • Special Video Reports
      • Weekend Drive
    • EVENTS & AWARDS
      • Events
        • Congress Conversations
        • Retail Forum: NADA
        • Canada Congress
        • Europe Congress Conversations
        • Leading Women Conference
        • Fixed Ops Journal Forum
        • ANE Shift
        • Shift: Mobility at a Crossroads
        • Shift: The Future of Mobility (CES)
      • Awards
        • 100 Leading Women
        • 40 Under 40 Retail
        • All-Stars
        • Best Dealerships To Work For
        • PACE Program
        • Rising Stars
        • Europe Rising Stars
    • JOBS
    • AN Solutions
    • +MORE
      • Leading Women Network
      • Podcasts
        • Shift: A Podcast About Mobility
        • Special Reports Podcasts
        • Daily Drive Podcasts
      • Webinars
      • In the Driver's Seat
        • AAM
        • Gentex
        • Reputation.com
        • Ricardo
        • Ricardo
      • Publishing Partners
        • Allstate: Want more from your F&I?
        • Ally: Navigating the future of automotive retailing
        • Amazon Web Services: Any place, any time, any channel
        • Amazon Web Services: The power of the cloud
        • Amazon Web Services: Universal translator: Harnessing sensor data to build better automotive software
        • Epic Games: Transforming the auto industry with digital assets
        • FTI Consulting: Crisis as a catalyst for change
        • Google: 5 trends shaping the auto industry's approach to a new normal
        • IHS Markit: Automotive loyalty in the wake of the COVID-19 recession
        • IHS Markit: Autonomous vehicles: Automotive and transportation disruption
        • IHS Markit: COVID-19: The future mobility delusion
        • Level5: 2020 Automotive E-Commerce Report
        • Naked Lime: Bring social reputation together as part of big-picture marketing
        • Wells Fargo Auto: Switching gears from LIBOR to SOFR
        • Ally: Do It Right
        • DealerSocket
        • Deloitte: Cyber everywhere: Preparing for automotive safety in the face of cyber threats
        • Facebook: The road to a zero-friction future
        • Guide To Economic Development
        • PayPal Credit: How consumer financing helps drive sales for online auto parts retailers
      • Classifieds
      • Companies on the Move
      • People on the Move
      • Newsletters
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit
      • RSS Feeds