Retirees play key role for Krapohl Ford & Lincoln by moving vehicles across state
Larry Theisen was a salesman at Krapohl Ford & Lincoln for 32 years. Now retired, he regularly shows up at the dealership to travel the state and deliver cars with a group of fellow retirees. Most of the drivers used to work together, so it’s an opportunity to rekindle friendships.
“When I retired, I said if they need a driver to let me know,” Theisen said.
From left to right, Ed Allen, Ron Haskell and Tom Schaefer pause just before leaving to bring vehicles back to Krapohl Ford & Lincoln in February 2021.
The group of retirees move approximately 125 to 150 cars per year, half new and the other half used. Once a month they travel in a group to deliver used cars and the other times they travel solo to trade new ones. Sometimes the drivers will pick up a part along the way, but it’s mostly to transport and trade vehicles.
“They’re very important to the store for a couple reasons,” General Sales Manager and organizer of retiree drivers Dave Haywood said. “They [the group] save us money on hiring a transport company and they’re usually quicker than a transport company.”
“And to the drivers it’s nice because when they’re retired it allows them to have a part time job and to make some extra money.”
With Theisen’s auction experience and being in good health, helping the dealership by delivering cars is a simple way to spend his retirement.
“When you’re retired, it’s something to do. And we all know each other, which makes it fun,” Theisen said.
The drivers say the camaraderie built through years of work at Krapohl leads to constant banter, inside jokes and conversations that are sure to solve the world’s problems.
Mark Smith, co-owner and general manager at Krapohl, said the dealership has relied on retirees for decades to transport vehicles.
“Many of them worked for us for years, and it helps to have drivers who understand the business and can problem solve if something goes wrong on a trip, such as a car not working when they go to pick it up,” Smith said. “And we have others — one is a retired Michigan state trooper — who know the roads.
“Bottom line, it’s a group we count on.”
Ron Haskell spent 20 years as a service technician. Prior to his last day at Krapohl, he was approached by management and told he could be on the list to drive. He’s been a driver for 10 years.
When traveling across the region, drivers spend a lot of time talking about the good old days and, of course, common interests such as hunting, fishing and sports.
“It is a gang of guys who goof off and tease each other and talk about things that happen to them,” Haskell said.
For some, driving for Krapohl post-retirement wasn’t on their radar. Tom Shafer was a mechanic at Krapohl for 35 years who enjoyed conversations with the retirees.
“They always seemed to have a good time,” Shafer said. Still, he wasn’t sure he wanted to become one of the retirees who show up, get into a van to head to an auction site and drive a vehicle back to Mount Pleasant.
“They said, ‘Just try it once.’ I did, and it’s kind of interesting. It’s almost like a day off, even though you are retired,” Shafer said.
The drivers say they appreciate Krapohl’s values and how it operates, which turns out to be another motivator when choosing to drive after retiring. Krapohl’s involvement with the community means a lot to the group.
Andy Spence was a controller for 40 years and said Krapohl’s management differs from other dealerships. It’s “a lot lower turnover, even on the sales floor,” Spence said. “We’d get to know people better, and I thought that helped with customers, too.”
Cliff Anderson was a service manager at Krapohl for more than three decades.
“I like to come back to the place where I worked for 33 years and see people who I used to work with,” Anderson said. “I also like helping out the dealership.”
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