Save a Pet’s Life With Mid City Subaru

 

 

On June 1st, from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m, join us at Mid City Subaru to welcome 101.9 The MIX and PAWS Chicago as they show off their adoptable furry friends for a few hours of pet-friendly fun. While you’re picking up your new fur-ever friend make sure you test drive the Forester so you can have 25$ donated in your name!

Mid City Subaru has been a pet-friendly environment in the Chicago area for years, and we are excited to team up with 101.9 FM, The MIX, as a marketing partner to make sure that this message transcends vehicle sales and works to help our fury companions four wheels and four paws at a time.

While the 2014 Subaru Forester gets around 32 miles-per-gallon highway, just a one-mile test drive can help change the lives of animals in need around the Chicago area.

From now until July 31, when you take a test drive in a new Forester, we will donate 25$ to one of four pro-pet charities. After driving the Subaru Forester which was named a Top Safety Pick by the IHHS, chose between Paws Chicago, The Buddy Foundation, C.A.R.E of Evanston and P.A.W.S of Tinley Park to give your donation to-on us!

 

 

*Limit one test drive per person. Consumers must have a valid, state issued driver’s license to participate in the test drive promotion.

www.subaruchiago.com

Veterans at Berman’s Auto Group Reflect on Time Served

While Mike Betancourt was at a job fair at his college nearly a year ago, representatives from Berman’s Auto Group approached him to ask if he’d ever thought about selling cars. When Mike responded that he hadn’t since he’d been in the Marines for the last 81/2 years, Berman’s representatives told him he was hired-on the spot.

Berman’s Auto Group doesn’t just welcome active members and veterans into their dealerships with military discounts, but they happily employ many of them too. On this Memorial Day, 2013 not only do we salute those soldiers who served here and abroad, but we salute the ones who now work under our own roof.

A few weeks after Berman’s Auto Group spoke to Mike, he arrived for his first day of work. Since then, he’s excelled at his job, attributing his success to the military training he received years before.

Military veterans of all ages are working through the ranks at the Berman Auto Group doing everything from selling cars like Mike to managing whole departments like Joon Choi who has been with the auto group for nearly 10 years. Before he got into the car industry, sales manager Joon Choi experienced life in the Marines for three years.

Working in avionics, Joon traveled the world, gaining the skills he would later use in civilian life. Joon agrees that serving in the Marines helped him to excel at his chosen career path in the auto industry.“We encounter different people every day in this business and my military time really helped me to learn how communicate with people from all walks of life,” says Choi.

Today, as the active captain of his sales crew he works hard to ensure that every customer leaves his dealership with their questions answered and their concerns eliminated.

“Different opinions, different people. That’s what America is and we worked to ensure that that’s what it will always be,” said Joe Fasanella, used car director at Berman’s Auto Group.

Joe served 5 years in the Marine Corps Special Forces where he says he learned the value of being able to relate to people, following up and even just staying in contact. According to Joe, once you live the military life, it’s ingrained permanently.

“It changes everything. Before it was only me. After I had a new family and we did everything as a unit. It really teaches you how to work as a group, and you need those skills in everything you do after,” he said.

According to Milton Stewart, it’s not just the way you see yourself that changes with time in the military, but the way you see others.  Stewart, a sales consultant at Mid City Subaru who served in the Army for 8 ½ years in their telecommunications department says that life’s priorities change with the experience.

“You see the worst that can happen to people and you have to survive through it. And I hope that on this day, people recognize and respect anyone who put a uniform on for this country,” he says.

The men and women who devoted countless minutes, thousands of hours and many years to the country, like Mike, Joon, Miton and Joe only hope that Americans appreciate their effort on this day.

“Appreciation. I hope they appreciate for a moment. Devote just one day to those who have fought and died for our county, ” said Betancourt.

Steve Waldrop, of Berman’s Infiniti of Chicago who served 4 years in the Army Nation Guard says he’s thankful for those who came before him and paved the way for him to serve. An even greater gift the Army provided him with? The value of life and how to live it.

“The Military taught me courtesy, leadership and to never take my life for granted. I’ll never forget that.” he said.

Although they all worked separately for different branches, in different years, and locations, they all worked towards the same goal. They worked to ensure the safety of this country and the freedoms within. Today, while their surroundings have changed, our military staff at Berman’s Auto Group work just as hard to serve their customers with the values, work ethics and discipline they learned while serving in the military.

________________________

                                                                                  

Rachel Lemieux

Social Media Director, Berman’s Auto Group

 

Like us on Facebook for personalized attention and inside deals! We invite you to share your comments, ideas and likes with us!

Berman’s Auto Group owns four premiere new and used car dealerships in Chicago: Mid City Nissan, Star Nissan, Mid City Subaru and Berman’s Infiniti of Chicago. 

Berman Auto Group Helps Feed My Starving Children

Withthe daily flow of city traffic adding to our hectic city life, it’s often easy to forget that other countries are completely stagnant with destitution. Often times, it’s refreshing to take time out of our own lives to help the lives of others because in the process we can learn to appreciate just how good we really have it- even if we’re not moving on the Edens.

Taking a breather from their normally busy routines, a small group of representing the Berman Auto Group volunteered their time with the Feed My Starving Children organization.

Mary, Elaine, Ken and work to make the food packs

 

Founded in 1987, Feed My Starving Children has been working as a nonprofit group to provide nutritionally complete meals for malnourished and hungry people in close to 70 countries.

During their volunteer time, Berman Auto Group’s CFO, Elaine Swift, Inventory Manager, Ken Swift, Todd Berman, Mary Joyce and Human Resources Manager, Sonia Schmidt worked to turn a fortified formula into special prepackaged meals to be delivered around the world. The Berman group managed to pack 52 boxes full with their efficient assembly line setup consisting of Sonia sealing bags, Todd working to pack the boxes and the others switching between duties like mixing the formula.
In all, one packed box contains 36 food bags  meaning that with the 52 boxes they produced  these volunteers managed to pack enough food to feed  around 34 children for up to 8 years.
Before the packing, the group watched a video about the organization and the hunger felt world-wide.

Sonia couldn’t fathom some of the haunting imagery she saw,  recalling a particularly haunting scene while shaking her head, “In some countries mothers will take actual mud and mold it into a patty to feed it to their children before bed so they don’t go to bed with hunger pains,” she said.

Along with their time, the Berman Auto Group also donated 250 dollars to their foundation and since each “MannaPack’ meal from Feed My Starving Children costs a mere 22 cents to produce, the amount will keep thousands from going to bed with a gnawing hunger.

Despite their hard work, Todd Berman said that they all still had a great time and that they hope to return soon. “Every time we had a box packed we had to do a team cheer to get someone to come take away the box.”It’s was really a lot of fun actually! “.If you have any questions about Feed My Starving Children or would like to make a donation please visit their websitehere!

________________________

                                                                                  

Rachel Lemieux

Social Media Director, Berman’s Auto Group

 

Like us on Facebook for personalized attention and inside deals! We invite you to share your comments, ideas and likes with us!

Berman’s Auto Group owns four premiere new and used car dealerships in Chicago: Mid City Nissan, Star Nissan, Mid City Subaru and Berman’s Infiniti of Chicago. 

_________

Berman’s Auto Group at the 2013 North Shore Women’s Conference

It may have been a male dominated industry once, but for the Berman’s Auto Group this trend is on the fast track to be being passé. At any of our 4 locations you’ll find women selling cars, women in the service department and women as managers overseeing the showroom floor.

Not only are more women working in the auto industry today than ever before, they’re also making most of the purchasing decisions on everything from consumer electronics to vehicles.

Sales Consultant Danny at the 2013 North Shore Women’s Conference.

Danny of Star Nissan at the North Shore Women’s Conference

With more and more women coming into positions of power, owning their own businesses and making such huge marks in the economy, Chicago area Chambers of Commerce stood up and took notice. Soon, the North Shore Women’s Conference was created and local Chambers from from Evanston, Skokie, Niles, Des Plaines and many more converged to show off their products and network with other businesswomen at the same time.

Complete with a guest speaker and catered lunch, over 70 Chicacgoland businesses were represented during the event with booths displaying their latest and greatest products. Those in attendance at the Holiday Inn, Skokie location included such companies as Andy OnCall, Dream Kitchens, Go Green Wilmette and of course, Star Nissan.

One of the few gentleman at the event, Star Nissan Sales Consultant Danny Aguayo set up an exhibit table with social media director, Rachel Lemieux. Together they laid out informational brochures featuring new vehicle  like the 2013 Atlima sedan and the new pathfinder and struck up great conversation with area business leaders and interested consumers.

Fellow exhibitor  Ashley Colby with Courage to Connect said she was thrilled to not only be an exhibitor but to be an attendee to the 6^th annual conference.

“I’ve made three connections for personal reasons and some connections for business at the same time. Along with business networking, I purchased a cake for my son’s birthday and a bracelet,” she said. With such an eclectic mix of industries attending the event there was no shortage of things to see and and people to connect with.

From 10:00 am on May 3^rd, 2013 to 1:30 pm Danny and Rachel got to talk to the community and a lot of visitors to their booth adored the Nissan brand. Attendee, Jan Leahy of Glenview raved about her 2010 Altima sedan. “People just come up to me and say it’s absolutely beautiful. This happens everywhere I go,” she said.

During intermission, local personality Nancy Gerstein spoke about her journey in the professional world inspiring all the guests over a lite lunch. Even more inspiring was seeing so many strong and influential women in the area all under one roof. We are so proud that we could be a part of this liberating event and we look forward to seeing you all next year.

Check out our Facebook page to see the photos from the event.

________________________

                                                                                  

Rachel Lemieux

Social Media Director, Berman’s Auto Group

 

Like us on Facebook for personalized attention and inside deals! We invite you to share your comments, ideas and likes with us!

 

Berman’s Auto Group owns four premiere new and used car dealerships in Chicago: Mid City Nissan, Star Nissan, Mid City Subaru and Berman’s Infiniti of Chicago. 

_________