CHICAGO, April 24, 2023 - Vehicle Acquisition Network (VAN) is celebrating the retirement of one of the critical leadership team members, Bill Anderson, who recently marked a nearly decade-long journey of relentless dedication to the company. Although Bill is stepping down from his active role as a partner in the company, he will continue to serve as a brand ambassador of VAN, connecting with the dealership network and extending his support in various ways.
"I love my VAN team, and I'm confident they will do a great job continuing to grow the company for the good of our dealer partners," said Anderson. "They are some of the most passionate groups I've been associated with throughout my 35-year automotive career."
VAN was founded in 2013 by Tom Gregg, aiming to offer an innovative solution to help dealerships across North America acquire private party vehicles. Bill later joined the team in 2014. Since then, VAN has experienced remarkable growth and emerged as one of the industry's most reliable and trusted automotive technology providers.
Tom Gregg wrote an open letter to Bill thanking him for his contribution to the company for the past nine years but also thanking him for taking a chance on him back in 2014.
"They say people enter our lives for a reason, and I wholeheartedly believe that's true for Bill Anderson. In 2013, I met Bill at Toyota of Naperville, where I worked as a used car manager transitioning to the Internet Director role, and he was our Dealer Fire rep. There was something special about Bill – his passion, eagerness to help, caring nature, and friendliness, along with his candidness, set him apart. We instantly clicked. At that time, I had just started developing a product (VAN) to aggregate classified listings for purchasing cars from consumers, but I was hitting roadblocks. I presented the website and concept to many friends and colleagues, but no one seemed to share my enthusiasm or see the potential in this dealership strategy.
As I continued sharing my idea, I was reminded of the saying, "Be careful whom you share your good news with." Although there wasn't any good news yet, the concept excited me. After a trusted friend sat me down in a Panera and listed all the reasons it would never work. From that day on, I was hesitant to share my idea. But I decided to take a chance with Bill.
When I showed Bill the platform, his face lit up, and he immediately recognized its potential. He suggested focusing on private sellers (excluding dealer listings) and texting the sellers. Over the next few weeks, we made some changes and signed up a dealer to test it. Two hours into the trial, the dealer called and exclaimed, "Turn it off!! It's too much!" We knew we had something special!
Bill's infectious enthusiasm and valuable feedback were what I needed in a partner. I offered Bill a partnership, and we agreed on the terms. Bill was primarily responsible for sales in the early days, while I stayed at Toyota of Naperville until June 2016. Among Bill's many contributions to VAN, the most significant has been fostering an incredible culture rooted in his authenticity, care, generosity, fun-loving nature, and choosing to value relationships above all else. These qualities still permeate our business today.
As the business has grown, I've acquired Bill's shares. Bill will continue serving as a brand ambassador while enjoying more time with his family, fishing, and boating. I feel incredibly honoured and grateful to have crossed paths with Bill when I did – it has changed my life and the lives of our fantastic team members forever."
Vehicle Acquisition Network is grateful for Bill's immense contribution to the company and the automotive industry. Bill's leadership, expertise, and unwavering commitment to excellence have helped shape the culture and values of VAN, which will continue to guide the company in the years to come.
Media Contact:
Kaila Smith Street - idea.meet.plan
kaila@ideameetplan.com
SOURCE Vehicle Acquisition Network, Inc.
