In honor of National Small Business Week, the Colorado Chamber is celebrating Colorado small businesses and recognizing the contributions of small business owners, entrepreneurs, and their employees to our local communities. Learn more about Small Business Week here!
Carrie Baumgart of Markley Motors: A Family-Oriented Business
Carrie Baumgart is the current CEO of Markley Motors, Inc., an automotive company that has been family owned and operated since 1936 and proudly serves Fort Collins and the surrounding Northern Colorado region.
Baumgart started working at Markley Motors when she was 15 years old. She stayed with the company throughout high school and while attending the NADA Dealer Academy. Baumgart has held many different positions in the company, but in 2014 she became the Chief Operating Officer and was able to start buying into the business. From there she became the CEO and one of the three owners of Markley Motors.
The family orientated nature of Markley Motors is clear – the company owners are Baumgart, her sister Cindy DeGroot, and her father Doug Markley.
Baumgart described that one of the biggest challenges Markey Motors ever faced was the 2008 recession. The company was forced to shut down two franchises – Saturn, and Pontiac. Helping employees through the recession was a top priority, and Markley Motors did what they could to shift workers into some of their other stores or help their employees find other employment.
“Our personnel expense was extremely high for a while, but we took pride in knowing that we were able to keep great people and still turn a profit,” Baumgart said.
The next big challenge the company faced as a small business was the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Amazingly, Markley Motors was able to keep 100% of their employees and while it was a challenge, it is considered one of the company’s greatest achievements.
“We love our team, and we love our clients. It is an absolute privilege to serve Northern Colorado since 1936 – through four generations.”
Learn more about Markley Motors by visiting their website at: Markleymotors.com
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