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Kyle Ward - November 2010 Employee Spotlight

Employee Spotlight - November 2010
Kyle Ward - Sales Consultant

I first met Kyle during the Franklin County Regional Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner and Silent Auction wherein Handy Toyota won the coveted 2009 Business of the Year Award.  I was videotaping the event after the dinner and auction during Handy Automotive's award ceremony, and I heard someone sidle up to me. 

"What an honor!" he exclaimed at Handy's award, clearly envious of our company's proud moment.

"Yes, I'm rather new here," I told Kyle.  "I'm pretty proud to have been accepted into the fold, especially with this honor--not to mention getting an invite to the party."

As I said this he shook my hand, told me his name, and Kyle Ward parted ways.  Before he made his way, I noticed a look in his eyes.  It was that determined look you see in someone rarely, something you notice in a driven individual but coupled with a serene look of determination unfettered by malicious undertones.  I shrugged the sensation away and thought little more of it for the next couple weeks.

Perhaps a month and a half went by and things were on the up and up around Handy Toyota.  Consumer worries of the Toyota Recall had dried up with the two-year complimentary maintenance package that Toyota had deemed necessary on all its vehicles (now called Toyota Care of course) along with the Star Safety System, a five-area comprehensive and standard arrangement meant to further stem public hyperbole, and new and repeat customers alike were flying through the door to take advantage of fantastic offers in the early half of summer 2010.  I spoke with eCommerce Manager Adam Luneau and to little surprise I learned a new sales consultant would begin in just days.  The new sales consultant's name was Kyle Ward.

My first inclination was the right one:  not only was Kyle a driven young man but perfectly suited to the world of automotive sales.  With the utmost respect for his superiors and a vigor that one can only attribute to a 21-year old's outlook on all the positive aspects of life, Kyle Ward has quickly become the go-to guy for Toyota sales, Toyota leases, and generally all things Toyota--for lack of a more gracious phrase, this kid is an encyclopedia on any Toyota model.

Kyle was born in Burlington, Vermont on January 27, 1989.  "Funny story," he says to me, "I was born at 1:27 a.m. on 1/27--that's an easy way to remember your 'birth time,'" he chuckles.  For 17 years Kyle has been a Vermont resident, as for a number of years he lived elsewhere, four years in fact in Rhode Island.  In Rhode Island, Charlestown to be exact, Kyle spent those four years attending third through eighth grade and enjoying the beach.

But just because Kyle lived in the smallest state in the union and wasn't technically in Vermont his entire life, don't you dare call him anything but a true Vermonter.  "My dream vehicle is a 1985 Jeep CJ," he says "because I love mudding.  There's nothing better than taking your bright white, newly cleaned Jeep out and bringing it home caked!"  Speaking of mud bogging, Ward once had a 1994 Mazda Navajo SUV with--get this--33-inch tires and a three-inch lift, something he dearly wishes he had held onto.

When he's not performing the sacred duty of sales consultant at the Handy Family of Dealerships' Handy Toyota at 39 South Main Street in St. Albans and he's not mudding, Kyle is a real family man.  "Yeah, I have a large family!" Kyle tells me.  "There's Matt, Danny, Chris, Megan, and Lindsay; five brothers and sisters, and though we all have our... shall I say sibling issues at times, I love them dearly and really enjoy seeing them, especially since I'm getting older and I'm out on my own.  By time that comes to be you learn to appreciate those little bickers you and your siblings used to engage in readily and often" he tells me of his bigger than average family.

Another favorite pastime of Kyle's relates to that which I said earlier so I'll reiterate:  do not call him anything but a Vermonter.  Kyle has been snowboarding since he was 10 (11 years and counting) and he's actually quite good at it.  "My favorite places to shred are at Smuggler's Notch in Jeffersonville, VT and Jay Peak.  They have such a--I don't know.  A 'homey' kind of feel" Kyle relishes in his memories.

Now that Kyle has ample contact with Toyota vehicles (as I said, he's our resident encyclopedia) I pose the question to him regarding which model he feels best represents his personality.  If you've paid attention thus far the answer probably won't shock you.

"The 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser" he says devoid of emotion as if I'd asked him what the answer was to 2+2.  "It's made for the mud!" he finally exclaims, getting back that spark I saw from whence we first met.  "To put it bluntly, Chris," he continues, "it's a mudding, trail-rated bad a**!" he tells me with a smirk.



If you'd like to learn more about Kyle Ward, November 2010?s Employee Spotlight, check out his staff biography by clicking on his name and/or image on the Handy Toyota Staff page where you will also get to see a link to his Dealer Rater page and have the chance to view what his customers think of him (here's a hint--so far he's done really well with the general populace).  If you'd like to schedule a meeting with Kyle, send him an email at kward@handycars.com, send me an email that I will happily forward to him (cdugan@handycars.com), or simply use the general Handy Toyota online contact form by clicking here.

Stay tuned for next month's spotlight as we'll jump into the mind and life of yet another intriguing individual that loves nothing more than selling or servicing great 2011 Toyota vehicles in and for our community.  Thanks for reading!
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