Growing up in California’s Napa Valley, Troy Blackwell appreciated the work ethic of his family who helped establish the wine country. “As a sixth-generation family member, I watched my grandparents build and plant the vineyards in the Napa Valley, which is now dotted with their work. It’s incredibly hard work but witnessing the results of that hard work is extremely satisfying,” he said.
Troy has carried that work ethic into every leadership position he has held. Today, he is NuVinAir Global’s Chief Operating Officer and is excited to be working for an organization that he calls “visionary.”
Check out our 5 Questions with A NuVinAir Global Leader below, featuring Troy.
Can you describe the path you have taken for your professional career?
I’ve focused my career on the automotive industry and have been fortunate enough to have gained nearly 20 years of leadership experience. Before I joined the NuVinAir corporate leadership team, I served as senior director for AutoNation, spearheading a major brand extension for the largest automotive group in the nation. With the aid of a talented team, I helped launch a chain of stand-alone used-car dealerships called AutoNation USA, which streamlines the car-buying process with new technology and a no-haggle strategy.
Prior to AutoNation, I worked for more than a decade at CarMax, the country’s largest used-car retailer and a Fortune 500 company, where I served as both regional sales development leader and general manager.
Why NuVinAir and what makes this company special?
There really is no other company that can even compete with NuVinAir and what it offers. NuVinAir dominates the automotive space with its patented technology and proprietary products. There’s just nothing out in the marketplace that gives people that clean, healthy experience inside their vehicle that NuVinAir delivers.
Our marketing is just superb. The tagline ‘We remove the previous owner from your vehicle’ is more relevant than ever before.
What are your thoughts about the COVID-19 pandemic, and do you have any advice for dealerships during this difficult time?
As a world, we’re facing an unprecedented pandemic that is monopolizing the media and locking down our communities. As an industry, automotive companies are in the midst of unique challenges and opportunities that could either make or break their year. Dealerships must go beyond a business-as-usual approach to deliver amazing, healthy experiences for their customers.
Right now, customers don’t want to – or frankly can’t – drive to a dealership location during this period where several states are imposing semi-lockdowns. Even when our country returns to a form of normalcy, the trends of customers wanting more convenient, home-based experiences is the new reality.
So, I would encourage dealerships to take their service drive to their customers, beef up their digital retailing, and above all, keep their associates safe. (If you would like to read Blackwell’s more detailed advice on how dealerships can weather the COVID-19 epidemic, click here).
What opportunities lie ahead?
We are opportunity-rich right now. People are searching for ways to have clean and healthy vehicles, especially in the rental car industry. As a driver, you can’t know who drove the car before you got behind the wheel, but with NuVinAir, you can be assured you have a clean and healthy vehicle as soon as you get into the driver’s seat.
When you are trying to recondition cars, you are fighting against time. NuVinAir shortens the time as well as the products it takes to get a car to nearly new condition. At the end of the day, it’s all about customer experience. NuVinAir is here to help provide a solution for a big need.
What’s something people might not know about you?
I’m very competitive, and extremely results-focused. But I do that all through developing great teams. At NuVinAir, we all work together, so it is important I work with people I can trust and know. Luckily, we have great team players here at NuVinAir and I consider myself extremely fortunate to be surrounded by such talented individuals.
Troy Blackwell, a 20-year automotive-industry veteran hailing from AutoNation and CarMax, is chief operating officer of NuVinAir Global, which offers a patented vehicle-cleaning process for automotive businesses.