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In honor of Mother’s Day, we want to spotlight a couple of our favorite employees: Sales Consultant Dennis Giles, Jr. and his mother, Business Manager Linda Giles. “We’ve been a Milton Ruben family for a long time,” said Linda, who has worked in the dealership for 16 years. Her husband and Dennis’ father, Dennis Giles, Sr., also worked at the dealership and, soon after he retired, Dennis joined the Sales Department, and has been working at Milton Ruben for 10 years. Currently, Dennis and Linda work in the same building, on either side of the Toyota Showroom. While most people can’t imagine working with their mother and/or child, Linda and Dennis consider it to be convenient and beneficial. The two interact throughout the work day, but maintain their professionalism. In fact, while at work, Dennis calls his mother ‘Mrs. Giles’. “We see each other all day,” said Dennis. “It’s not quality time, but it’s good to stay in touch.” Still, it’s undeniable that the two look out for each other. With the decades of dealership experience in the family, it’s easy to seek out help (or offer it). “Sometimes she gives me a hard time…she calls it advice,” said Dennis. “I do it nicely!” laughed Linda. Aside from 12-hour work days, the mother and son stay close through church and weekly family dinners. If one person has to stay late with a customer, the other will call to check in. And, when asked if they talk about the car business out of work, they both agreed that it’s hard not to bring up. “It’s a common denominator in our family,” said Linda. “That and the grandkids.”

Drumroll please! We’re proud to announce our winners for LoseBaby, our annual company-wide weight-loss competition. Between January and April this year, LoseBaby participants swapped recipes, motivational quotes and even yoga poses with each other to try to become healthier. While body-weight percentages were recorded to find the winner, the theme of this year's competition was stress reduction. Participants all signed waivers to guarantee that all new habits were in fact safe, natural ways to become healthier. The two winners (one male and one female) each took home $500 at the end of the competition. And now, here are our 'biggest losers’: Julia Brown and Tommy Swords are our 2017 LoseBaby Winners! Julia Brown — Warranty Cancellation Administrator Brown won through hard work and intense commitment. She stuck to a high-protein diet (“Eat protein until you never want to see another chicken or fish!”) and became a regular in both the cardio and weight rooms at the gym. Brown's advice to anyone looking to develop a healthier lifestyle is simple: “Get off the sugar and eat more vegetables and lean meats. Go to the gym, and just walk more.” Her motivation came from a few places. Last year, Brown came in second-place in the LoseBaby competition. She said that she kept that fact in the back of her mind this year, and it helped to push her even further. And, with a daughter who is a body-builder and coworkers who join her at the gym each morning, Brown has a support system to combat even the most unmotivated feeling. Acknowledging the need for moderation, Brown did take a break once during the competition, during a vacation to Biloxi, Mississippi. She plans on spending her $500 cash prize on another vacation this summer. However, Brown says she’s not finished losing. “I still have a goal. I’m still working. I still go to the gym every morning.” Tommy Swords - Business Manager Swords says he owes his success to the Atkins Diet, especially since his routine featured “not a drop of exercise.” When LoseBaby was announced, he decided to utilize the 90-day timeline. “I was planning on going on a diet anyway, so I just decided to win the contest!” Swords said, laughing. Swords speaks highly of Atkins, calling it the perfect diet for him. Though the diet focuses on lowering carbohydrates intake, Swords still ate whatever he wanted. He called this the key to success. “Find the right diet for you so that you won’t get bored, and commit to it,” he said. Though he didn’t originally plan to give away all of his winnings, Swords is donating his entire prize to Rabbi Kirt Schneider. He’s so fond of Atkins that he says he’s happy to go back to it at any time. However, that didn’t stop him from visiting Dairy Queen after his final weigh in for LoseBaby. -- -- -- -- Congratulations to all of our winners and a huge shoutout to everyone who participated! We’ll see you next year! Women Winner: Julia Brown - 7.1% 2nd Place: Ashley Stevens - 5.9% 3rd Place: Nicole Cain - 5.7% Men Winner: Tommy Swords - 12.9% 2nd Place: Andy O'Harrow - 7.4% 3rd Place: Jeff Hennen - 5.4%

We’ve always been proud to have Certified Technician Travis Baxter in our Chevrolet Service Department. But we’ve been feeling extra proud lately, since Baxer was named a “World Class Technician” by General Motors on October 1. Certified Technician Travis Baxter holds his World Class Technician statue. According to GM’s website, “The program provides technicians with the opportunity to validate their knowledge and demonstrate their skills to their employers and — most importantly — to customers in all automotive service areas.” To sum up, the World Class Technician is “the ‘one and only GM expert.’” Baxter began working toward this highest honor in April 2014, soon after he was hired by Milton Ruben Chevrolet. Milton Ruben sponsored Baxter’s classes, which included online courses and in-person challenges outside of Atlanta. Specifically, he completed nine Master Technician Certifications and their accompanying Automotive Service Excellence Certifications. Baxter says his favorite part was working with his teachers, most of whom were World Class Technicians themselves. By his estimate, Baxter is only one of two World Class Technicians in the CSRA. According to GM, there are currently 1,250 World Class Technicians in the country. Baxter installs camshaft lifters in a Chevy Silverado. Milton Ruben Chevrolet Service Manager Blake Taylor says he’s very proud. “This is good for not only our dealership, but the industry as a whole,” he said about Baxter’s achievement. “It’s a privilege to have him here being the best that he can be.” We couldn’t agree more with Taylor. To schedule your Service Appointment, click here or call (706) 955-2243.

To the employees of Milton Ruben, finding a cure for breast cancer is personal. Our employees, as well as their friends, neighbors, families and community members have been afflicted and affected by this disease, and we have once again decided to come together as a company to spread awareness for breast cancer and collect funds for treatment and a cure during the month of October. If you see one of our employees wearing a pink ribbon during the month of October, that means that he or she has donated to University Hospital’s Breast Health Center’s Mobile Mammography Unit. The center has been accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a program administered by the American College of Surgeons. University has the first and longest-running nationally accredited breast health center in the region and is only the second one in the state to be honored with this recognition. Several of our employees are also participating in University Hospital’s 16th Annual Miracle Mile Walk on Saturday, Oct. 15 in Downtown Augusta. We encourage you to walk in the event, or even start a team. If you see the Milton Ruben Drive Babies, be sure to stop us and say hi! With these fundraising efforts, Milton Ruben Superstore is trying to raise a combined $1,500. If this happens, Milton Ruben Toyota General Manager Chuck Easters has agreed to let an employee throw a pie in his face! For more information on University Hospital’s Breast Health Center, click here. For more information on the Miracle Mile Walk, click here.

Visit us at our open job fair Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday August 23-25th from 9:00-2:00 each day in the Milton Ruben Toyota showroom. Tremendous growth has created the need for immediate hires in the positions of Sales Consultants, Technicians, Service Advisors, Call Center representatives and Accounting staff, to name a few. Milton Ruben aims to employ energetic, enthusiastic, goal-driven individuals who are interested in receiving world-class customer service training and aspire to a long-term professional career in automotive sales or service. “The automotive industry is changing. It has become essential that we meet customers’ expectations,” says Chris Snader, Executive Manager of Milton Ruben Auto Group. “Hiring individuals we can invest in, and who will prioritize the customer experience, puts us at the forefront of that movement.” Employment at Milton Ruben offers various schedules and pay plans, insurance benefits, 401(k) match, and a team-oriented atmosphere to help you establish a successful and stable career. Recent graduates, military veterans, customer service professionals, and those interested in transitioning from other sales industries or who are seeking a career change should apply. Milton Ruben Toyota is located at 3514 Washington Rd. in Augusta, GA. No appointments are necessary to apply. Applicants should arrive in professional dress and be ready for an interview, with at least one copy of a resume. If candidates cannot attend, you may apply online.

Here at Milton Ruben, we work hard to be professional at all times. In manners and appearances, we believe that professionalism in all of our departments is the key to our customer service. From name tag to pants-length, we have a dress code to ensure that this uniformity reaches all of our employees. On Monday, July 4, though, we’re bending our rules a little, in the name of charity. We’ve given all of our employees the opportunity to wear jeans and tennis shoes if they buy a red, white and blue ribbon from us. One hundred percent of the sales from these ribbons will go straight to the Augusta area chapter of the Red Cross, which will then be used to help local families of veterans. Tank Commander Randy Hirneisen attaches his ribbon in the Toyota Showroom. Randy, like others at Milton Ruben, will be wearing jeans on Monday in order to help the Augusta chapter of the Red Cross. Chartered in 1917, the American Red Cross of Augusta provides direct service to Wilkes, Taliaferro, Lincoln, Columbia, McDuffie, Warren, Hancock, Washington, Glascock, Jefferson, Richmond, Burke, Emanuel, Jenkins and Screven counties. We know that the money we raise will stay in these areas, and our employees are thrilled to help the entire surrounding community. So, when you see us dressed a little casually on Monday, don’t worry. We’ll be back to our slacks, button-downs and the occasional tie on Tuesday. In the meantime, we’re celebrating July 4th by honoring the U.S.A.’s legendary trait of giving back to those in need. And we plan on looking good while we do it.

“I want to make sure we’ve done the right thing by the customer.” That quote pretty much sums up Bridget Jones’ time with Milton Ruben Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. Originally hired as a Cashier in the Service Department, Jones moved to the Concierge team until last month, when she was announced as Milton Ruben’s first Service Advocate, a position created with the sole purpose of enhancing the customer experience. Service Advocate Bridget Jones formerly served in the Service Department as a Cashier, then Concierge. Jones has also taken advantage of the partnership Milton Ruben has with Strayer University. Though Jones has always helped customers, as a Service Advocate, she now works with customers from the beginning to the end of their visit. After looking at customer surveys, Chrysler’s corporate office formed the position, and worked with Jones to define the role. She sees herself as a sort of mediator between the busy Service Advisors and the customers who can’t be in the dealership while their vehicle is being worked on. “We needed the customer to have a voice between them and the Service Advisor, and I’m that voice,” Jones explained. Armed with a phone, walkie-talkie, computer and desk in the exact middle of the Service Department, Jones spends her day interacting with customers and colleagues. After meeting with the managers each morning, Jones walks around and collects updates from the Service Advisors. At her desk, Jones is always on the phone. The questions she answers can range from a quick price quote to an ongoing issue that she then handles in one of two ways. She either puts a customer in contact with their Service Advisor, or speaks with several colleagues to get information that she then digests and explains to the customer. With the little free moments she has, Jones walks the waiting area and makes it a goal to speak with every person. Service Advocate Bridget Jones gets an update on a customer's vehicle from Service Advisor Chris Barnwell in the Service Lane. While Jones’ days are full, she still has plans for her position. Currently, she’s working on the appearance of the department. From cleanliness of the waiting area to ensuring that employees are wearing name tags and planning team-building activities, Jones chalks it all up to professionalism. “When a customer is walking in, you want a professional presentation,” she said. “And it’s easy to make that happen." Though Jones has only been the Service Advocate for a month, the position is quickly becoming essential to the department. For the Service Advisors, she’s a source to stay in contact with the customer, and holds them accountable for what they’ve told customers. Service Advocate Bridget Jones confirms an appointment with a customer. While the department is adjusting to having her as this type of resource, Service Manager Mike McNutt can already tell that Jones is the right person for the job, saying that she’s great with customers and that she “brings an added value to the customer experience." For Jones, her goal is simple: Make people excited to visit. While Milton Ruben is in a convenient location, she doesn’t want that to become a crutch for the department. “I want people to want to bring their vehicle to us and trust that we’re going to do a good job,” Jones said, before returning to her ringing phone.

We are pleased to announce our winners of the first Lose Baby competition of the year! This time our weight-loss competition, held between Jan. 19 and April 19, 2016, had two winners, as males and females weren’t competing against each other. Both winners received a check for $500 to celebrate their victories. The final results: Men Winner: Eddie Jones (Detail Department) with 12.6 percent of total body weight lost 2nd Place: John Ruffin (Detail Department) with 10.3 percent of total body weight lost 3rd Place: Donovan Sims (Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Service Department) with 9.5 percent of total body weight lost Women Winner: Connie Johns (Chevy Sales Department) with 6.7 percent of total body weight lost Second Place: Julia Brown (Accounting Department) with 4 percent of total body weight lost Third Place: Nicole Cain (Accounting Department) with 3.2 percent of total body weight lost We spoke with the winners about the habits they developed over three months, and got a few tips on how to stay on track and lose in a healthy way: Lose Baby Winner (Men) Eddie Jones (left) of the Detail Department shakes hands with manager John Ruffin. Ruffin won the first Lose Baby competition in 2015, and had a side competition with Jones (Ruffin placed second in this competition). Eddie Jones attributed his results to diet and will power. Though he still dreams of rice and gravy, he’s given it up. He’s staying away from starches, meaning no white rice and no white bread. After giving up sugary drinks, tea and beer, Eddie only drinks (sometimes flavored) water. His motivation came from the people around him. Eddie’s wife joined Weight Watchers last August, so he was able to learn effective habits from her. And Eddie's manager is John Ruffin, who, after losing 60 pounds, was the first Lose Baby winner in 2015. The two had a side competition going on, with Eddie losing slightly more weight than John. This environment helped Eddie enjoy the competition. “I’m having fun doing it, it’s not like I regret doing anything,” he told us. "And I’m still doing it!” Chevrolet Sales Manager Connie Johns (right) accepts a check from Chevrolet General Manager Chris Snader. The two had a side competition going on during the company-wide weight-loss competition, which helped motivate Johns to become the Lose Baby (Women) champion. While Chevrolet Sales Manager Connie Johns also focused on food (her biggest diet change was not eating late at night), she also revamped her workouts. Connie joined a kickboxing class twice a week, and focused on weight training two other days in the week. Connie offered the following advice: “Never let yourself get hungry, prepare your meals everyday and have a support system in place. Your support group is your best friend when you’re trying to make life changes. And you need to make it fun.” Connie’s support group, luckily, was her fellow Lose Baby participants. To make it fun, she had a side bet (we’re sensing a pattern among our winners) with boss and Chevrolet General Manager Chris Snader. Lose Baby is our ninety-day contest that focuses on healthy weight loss. We keep a confidential record of percentage weight lost per individual, and help one another stay on track with informative and educational materials on proper diet and fitness. Our top priority is overall physical and mental health, being positive, supportive and encouraging throughout, and keeping our eye on successfully working as a team to be a healthier company. We look forward to another Lose Baby competition in the summer. Until then, stay healthy and Lose, Baby!

While we have already received many awards as a dealership, Milton Ruben Toyota is proud to announce that eight of our employees have been honored as Southeast Toyota PROS. PROS, or Professional Retail Outstanding Salespeople, are Toyota employees who have exceeded performance expectations while attaining above average customer satisfaction scores. Salespeople must have completed all Toyota certifications in order to qualify for this prestigious award, while Sales Managers' employees must also be certified. All Sales employees must receive higher than 95.5 percent customer satisfaction, and their dealership must reach its sales objective throughout the year. In addition to being certified, Assistant Service Managers must maintain customer retention, and meet key objectives during the year. Here are our 2015 Toyota PROS: Assistant Service Managers: Dana Kent Freddie Parker Salespeople: Kelton Hayes William Jenkins Russ Marshall Al Pleming Sales Managers: Jeff Hennen Paul Nopper Back Row L - R: Paul Nopper, Russ Marshall, Al Pleming, Dana Kent, Freddie Parker Front Row L - R: William Jenkins, Jeff Hennen, Kelton Hayes We’re ecstatic to have eight PROS in our store. Having this many award winners under our roof is an incredible honor, and we can’t wait to continue learning from them and feeding off of their passion for Toyota vehicles and customer comfort. Please visit our Meet Our Staff page to find contact information for our award winners, and, while you’re there, schedule an appointment with one of our PROS!

Are you ready to lose? Since that New Year’s resolution may already be long forgotten, we’re proud to bring back another round of Lose Baby! Our first weight-loss competition, which ended in September 2015, was such a success, and we can’t wait to create another supportive and light-heartedly competition in all of our stores. We have more employees than ever signed up, and today they're all huddling around the scale to record their starting weights. Our focus on this ninety-day round is healthy weight loss, keeping a confidential record of percentage weight lost per individual, and helping one another stay on track with weekly healthy goodies, and informative and educational materials on proper diet and fitness. Our top priority is overall physical and mental health, being positive, supportive and encouraging throughout, and keeping our eye on successfully working as a team to be a healthier company. If you’re an employee deciding whether or not to sign up for Lose Baby, what can we say to convince you? We can spout the many benefits of a healthy diet, and recite the same old sayings about teamwork, but we’d rather you hear from our own weight loss hero. Details Department Manager John Ruffin lost 60 pounds (16.2 percent of his body weight), during last year’s Lose Baby, and we sat down with him before the competition started. “I had a couple of health issues, like high blood pressure,” said Ruffin about his decision to enter the competition last year. "Really, I just wanted to live longer in general.” Ruffin certainly achieved his health goals: In addition to his blood pressure lowering, he reported that he now has more energy and sleeps better at night. His advice to those trying to significantly lose weight is to stay focused and to cut out starches, bread and sweets, adding, "When I was going to fall off the train, I just thought of my kids and future grandkids.” Ruffin recommends the three-month competition to all of his colleagues, and plans to enter again. “I’ve definitely gained a couple of pounds since the last one ended, but I’m planning on losing it easily. Last time I was on my own in my department, but this time I’ll have a couple of guys in the department with me. I’ve actually got a lot of people saying — joking — that they’re not entering because I’m in it again!” Don’t let him scare you away, employees! While Ruffin was awarded $1,000 for losing the most weight in September of last year, the grand prize will now be split up, with $500 each for the male and female who lose the most. Before the final weigh-in day, we’ll have guest speakers and instructors to teach our employees how to develop healthy habits. Employees, check your emails for these dates, as well as a link to a private Facebook group to join for motivation and messages. We can’t wait to Lose, Baby!