Here is someone that many have heard of for this week’s La Porte County Life in the Spotlight. The last name can be found with the words “Sponsored By” or “Donated By” in front of it, and on large signs in front of well-known car dealerships in La Porte County. Want to guess who it is?
If you guessed Kim Sauers, then you are quite right.
Sauers was born and raised in La Porte. He went to St. Peter’s and then he attended New Prairie High School. He was the athletic sort and he enjoyed being on the swim team. After graduation Sauers got his first job at a used car dealership.
“I’ve always liked cars and I’ve worked with cars all my life,” Sauers said. “My dad was a car dealer when I was born.”
Sauers’s father had always wanted a new car dealership and he bought a Buick Pontiac store in the 1980s. Sauers ran a separate used car lot, but then became full-time in 1985 as a sales manager at his dad’s store. Sauers took over the dealership (Sauers Buick GMC) after his father passed in 1996 and ran that until he bought his second dealership (Sauers Ford-Lincoln) in Michigan City in 2012.
His day-to-day duties at the dealerships are constantly changing as right now the Ford store is in a growth period and the Buick store is being remodeled. He is a busy man with a dedicated staff.
“I work hard do t find good people and get out of their way so they can do what they do best. I don’t want to micromanage,” Sauers said. “I enjoy the interaction with people and I always like a challenge. I love challenges, in fact. I’m a competitive spirit.”
Sauers does his best to get involved with the La Porte County community in and out of work.
“We got involved with the Red Cross and the employees put on a car show and donate the proceeds to charities,” Sauers said. “We donate considerably to causes that improve the community. I believe in our community foundation which is the Unity Foundation. I also work very hard with education charities because that is our future. The same goes with CASA, arts and veterans as well. If the community becomes better then businesses become better. Improving the underlying issues of the communities and cultural parts is important as well as the veterans, of whom we all owe a lot to.”
Sauers lives in La Porte with his wife, Pat. He has three children and three grandchildren. He likes to run, bike, garden, watch football, and taking care of his horses. He just got a pony for his grandkids.
In the future Sauers hopes to buy another dealership. And he’d also like to buy some buildings in the downtown area to refurbish to make his town more beautiful.
To close, Sauers offers this advice for people looking to be successful in life:
“Pat and I have been married for 34 years we share a lot of life experiences together and it’s been successful,” Sauers said. “An old friend of my dad’s said when it comes time to settle down make sure to find a woman who is a good friend. He said, ‘It’s more important to be a good friend that to be passionate because passion wanes. Friendship lasts forever.”