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As we greet the first full week of March, we’re live from Charlotte, North Carolina with good friend Todd Caputo. Today, we pause and remember titan sales trainer Jim Ziegler, who helped thousands of dealerships during his 48 years in the industry. Plus, we cover Carvana’s acquisition of a CJDR store in Arizona and what it might mean in the future.

Show Notes with links:

• Sad news this morning: Jim Ziegler, the larger-than-life trainer and industry icon, has passed away after a battle with brain cancer. Known as the “Alpha Dawg,” Ziegler spent decades shaping dealership floors into profit machines with his no-nonsense style and razor-sharp insights.
  • His family shared the news on Facebook saying: “Jim passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his beloved Debbie and family. ”
  • With a career spanning 48 years, Jim turned green salespeople into closers and taught GMs how to hustle smarter. His seminars were part revival, part boot camp—equal parts inspiration and tough love.
  • He pioneered training that blended old-school grit with new-school tech, pushing dealerships to adapt to the digital age while keeping the art of the deal alive. His company, Ziegler SuperSystems, was his proving ground.
  • Love him or hate him, you couldn’t ignore him. Jim’s brash voice—online and IRL—called out BS in the industry, from shady F&I tactics to lazy management. His X posts were a masterclass in stirring the pot, and he never shied from a fight.
  • Thousands of auto pros owe their paychecks to Ziegler’s wisdom. The “Alpha Dawg” may be gone, but his playbook’s still in the glovebox of every dealership worth its salt.
  • Remember him today—then get back to work. He’d hate us slacking
  • From the family’s post: “Jim may no longer be with us, but his influence, his lessons, and his impact will never leave us. His voice may be quiet now, but his words will be carried forward by the countless people whose lives he touched.”

• Carvana has taken a bold step into the new-vehicle market by acquiring Jerry Seiner Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in Casa Grande, Arizona. This is a major shift for the online retailer, which has historically focused exclusively on used cars since its founding in 2013.
  • Carvana plans to reopen the store on March 3, retaining all 41 employees.
  • The move is described as a "small test" by Carvana, which stated: "We don’t expect it to have any noticeable impact to our results for the foreseeable future.”
  • This experiment follows a path previously trodden by competitor CarMax, which owned new-vehicle franchises until divesting them in 2021.
  • "We are excited to join the Stellantis network and our focus in this test will be learning how to provide great customer experiences at a franchise dealership," a Carvana spokesperson said.
  • Questions still to be answered (per Ben Hadley

Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.

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