“Sales is really pretty simple: it’s about the people and the relationships you build with them.”  It is a sales philosophy, but it also a way of life for Gary Lewis, Sales Manager Kayser Sauk Prairie.  To call Gary Lewis “old school” would fit.  He has flip phone, but don’t let that fool you. He values people, an honest day’s work, and company loyalty.  This year Gary celebrated his 57^thwedding anniversary with his high school sweetheart, Ruthanne, his 15^thgrandchild’s first football game, and his 8^th great-grandchild’s birth.  He captained his boat from Lacrosse to Redwing on his 56^th Annual Mississippi River adventure, and he celebrated his grandson Justin Lewis’s promotion to Used Sales Manager at Kayser Sauk Prairie.  And all of this happened as Gary continued to lead the dealership to record sales.

 “Life is work and work is kind of life.  I love it. My wife and kids and grandkids wonder if I’ll ever stop.  My accountant asked me when I was retiring.  I said, ‘Do I have too?’”  Since 1986, Gary’s leadership and salesmanship in the auto industry have drawn accolades at the regional, state, and national levels, consistently creating top-performing sales teams and dealerships.  His secret? “Keep it simple.  Work everyday.  Do a good job at it.  Earn your keep.  Love it. Get to know the people.  Go home and love your family.  Drink lots of coffee.  Enjoy every day because there are no guarantees.  Go to church every Sunday and every holiday.  Find the best restaurants and best vacations.  Take the people you love to those places.  Treat everyone like family.  Have fun, but remember how the bills get paid and appreciate and respect your job and employer.” 

In 1995, the Kayser family purchased Tarnutzer’s Dodge, dealership established in 1910 in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin.  Under Gary, sales at the 30-vehicle lot eclipsed most of the largest dealerships in the state. Within a few years, they outgrew the space and Kayser Sauk Prairie relocated to Sauk City, building a state-or-the-art service and sales center that displays over 200 vehicles.  Immediately, the new store generated record numbers for new, used, fleet, and commercial. 

Now, in his 25^th year with Kayser, Gary leads the new, fleet, and commercial department with his associate, Sarah Hayes.  Together they built the #1 ranked Commercial Fleet Sales in Wisconsin, and the Midwest Business Center awarded them #1 Cab& Chassis dealer for the past two years. “It all started with tractor and truck sales, all the way back in1962.  58 years of working everyday.  I have 16-year-olds who ask for me, and 90-year-olds, too.  The ‘family’ gets bigger and more fun every year.”