Bill Demaree is the Corporate Director of Fixed Operations for Tom Wood Automotive Group, one of Indiana's most respected dealer groups spanning 13 rooftops. With decades of experience in the automotive industry, Bill has built a reputation not just for running high-performing service departments, but for reimagining what fixed ops leadership actually looks like at scale.

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What we discuss in this episode:

In this episode, Bill pulls back the curtain on exactly how Tom Wood Automotive Group rebuilt fixed ops from the ground up, the AI tools actually moving the needle (not just the buzzwords), a technician development program built in partnership with the state of Indiana that's producing talent other dealerships can't find, and a transparency system that turned customer accusations into a brand-new revenue stream.

This is the blueprint most fixed ops leaders wish existed.

We're talking documented processes, video MPI done right, service advisor handbooks built for replication, and a 2026 roadmap that treats every touchpoint — parts, service, marketing as a system worth mastering.

Listen to the episode featuring Bill Demaree for even more insights!

Enjoying The Fixed Ops Roundtable Podcast? Please leave a rating and review 👇

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fixed-ops-roundtable/id1608656237

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15HHYoyvCo1PSFwYn02UXY

Thanks, Bill Demaree

Connect with Ted Ings and the Fixed Ops Roundtable:

• Register for the next Fixed Ops Roundtable Event
• Ted Ings on LinkedIn
• Center for Performance Improvement

Every company you've seen dominate the automotive industry had help getting there. Laurie Halter is that help.

Laurie Halter is the founder of Charisma Communications, a PR agency with over 20 years of experience helping automotive technology companies build brands that break through. From early stage startups to established names, Laurie knows exactly how to get vendors in front of the right people, and keep them there.

👉 Register for the upcoming Fixed Ops Roundtable Event

What we discuss in this episode:

In this episode, Laurie breaks down the hidden architecture of a brand that wins, how the right message, repeated with discipline, is worth more than any marketing budget. She shares what early-stage companies get catastrophically wrong, what the best-positioned brands are quietly doing differently, and why fixed ops has become the most important battleground in automotive right now.

If you're a dealer, a vendor, or anyone trying to cut through a crowded market, this conversation will change how you think about your brand.

The insights Laurie shares here aren't in any playbook. They come from two decades of being in the room.

Listen to the episode featuring Laurie Halter for even more insights!

Enjoying The Fixed Ops Roundtable Podcast? Please leave a rating and review 👇

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fixed-ops-roundtable/id1608656237

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15HHYoyvCo1PSFwYn02UXY

Thanks, Laurie Halter

Connect with Ted Ings and the Fixed Ops Roundtable:

• Register for the next Fixed Ops Roundtable Event
• Ted Ings on LinkedIn
• Center for Performance Improvement

New vehicle sales are projected to drop. ASARs are softening. And yet, the dealers who understand what's quietly happening right now are already positioning themselves to have their most profitable year yet.

Dan Shine of Automotive News joins Ted Ings and Sarah Vantine on the Fixed Ops Roundtable to break down exactly why 2026 is a defining moment for fixed operations, and why the service lane is no longer just a revenue stream. It's a lifeline.

With the average vehicle age hitting record highs, 70% of customers defecting after three years, and an affordability crisis keeping buyers out of showrooms, the opportunity sitting inside your service department has never been larger, or more at risk of being left on the table.

Dan pulls back the curtain on what the industry's top dealerships are doing differently, how AI is beginning to reshape service workflows, and the one retention mistake that's quietly sending your customers straight to the independents.

Enjoying The Fixed Ops Roundtable Podcast? Please leave a rating and review 👇

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fixed-ops-roundtable/id1608656237

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15HHYoyvCo1PSFwYn02UXY

Thanks, Dan Shine

Connect with Ted Ings and the Fixed Ops Roundtable:

• Register for the next Fixed Ops Roundtable Event
• Ted Ings on LinkedIn
• Center for Performance Improvement