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Episode 40: Tom Castriota

02/27/2025 / Dealer Insider

Tom Castriota, 2025 NADA Chair, knows a thing or two about relationships. After a decades-long career in the U.S. Marine Corps, he has become a fixture in the industry through leadership, community engagement and taking care of his customers. Tom and Anita Castriota, Managing Partners at Castriota Chevrolet, break down how working with GMF, embracing benefits like Dealer Dividends and the alignment with GM initiatives has led to increased market share and a more profitable future for their store in Central Florida. “GMF is probably the most important relationship that we enjoy and are fortunate to have,” Anita says.

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Making GMF the First Stop

"GMF is there to support not only General Motors but the dealer.”


When the Castriotas first floorplanned with GMF in 2016, what stood out was the teamwork between GM and GMF: “GMF's goal is to support General Motors, support the dealer and sell inventory,” Tom said. They knew they wanted a financial team aligned with OEM goals. That meant going all in with GMF.

“There’s a willingness at GMF to say, ‘What do we need to help the dealers grow?’ Because when dealers grow, General Motors grows and GMF grows with the whole process. It’s a team,” says Tom. “GM builds the cars, they ship to us, we sell the car, and GMF is our first source of who’s going to deliver that car for us financially. If you look at it from that picture, it’s one big circle. You take one piece of that out and it falls. But put it all together, we’re successful.”

What you can do: Give GMF a first look at your deals. Set us up as a preferred lender in RouteOne® or preselect in Dealertrack.

More Share, More Dividends

"It's really important for dealers to appreciate the relationship business that you can have with GMF.”

GMF programs such as Dealer Dividends allow floorplan dealerships like Castriota Chevrolet to maximize earning potential while increasing profitability and closing more deals. “For me, it goes back to Dealer Dividends. We use our Dividends to support the deal. I can't tell you how many times Dividends helped us get to objectives that we need.”

As Tom explains, when his store’s market share goes up, his team earns more Dividends, which is more money to put toward closing deals. Dealers like Tom value this cycle of earning. When dealers succeed, GMF succeeds. Which is why GMF continues to offer new short-term Dealer Dividends incentives to help navigate constantly changing market conditions.

What you can do: Haven’t floorplanned with GMF yet? You’re leaving cash on the table. Talk to your GMF Rep today.

 

It’s our job as your captive to leverage relationships between GM, GMF and you to drive vehicle sales, enhance customer experience and loyalty, and contribute to profitability. 

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