Fred Beans and Beth Beans Gilbert Share Tips on Building a Family Legacy in Auto Retail
The Car Dealership Guy recently interviewed three families in automotive retail - the Beans family being one of them - to share tips for building legacies while maintaining relationships.
Read the full article in the Car Dealership Guy's "The Breakdown" newsletter published June 21, 2026.
Key takeaways from Fred Beans Automotive Group founder and president, Fred Beans, and his daughter and company vice president, Beth Beans Gilbert, include:
- All family members seeking roles and/or a place in the succession plan must earn it.
- Among the 15 requirements or so include attending college or a technical school, going to Dealer Academy, and acquiring outside experience.
- Family leaders stick to defined roles. Fred handles real estate and parts. Beth runs the management side of the company, and her husband, Chris, oversees the dealerships.
"One of the greatest advantages of working with family is having someone who understands exactly what you're carrying," Beth said. "My father and I have different strengths, which allows us to complement each other and make better decisions together."
She explained that Fred is the visionary/builder, while she is the maintainer, and their opposing roles have inspired new company procedures to inform smart growth. These include development of a "buy box" to define which franchises, markets, and business types they'll pursue, and which ones they won't.
Together, they are paving the way for many more years of success for the Fred Beans Automotive Group.
"We have been in business for 50 years," Fred said. "Not many automotive businesses sustain that long, and with the second generation coming into the company, I know there is a bright future ahead."
Beth's oldest son now works for the automotive group, and she is determined to make sure he is held to the same, if not higher, standards than everyone else. Beth created a three-person committee of non-family managers to meet quarterly and help guide her son's development and career progression.
The Beans have been intentional in how they incorporate family into their operations, and that has helped them get big while staying small in terms of the care and dedication they devote to every aspect of the business.
