Today we’d like to introduce you to Oliver Young.
Hi Oliver, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born into our family’s established dealership business: the Young Automotive Group. From a young age, I worked with my father, grandfather and siblings at our location on Main Street in Layton, where I pulled weeds in the building’s garden. As I grew older, my experience spanned into new areas of the company, and I earned new responsibilities as a professional.
Though I was able to prove my value at the shop, I struggled to take my academic pursuits seriously. It wasn’t until I met an impactful guidance counselor in high school that I was able to identify how I learn — helping me grasp an understanding of my potential.
After serving a proselyting mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Tucson, Arizona, I returned to the Young Automotive Group and served as an assistant to our CFO. While in this role, I worked to find inefficiencies in our operation, cutting costs by ensuring that our inventory was tracked properly and by eliminating tax liabilities.
During this time, I was able to identify a glaring fault in our business’ marketing efforts. We worked with agencies throughout Utah who primarily relied on us to create ideas while they just oversaw our design and mass media needs. In 2009, my wife Carly and I founded Oz Marketing — a company tailormade to position dealerships for success.
Our efforts at Oz Marketing started small. We hired a graphic designer named Zane Judkins, who runs our Print & Main shop today. Together, we created ads, printed them and distributed them to various places. We were also at the forefront of the digital advertising movement, and developed posts as well as campaigns that ran on Facebook.
As we grew, we expanded our team with more individuals, including our current creative director Luke Draper, who began as an account representative. It wasn’t long though before he began working almost exclusively behind the camera — creating iconic ads for our clients.
Over the last 15 years, our small team has grown into a near forty-person force that offers graphic design, digital marketing, production, organic social media, co-op, web development, account representative, mass media and public relations services. In 2017, we officially surpassed $5 million in annual revenue, and have been on a trajectory of growth since then.
While I still oversee the business as its owner, I returned to the Young Automotive Group as a variable sales director in 2014. Since being back, I’ve worked to forge connections between company leaders and Oz Marketing, increasing the synergy between our advertising and sales teams. Today, I serve as the businesses innovations director, and strive to drive growth across the vehicle sales industry.
When I’m not working, I love to rock climb, fish and spend time with my family. Utah has served as an incredible home for me, and I strive each day to ensure I give back to this state!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
If there’s one thing that the dealership and marketing industries have in common, it’s that they’re incredibly fast-paced. I still have to make regular sacrifices for my businesses, but what’s often harder is asking my team to do the same. Throughout my career, I’ve been incredibly grateful for people who have stood beside me in my efforts, and delivered insights as well as exceptional work in times of need.
Roughly eleven years ago, the Young Automotive Group experienced a technological error that halted our operations for about a week. I lost sleep over this issue, and one of the only things that brought me relief was the knowledge that my developers at Oz Marketing were working around the clock to resolve the problem. They came in early, stayed up late and eventually got us back on track.
With any project, I know I have people who I can depend on no matter the deadline or stipulations. They motivate me to deliver my best, and search for innovation opportunities.
At both the Young Automotive Group and Oz Marketing, I’ve worked to ensure that neither business becomes complacent. One of the worst things that can happen to a company is a stoppage of growth, as it can hinder partnerships and decrease motivation amongst employees. One of the simplest ways to do this is to ensure that ideas are constantly spreading. I’ve worked to create an environment where brainstorming is encouraged, and where we strive to find the right solution rather than just the most convenient one.
Lastly, I find it important to understand that there’s always a way to navigate challenges. As a company with more than 100 years in business, the Young Automotive Group’s legacy includes stories from the Great Depression, world wars, gas crises, stock market collapses and international pandemics. We’ve not only survived these circumstances, but held off store closures and mass layoffs. When you stand beside great leaders, you’re never left without ideas or options.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
What’s special about my roles is that I am a part of two businesses I love, and I’m able to forge connections between them daily to drive success. I serve in a new Innovations Director position for the Young Automotive Group, where I not only oversee several operations for the company, but find ways to ensure that we’re at the forefront of our industry. Since entering that position, I’ve organized an incredible team of minds to help me find opportunities, and potential changes we should make to established processes.
While I’m not there every day, any moment I have at Oz Marketing is cherished. We have some of the most acclaimed professionals in Utah on our team, and I’m constantly amazed by what I see them execute on a daily basis. For business owners, seeing your company surpass what you thought was possible is something to be proud of, and that’s what I feel when I step through our building.
Today, the Young Automotive Group stands as one of the most elite dealership operations in the country. We oversee a network of over 30 automotive, powersports, tractor and truck and trailer franchises across Utah, Idaho and Montana. Our legacy spans over 100 years, and we can’t wait to enter our next chapter — and introduce a new generation of our family to this company.
Throughout the last 16 years, Oz Marketing has grown alongside our family business. The team represents every Young Automotive Group dealership, as well as a variety of external clients in the financial sector and other industries. Over the last ten years, we’ve received accolades for our incredible production, web design and public relations work, as well as our impressive development.
What I’d like people to know about our businesses, especially VoyageUtah readers, is that any entrepreneur has access to what we offer. The Young Automotive Group oversees one of the country’s leading fleet operations, and we’re here for both companies as well as government entities.
As far as Oz Marketing is concerned, we don’t just cater to large corporations or automotive companies. No matter how small your business may be, you still have access to award-winning professionals, and are welcome to book a consultation with us at any time.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I can’t express how much I love each of the cities the Young Automotive Group operates in. Throughout our 100 year legacy, we’ve worked to be a resource both in and outside of the showroom. This is something we accomplish by treating people fairly, as well as through the actions of our charitable nonprofit, the Young Caring for Our Young Foundation.
Since 2007, Young Caring for Our Young has provided communities with over $7 million in resources through events as well as ongoing initiatives. We’ve clothed over 7,500 children, fed more than 42,000 kids, supported approximately 1,200 teens and young parents and provided over 2,000 pre-K and school students with educational resources.
About three years ago, I worked with our foundation to create an initiative called the KIND Fund. A program designed to empower community members to provide for students facing poverty, we worked with school foundations as well as Hill Airforce Base’s Airmen’s Attic to create a network of educators, volunteers and donors to help kids receive new clothing.
Each request begins with the actions of an impactful educational professional. We rely on these individuals to find kids who may be coming to school in the same clothes every day, or wearing worn-out apparel regularly. Once they’ve submitted a ticket to our organization, we notify a volunteer, and provide them with a $150 gift card to shop for the child.
Once shopping has concluded, our volunteers deliver the items back to the school’s front office. From there, the educator is able to provide them to the student.
Oz Marketing and each Young Automotive Group dealership are involved in growing Young Caring for Our Young, and participating in events. What I’d love to see happen across this area is for more people to understand just how easy it is to give back. With all of our foundation efforts, we strive to enlist people in an army of good so that we can collectively make where we live a better place.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ozmarketingonline.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ozmarketingutah/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ozmktg
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oz-marketing-llc
