One of Central Florida’s most distinguished auto dealerships, Poffenbaugh Ford of St. Cloud/Osceola County – which was started 73 years ago – has changed hands for the first time and will now be known as Kisselback Ford, the new owners announced today.

Long time Orlando area resident Bobby Kisselback, together with business partners Paul Dunkley and David Hammond, of Great Britain, have purchased the Ford Blue Oval Certified Dealership from the Poffenbaugh family, which has owned and operated the dealership since 1938.

Kisselback most recently has been serving as vice president and executive general manager at a 42-acre auto mall serving the greater Hilton Head Island, S.C./Savannah, Ga., market with 10 different dealerships on location including Nissan, Mazda, Hyundai, Infinity, Jaguar, Land Rover, Chrysler, Jeep, Volkswagen and Audi.

“This is an exciting opportunity for me,” Kisselback said in a press release. “I am not only returning to an area that I love, but I’m stepping into a strong legacy of customer service that the Poffenbaugh family has maintained for nearly three quarters of a century, and also becoming a part of the entire Ford organization, which has, over the past few years, re-established its reputation as America’s leading manufacturer of high quality, fuel efficient vehicles.

“This dealership has been a tremendously important part of St. Cloud and the surrounding areas,” Kisselback said, pointing out that it was the integrity and solid reputation of Jim Poffenbaugh, and his longstanding commitment to the community, that originally attracted him. “The family’s commitment to the economic development of the community as well as the level of excellence they have earned by achieving Ford’s designation as a ‘Blue Oval Certified Dealership’ is noteworthy.”

“The Blue Oval designation means a lot,” Kisselback said. “It demonstrates that the entire workforce here has achieved high standards and best practices as recognized by an independent, third party assessment. It’s quite significant in today’s automotive world where product quality and design differences have narrowed, and where customer satisfaction and loyalty have become the key differentiators in the marketplace.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to continue the legacy established here by the Poffenbaughs.”

Kisselback, who is an accomplished manager in his own right, having received numerous excellence awards over his 25-year career in the industry.

Kisselback said his business philosophy is one of establishing lasting relationships with every customer.

“People today have so many choices when it comes to purchasing or servicing their vehicle,” he said. “My standard is to do our very best at each and every opportunity to earn our customer’s business.”

Maintaining the trust and loyalty of the dealership’s strong client base will be first and foremost, Kisselback said. Any changes will likely come in the form of new marketing initiatives.

In keeping with the dealership’s original motto, “We don’t sell cars, we help people buy them” Kisselback said he plans technological improvements as well.

“Having a site that allows our guests to get the information they want quickly, using the latest technologies, is important,” he said.

As for management style, Kisselback sees his role as that of a coach.

“It’s my job to provide the direction, energize and motivate each individual team member, provide them with appropriate support and training, and then let them do their job.”

The dealership is at 1118 East 13th St, approximately four miles east of the Florida's Turnpike; the telephone number is 877-463-4351. In addition to selling the full range of new Ford vehicles, the dealership also offers pre-owned vehicles, commercial fleet sales and service and an on-site parts and service department.