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Susan Bass Roberts Named President of Pohlad Family Foundation

Becomes the first non-family member in the role in the Foundation’s history

MINNEAPOLIS (Jan. 23, 2024) — After nearly eight years of leadership as vice president and executive director of the Pohlad Family Foundation, Susan Bass Roberts has been named its president.

Bass Roberts succeeds current president Bill Pohlad, who will become chairman. She is the first non-family member to serve in this role since the Foundation’s founding 30 years ago.

Since she joined in 2016, Bass Roberts has effectively led the Foundation in deepening its impact at the intersection of community priorities and Pohlad family values. She has guided more than $150 million in grants that improve quality of life, fight racial disparities and advance other causes important to the Pohlad family.

“Susan has been paramount in increasing the Foundation’s impact,” says Bill Pohlad. “Under her leadership, we’ve tightened our focus and strengthened our effectiveness by listening to and sharing power with community.”

In 2020, the Pohlad family committed $25 million toward racial justice following the murder of George Floyd. Bass Roberts stewards this financial commitment and the family’s resolve to stand with others to effectively confront long-standing injustices faced by Black communities. Through this program, the Foundation prioritizes improving public safety and increasing Black homeownership in the Twin Cities.

In addition to racial justice, the Foundation’s work centers on housing stability. Each year the Foundation helps more than 8,000 local families and youth secure stable housing, while advocating for larger systems change to address injustices that drive disparities in homelessness.

“It has been an extraordinary honor to lead the Pohlad Family Foundation, working closely with the family and growing our impact with community partners,” says Bass Roberts. “As we work to improve the quality of life and opportunities for those most in need in our region, I’m especially proud of our team, who engages community members in all aspects of our work, from strategy-setting to grantmaking.”

Bass Roberts has more than 20 years of experience in philanthropy, social impact and communications. Before joining the Pohlad Family Foundation, she served as executive director of the Best Buy Foundation in her role as senior director of community relations and diversity and inclusion for Best Buy, where she led the creation of the Best Buy Teen Tech Center program. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism with an emphasis in public relations from The Ohio State University, and currently serves on the boards of the Constellation Fund and Funders Together to End Homelessness.

About the Pohlad Family Foundation
The Pohlad Family Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life and opportunities for those most in need in the Twin Cities region. Established in 1994, the Foundation draws upon the expertise and needs of community to inform its programs. Today, its work centers on two strategic focus areas: Housing Stability and Racial Justice. Both efforts aim to reduce persistent racial disparities for families and youth in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. To learn more about the Foundation’s history and focus, visit pohladfoundation.org.

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Media Contact:
Kate Lilja Lohnes
Lilja Communications for Pohlad Family Foundation
952.893.7140
kate@lilja.com

January 24, 2024

Carousel Motor Group acquires Hudson Ford

Carousel Motor Group, a group of dealerships with a distinctive portfolio of automotive names, announced today that it has acquired Hudson Ford, the number one selling Ford dealership in Wisconsin for the last 5 years.

The acquisition of the Hudson Ford dealership, located at 2020 Crest View Drive, Hudson, WI, near I-94 and Carmichael Road, marks Carousel Motor Group’s first Ford dealership in its portfolio and entry into the Wisconsin market.

“We are not only privileged to represent the Ford Brand, but to continue building on Hudson Ford’s exceptional reputation in the community – – this is a true testament to the highly talented team who have built such a great culture. This acquisition is a natural fit within our portfolio of reputable brands and reinforces our plan for continued strategic growth and value creation. We truly appreciate Mark Swelland, CEO & President of Hudson Ford, his business partner Gary Embretson and Jonathan Nissly, COO and GM, for both their leadership in making this such a fantastic dealership and for entrusting us with its future,” said Chase Hawkins, Carousel Motor Group’s CEO and President.

“Carousel Motor Group mirrors the values of Hudson Ford. They really care about their employees and customers, and we are excited to have them guide this organization to the next level,” said Mark Swelland, CEO & President of Hudson Ford.

Hudson Ford sells both new and pre-owned vehicles in a recently remodeled facility. The dealership also includes an Abra full-service collision center, that is aluminum certified, and an on-site detail center, servicing drivers throughout St. Croix County and eastern Minnesota.

Ford has the highest loyalty ranking among truck brands, according to J.D. Powers, and for the second time in a row, Ford is ranked the top automotive brand in the World Benchmarking Alliances 2022 Corporate Human Rights – – making it one of the most valuable global brands.

The acquisition of Hudson Ford brings the total number of new vehicle franchised Dealerships owned and operated by Carousel Motor Group to nine, along with Carousel Online, a direct-to-consumer pre-owned automotive ecommerce site.

January 5, 2023

Jim, Bob and Bill Pohlad selected as Twin Cities Business magazine’s 2022 People of the Year

Bob, Bill, and Jim Pohlad will be honored for their commitments to alleviate poverty, bolster racial justice, and rejuvenate downtown Minneapolis.

By TCB Staff

September 21, 2022

Twin Cities Business has named Bob Pohlad, Bill Pohlad, and Jim Pohlad as People of the Year for 2022.

The brothers, who lead the Pohlad Cos., have bet big on the future of downtown Minneapolis. The firm moved several of its businesses to the new landmark 37-story RBC Gateway tower, which was built by Pohlad subsidiary United Properties. The family was also instrumental in bringing the Four Seasons hotel to downtown Minneapolis. The five-star hotel—a first for Minneapolis—was developed by United Properties.

Collaborative in their leadership, the brothers divide primary responsibilities within the company started by their father Carl in the 1950s. Bob oversees Carousel Motor Group, PaR Systems, and Northmarq. Jim is executive chairman of the Minnesota Twins and also oversees Pohlad Investment Management and United Properties. Bill, an acclaimed film director and producer, serves as president of the Pohlad Family Foundation.

Continue reading here.

September 21, 2022 | Link

Carousel Motor Group Launches Carousel Online, An Automotive Ecommerce Site

homepage for carouselonline.com

MINNEAPOLIS, May 23, 2022 — Carousel Motor Group today announced the launch of Carousel Online www.CarouselOnline.com, an e-commerce platform for buying and selling pre-owned vehicles. As consumers continue to benefit from the convenience of making purchases online, Carousel Online is redefining the pre-owned vehicle-buying experience by putting the driver before everything else.

Carousel has teamed up with Cox Automotive, Inc. to create an e-commerce platform that simplifies the online buying and selling experience. The buying process is completely digital, using vehicle transparency through 360-degree virtual tours, sharing detailed vehicle information, and providing concierge product experts right at the buyer’s fingertips. The car buyer can virtually obtain trusted trade-in evaluations, precise monthly payments, and no haggle financing. Aftermarket insurance products can be added during multiple points of the online check out process allowing complete payments inclusive of all components. The process culminates with online deal paperwork and home delivery as additional key features offered by Carousel Online. “We’ve taken the lessons and wisdom from our brick-and-mortar dealerships and translated that to a better online experience – and we will continue to research and reinvent to ensure vehicle buying just keeps getting easier and more enjoyable,” said Angie Gustafson, Vice President, Customer Experience.

As online buying continues to evolve, there has been a growing number of automotive e-commerce companies entering the market. “Many of these startups have hurdles to overcome from title processing and registration to delivery delays, or the inability to fully transact online. Unfortunately, this just creates more frustration for buyers,” said Chase Hawkins, President and CEO, Carousel Motor Group. “We have the operational experience to provide our customers with the convenience and ease of a premium digital experience, in an otherwise non-premium space.”

In addition to the friendly and frictionless experience, Carousel Online’s commitment to offering vehicles of a higher standard sets it apart from other retailers. This comes from decades of experience in procuring and servicing premium vehicles. “That commitment and trust come from the talented people behind our brands,” said Nicole Pearce, Senior Vice President, Human Resources. “Our people are the reason for our strong reputation and loyalty in the marketplace.” Carousel Motor Group continues to receive top dealer recognition and awards for customer service and employee recognition including winning the Star Tribune’s Top Workplace in 2021, and Top Workplace USA in 2022.

About Carousel Motor Group

Carousel Motor Group is an operating company of the Pohlad Companies, a diverse group of businesses united by a proud legacy of creating value and opportunities for our employees, businesses, and communities. Formed in May 2008, Carousel Motor Group operates eight Twin Cities automotive dealerships, including Twin Cities Performance Ferrari, Coon Rapids Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Audi Minneapolis, Audi St. Paul, BMW of Minnetonka, Chevrolet North Branch, Porsche of St. Paul, and Porsche of Minneapolis. To learn more, visit www.carouselonline.com.

June 3, 2022 | Link

Carousel Motor Group Brings Ferrari to the Twin Cities

INNEAPOLIS, July 12, 2021 – Carousel Motor Group (CMG), an operating company of the Pohlad Companies, today announced it has added Ferrari to its premium line of automotive dealerships. Twin Cities Performance, which opens this month, is one of just 45 Ferrari dealerships in the United States and will serve as the authorized dealer for new and pre-owned sales, service and official parts and merchandise.

Consistently ranked among the strongest brands in the world, according to Brand Finance, Ferrari’s presence adds some power to the region’s car scene. The newly renovated, 15,500 square foot facility will provide an immersive customer experience complete with state-of-the-art amenities including a 12×18 foot digital display wall, atelier design studio and customer lounge. The 2,500 square foot experiential showroom will prominently feature the latest models and the 5,700 square foot service center is equipped with five service bays and the area’s only Ferrari-authorized technicians.

“We are both proud and humbled, as a family-owned Minnesota-based business, to represent the iconic Ferrari brand in Minneapolis. Both existing and future Ferrari customers can rest assured they will get the very best levels of customer service they may already have become accustomed to in purchasing and servicing their vehicles across our other dealerships,” said Chase Hawkins, President & CEO at Carousel Motor Group.

“We are pleased to welcome the Pohlad Companies represented by the Carousel Motor Group to the Ferrari family, and wish Chase and his team much success in representing the Ferrari brand in this vibrant and important market where we have an established and loyal client base”, said Matteo Torre, President of Ferrari North America.

Twin Cities Performance will be open for sales Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The service and parts departments will be open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The all-new Ferrari store is along the premium auto corridor at 9191 Wayzata Boulevard. For more information visit www.minneapolis.ferraridealers.com or call (763)-330-1080.

About Carousel Motor Group

Carousel Motor Group is an operating company of the Pohlad Companies, a diverse group of businesses united by a proud legacy of creating value and opportunities for our employees, businesses and communities. Formed in May 2008, Carousel Motor Group operates eight Twin Cities automotive dealerships, including Twin Cities Performance, Coon Rapids Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Audi Minneapolis, Audi St. Paul, BMW of Minnetonka, Chevrolet North Branch, Porsche of St. Paul, and Porsche of Minneapolis. To learn more, visit www.carouselmotorgroup.com.

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Carrie Andersen