Cucci Ford brings start-up saavy to auto business

When it comes down to it, Ted Cucci has always loved cars, so much so that one might believe he has always worked in the vehicle business.

Cucci, however, is a recent newcomer to the auto industry, having worked at United Airlines and owning a retail clothing business for several years. He literally made his fortune in information technology before taking over Spring Hill Ford in early September and renaming it Cucci Ford.

Since then, every day has been an adventure full of work with partners Neil Becker, dealer principle; Mitch Lewandowski, owner/used car manager; and his son Nick, who works as Cucci Ford's chief operating officer.

The team has high hopes for the dealership, intending to expand offerings to the underserved area around East Dundee, particularly to the local Hispanic population.

We talked to Ted Cucci about his latest business endeavor.

Tell us about your business background.

"In early 1997, I was involved in a start up Internet company called Innerwise, an Internet service provider in Schaumburg - but AOL, Mindspring and the other providers were too hard to compete with. The business then took a turn to be a Domain Registrar. After attaining ICANN accreditation, we started to sell domain names via our company called ItsYourDomain.com, similar to GoDaddy. We were one of the first 10 domain registrars to be accredited. In parallel, we started NMI.com (Network Merchants Inc.) to provide payment processing services in the form of a payment gateway to the likes of eBay. We sold off the ItsYourDomain in 2007 and sold the majority of our interest in NMI in September 2013 and May 2014."

Why did Ford Motor Co. approve you as a dealer when you had no previous experience in the vehicle industry?

"We can run a business. It's the people you put into the dealership to help run it that makes the difference. You need to have the perfect team, which we do. What Ford liked about us is that we are what I think they consider the new breed of car dealers. They're happy to have tech guys like us. Nick's core competency is marketing and advertising. He is also a certified fraud examiner, one of the few in the nation.

"At this point in my life I don't have to work anymore, but you have a duty and responsibility to pass it on, so others can learn how to be responsible and successful. It's called paying it forward. We've put more than $5 million into Cucci Auto Group among all of us. The partners are all in their 20s and 30s and now they have a chance to do something spectacular. It's good for society, it's good for business and it's a humbling experience. The challenge of a new environment is what I looked forward to.

"It's a dream team of guys here at this dealership. I used to buy cars from these guys (his partners) and I told them if I ever get enough money we're going to start a dealership together."

How did the purchase of Spring Hill Ford come about?

"After we sold the tech companies, we were working with a broker (Jim Townsley) who knew the owner of Spring Hill Ford was interested in selling. The deal took roughly a year to complete. On our own, Nick and I didn't have enough experience, but bringing in Neil Becker, who was the general manager for the Gerald Auto Group, and Mitch Lewandowski, who was general manager at Auto Showcase (of Carol Stream), gave us the experience we needed. We also agreed to do a much needed complete renovation up to Ford's new specifications, which is projected upward of $2 million."

What do you hope to accomplish in your first months running the dealership?

"This area has been sorely undeserved for quite a few years, especially in the Hispanic community. We hired Spanish-speaking service advisers and have Spanish-speaking salesmen as well as one of our general managers. Mitch has done a great job of creating an awesome used-car inventory which enables us to offer great financing and a lifetime powertrain warranty on new and pre-owned vehicles. We have already doubled sales in one month over last year.

"When we took over, there were roughly 26 used cars and 82 new vehicles on the lot. Now we have more than 140 used and 150 new. Mitch spends at least two days a week at the auctions buying quality cars. Neil and Nick order cars weekly to the specifications our customers want. We've kept our mechanics busy by inspecting and performing safety checks on every pre-owned vehicle before we offer them for sale.

"We hope to get more involved in the community as time goes on. I'm very active in my community of Bloomingdale. You have a responsibility and obligation to give back to the community so that it has a positive effect on people. What's better than having the potential to pay it forward and help families in time of need."

How is Cucci Auto Group different from other dealerships?

"We are the exclusive Ford dealership in the Chicago area offering a lifetime warranty on every new and used car we sell, which covers the powertrain for the life of the vehicle. This is a tremendous selling point as it's good for as long as you own the vehicle, no matter what the mileage is. We will also provide a free Carfax report on every used car. These days, you can't do business without having the Carfax report.

"We're definitely not your typical car dealership buying experience. We'll beat anybody's price and our service is second to none."

What will be involved in the renovation?

"We'll modernize the entire facility, including the back offices and the entire showroom and our service department. We're going to add a Quick Lane for oil changes and routine maintenance services and a lounge, cafe with refreshments and free Internet. The village is very excited for the remodel. We're hoping to have a grand opening in March."

What do you like about Ford vehicles?

"What is there not to like about Ford vehicles? They have everything. Ford has paid attention to quality in every aspect of the vehicles. The F-150 and Mustang are new for 2015 and are spectacular. We also have a new Cobra Jet in our showroom on display.

"The price points are great and the incentives and rebates are dynamite. Ford knows what they are doing. They were the only company not to take any of the bailout money, which was a plus for us in choosing the franchise."

Auto biography

800 Dundee Ave., East Dundee

<span class="fact box text bold">Phone:</span> (847) 551-3300

<span class="fact box text bold">Online: </span>cucciford.com

<span class="fact box text bold">Sales:</span> 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday.

<span class="fact box text bold">Service:</span> 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.