Brandl Motors Owners Earn Chambers Entrepreneurial Success Award

LITTLE FALLS -- A dealership duo is being recognized for their hard work and perseverance growing a once small business into a large company.

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Joe Sexton and Gary Posch, owners of Brandl Motors, are the 2021 Entrepreneurial Success Award winners as part of the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Awards.

Both Sexton and Posch have always wanted to own their own business. In 1999 the two rolled the dice with an underperforming Chrysler dealership in Pierz that was up for sale.

Sexton says while they were eager to get started, it took a little more work to convince a bank -- and Chrysler -- they could make it a successful business.

I said listen, the dealership last year sold 12 new cars. I said if I don't sell 12 cars in a month you can take my franchise away, but you just have to trust us we can double, triple your business in a year. They looked at me and said you're persistent enough I believe you can.

From there Brandl Motors started to take off and grow.

In 2003, they expanded into St. Cloud, by 2005 they bought the Dodge dealership in Little Falls. In 2008 they decided to combined the Pierz and Little Falls dealership into their current location in Little Falls, and finally they opened a third location in Aitken in 2018.

Posch says while they went through many ups and downs over the past twenty years, it was those learning experiences that made them better operators.

We went into it working really hard each and every day, and when you do that good things happen and so other opportunities came about and your business started to grow. It doesn't happen unless you take it step-by-step and day-by-day.

Today Brandl Motors has three locations, about 220 employees and sells about 2,500 units a year.

Both Posch and Sexton, along with Donella Westphal and Joe Francis will be honored at the annual Central Minnesota Business Awards Luncheon.

The luncheon is schedule for June 3rd at The Park Event Center.