RKM Management
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Rob Kauffman
Owner & Chairman
RK Motors, LLCCloseRob Kauffman is the Owner & Chairman of RK Motors, LLC. Additionally, Rob is also a founding principal of Fortress Investment Group, a NYSE listed global fund manager, and is responsible for their European operations. However, he has always had a significant interest in all things automotive, motorcycling and racing related. In 2006, he decided to create what would become RK Collection LLC with the goal of creating an enterprise which would produce some of the nation’s best restored and most sought after muscle and collectible cars. In addition to RK Motors, LLC, Rob also has a significant interest in the world of NASCAR as the co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing in Cornelius, NC.
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Joseph Carroll
President & C.E.O.
RK MotorsCloseJoseph Carroll is the President & C.E.O. Of RK Motors, LLC. Joe has had an infatuation with American classic cars that began when he was a young child and received a Hot Wheels of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's Orbitron as a gift. Joe developed a love for Mopar muscle cars after he purchased his second car at the age of 17: a 1968 Dodge Coronet R/T. Joe began restoring cars in his early 20's and was the founder and creator of Best of Show Automotive, which redefined how classic cars were retailed in the United States. Based on their mutual love of classic and high performance cars, Joe teamed with Rob Kauffman to create RK Motors, LLC.
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Donald Berard
Sales Manager
RK Motors CharlotteCloseDon comes to RK Motors with 37 years of experience in the automotive industry. In addition to regional and national management for companies such as Hooker Headers, Koni America, and Bilstein Corporation, Don also has an extensive background in operating retail automotive franchises. He worked as both General Manager and Operations and Managing Partner for Ford and Chrysler dealerships. Don has received honors and certifications from NADA, Honda Council of Leadership, Pontiac Master Salesman Guild, and Ford 300-500 Masters Club and was the founder of the Taurus SHO Club.
Donald.Berard@RKMotorsCharlotte.com
(704)773-4648
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Cathy Carroll
Accounting Manager, HR Director
RK MotorsCloseCathy is a valued member of the RK Motors team. She is responsible for all General Ledger functions for the firm, while also directing Human Resources. She enjoys being included in any project that needs support. Before relocating to Charlotte from Ohio, Cathy worked as a Assistant Controller and is a graduate from Lake Erie College with a BS in Accounting. Cathy’s love for muscle cars goes back to her early years where her first muscle car was a 1969 Pontiac GTO. In addition, she's owned a number of other high performance cars including a Corvette and a Camaro.
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Paul Doizé
Chief Financial Officer
RK MotorsClosePaul joined the RK Motors team as Chief Financial Officer after a successful career as a key executive with the management team of Aaron's, Inc., an Atlanta-based Fortune 1000 retailer. Paul's thirty years of related experience, along with his significant business and financial acumen, put him in a unique position to assist in driving sales, improving operations, increasing market share, and compiling strategic planning with quick and efficient interpretation of financial statements and projections. He has lead diverse teams across several states and has a proven history of both identifying and developing individuals and teams.
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Tony Klein
Consignment Manager
RK MotorsCloseTony knew from a very young age that he wanted to be involved in the Classic car industry. Fresh from the family dairy farm in Iowa, Tony set off for Laramie, WY to acquire specialized training from WyoTech. Directly out of school, he began restoring investment grade muscle cars in a two man shop, gaining knowledge of all aspects of restoration. Since his recent move to Charlotte, Tony has been enjoying doing exactly what he set out to do: work with classic cars and others that love them as well.
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David Knott
Web/IT Administrator
RK MotorsCloseDavid has travelled extensively domestically and internationally only to find himself settling just several hours up the road from his hometown of Charleston, SC. At the age of 16 David was gifted his great-aunt's light blue 1975 Dodge Dart Sport. The Duke cousins soon found they had Low country competition. The car's speedometer never functioned properly, so David can confidently claim he never knowingly abused the speed limit at such a volatile age. David attained both his B.A. and M.A. in Asian Studies from Furman University and SDSU respectively. A recent transplant to Charlotte, David has worked in IT support and web development since 2004.
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Gerry Notara
VP of Operations
RK MotorsCloseGerry joined RK Motors Charlotte as Vice President of Operations after holding several positions with BMW of North America. As part of the team that introduced the MINI name to the North American market, his experience with sales, marketing, distribution and dealership development offers a unique insight into the complexities of the classic car marketplace. Gerry graduated St. Clair College with a degree in Business Administration, though cars have remained a lifelong passion. An avid Ford enthusiast, his first personal automotive project was the restoration of 1971 Mach 1 Mustang.
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Jamie Wiehe
Director of Marketing, Auctions
RK MotorsCloseJamie Wiehe never expected to fall in love with collector cars, but that’s exactly what happened. Jamie moved to RK Motors Charlotte in early 2011 from a major collector car auction house where she managed event and marketing related tasks for nearly six years. There she was responsible for marketing and promoting many high profile, rare and one-of-a-kind collector cars. She also helped verify auction vehicle documentation and provenance giving her intimate knowledge of all types of collector vehicles as well as the classic car market. Jamie graduated from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, and interned at Walt Disney World where she studied their techniques in branding and customer service.
Sales Department
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Donald Berard
Sales Manager
RK MotorsCloseDon comes to RK Motors with 37 years of experience in the automotive industry. In addition to regional and national management for companies such as Hooker Headers, Koni America, and Bilstein Corporation, Don also has an extensive background in operating retail automotive franchises. He worked as both General Manager and Operations and Managing Partner for Ford and Chrysler dealerships. Don has received honors and certifications from NADA, Honda Council of Leadership, Pontiac Master Salesman Guild, and Ford 300-500 Masters Club and was the founder of the Taurus SHO Club.
Donald.Berard@RKMotorsCharlotte.com
(704)773-4648
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JC Hacker
Consignment Specialist
RK MotorsCloseJC Hacker hails from the Dayton, Ohio area where he spent most of the last 40 years serving the automotive industry. While his primary focus was commercial vehicle sales, JC's passion for cars has lead to a wide range of experiences both on and off the race track. As a current member of the Society of Automotive Engineers, he has played many key roles in their Collegiate Competitions program. As a former SCCA member, he's competed in a lengthy list of track events, even serving as the competitive driving instructor for Cedarville University's Formula SAE team. Off the race track, JC has lent his services to a number of Concours d'Elegances, where he has served as everything from organizer and chairman to trash patrol.
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Chalamar Stephens
Sales Administrator
RK Motors CharlotteCloseBorn and raised in the cool state of Connecticut, Chalamar decided at an early age that she wanted to move closer to brighter days and warmer climates. Shortly after college she migrated south and ended up right here in the piedmont of North Carolina as the Sales Administrator at RK Motors Charlotte. The classic car hobby is extremely interesting for Chalamar, as she has grown quite fond of 1970 HEMI 'Cudas. Chalamar's dedication to teamwork and excellent customer service is a major asset to the RK Motors Charlotte operations.
Accounting Department
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Stephanie Whiteley
Accounting Clerk
RK Motors CharlotteCloseAfter graduating from Central Piedmont with a liberal arts degree, Stephanie found her way to the RK Motors Charlotte offices where she now serves as accounting clerk. Originally from Upstate New York, Stephanie is glad to have traded the harsh winters for a sunnier locale. Since joining the RK Motors team, she has grown to appreciate the wide variety of classic cars that grace our showroom.
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Julia Harrison
Accounting Clerk
RK Motors CharlotteCloseJulia has lived in the Charlotte area her entire life. She graduated with a BA in Accounting from Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, North Carolina. Julia has a growing appreciation for racing and classic cars. She regularly attends the NASCAR All-Star race and loves being able to view the "works of art" that are in the showroom here at RK Motors Charlotte.
Marketing Department
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Matt Stephens
Marketing Production Manager
RK Motors CharlotteCloseBorn in Germany, and raised in Greenville, North Carolina, Matt has been a car enthusiast ever since he was in diapers. Growing up in Europe, German sports cars and Italian exotics caught his eye at an early age. By the time he was 3, his mother says he was able to spell 'Lamborghini' backwards, as well as ID cars by their emblems. His passion for cars and performance brought him to Charlotte in 2002 to pursue a college degree in Motorsports Management. Since then, Matt has also obtained a B.S. in Media Production at East Carolina University and has been fortunate to combine his two degrees in his professional career. From Z cars, BMW M cars, and sport bikes, Matt seeks to experience performance anyway he can.
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Josh Leatherwood
Content
RK Motors CharlotteCloseBorn into a family of gearheads which participated in early NASCAR racing, Josh was always very close to cool cars and the fond memories that accompanied them. Not surprisingly, he bought his first muscle car, a notorious 1973 Camaro Z28/RS, one day before he passed his North Carolina driver’s test; and his second muscle car, a 1968 Camaro SS, right after he turned 18. In 2006, the country boy from the Western North Carolina mountains relocated to a restored textile mill in Charlotte’s historic arts district, and within three years, had attained degrees in both Sociology and Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Today, Josh is very passionate about anything that’s old, made of metal or has a motor; and he spends most of his free time taking in car shows, air shows, railroad exhibits, or motorsports events, expanding his industrial photography portfolio, and tearing up the road in his American muscle cars.
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Jason Sanderbeck
Marketing and Content Coordinator
RK MotorsCloseJason grew up 4 miles north of the Charlotte Motor Speedway where the drone of wide-open racecars seemed as natural as birds chirping. Since graduating UNCC with a B.A. in English, he has consistently looked for unique ways to blend his love for cars and writing. Jason values the history as much as the vehicle and fully acknowledges that a car is never just a car.
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Jeff Thomas
Image Processor
RK Motors CharlotteCloseGrowing up just north of Charlotte in Greensboro, NC, Jeff found an interest in anything that would give him the opportunity to be creative at an early age. Be it art, music or photography, the medium never really mattered. The desire to turn this passion into a career led him to attend NCSU where he studied graphic design and photography and began an obsession with bold lines and impactful design - an obsession clearly shared with the designers of the cars that enter the RK Motors Charlotte showroom. While Jeff appreciates the aesthetic value of each automobile that arrives at RK, he feels there is an undeniable awesomeness in the classic muscle cars of the late '60s and early '70s.