New owner closes on car dealership

STERLING – A third-generation car dealer from Geneva is the new owner of Sterling Chevrolet.

Lee Schreiber, 36, finalized the acquisition of the dealership at 1824 N. Locust St. Tuesday from Jason Hachmeister and Rick Steenbock, who bought the dealership in 2007.

Lee’s father, John Schreiber Jr., was a Ford dealer for a quarter-century, at Oakfield Ford in Villa Park and Bull Valley Ford in Woodstock. Lee’s grandfather, John Sr., was the general manager at Zimmerman Ford in St. Charles for 35 years. John Jr. died in 2012, and Lee’s uncle bought that dealership.

“I’ve grown up in dealerships – I started as a porter cleaning cars when I was a kid,” Schreiber said.

Schreiber didn’t come to Sterling alone. The man he calls his “right-hand man”, Kevin May, is his general sales manager. May, 52, of Schaumburg, has also been in the business most of his life.

“I worked for my dad in Villa Park, and started washing cars back in 1973,” May said.

May was with Schreiber in Villa Park for several years. He last worked at Freeway Ford in Lyons, which has the distinction of being the only dealership in Illinois that exclusively sells Ford trucks.

Schreiber said he searched for buying opportunities for about 18 months before the Sterling business caught his eye. He said he liked the fact it was a relatively turnkey dealership, and it had a history of community involvement.

“I started the process with Rick and Jason in March, and it seemed like everybody in town knows Sterling Chevrolet, and has good things to say about it,” Schreiber said. “It’s a great opportunity in a great community.”

Both Schreiber and May have a Ford pedigree, but they plan to put some of that brand’s formula for success in place at the Chevy lot.

“We will put a great deal of emphasis on pickup trucks,” Schreiber said. “We want to be the number one Chevy truck dealer in northwest Illinois.”

Schreiber and wife, Erin, have three children, Olivia, 6, Vivian, 4, and 9-month-old Duke. The family will stay in Geneva, but Lee said he plans to find a place in the area.

“My family has deep roots in the Geneva area, but this is my only job, and I plan to be here every day and be involved in the community,” Schreiber said.

Schreiber said he has no plan in place to cut staff, and if all goes according to plan, he would like to add to the 50-person workforce.

“We want to keep as many employees here as possible,” Schreiber said. “My plan is for growth, and that means the staff would grow in accordance.”

The dealership plans to keep the well-known Sterling Chevrolet badge as part of its marketing repertoire, but an updated logo will soon be unveiled.