General Manager

Kevin Vanatta

General Manager – Kevin Vanatta: I started in the automotive industry with my grandfather and father, who had a repair shop, when I was about 8 years old (1966). I worked in that shop until 1978. I had a few other jobs before returning to the automotive industry in 1984 working for, then, Teske Motors. In 1988 Teske Motors became Knauf Motors until 1992 when I took over and it became Newberry Motors. I have a total of 38 years in this business and look forward to 38 or so more! I am a happily married husband of 31 years and have three beautiful children, Michelle, Krista and Nathan. I enjoy boating and spend every spare minute in the summer doing so. I also enjoy helping people through charitable organizations such as Kiwanis and the Newberry Area Chamber of Commerce. My main goal in life is to help others be successful!

James A Surrell, MD

Medical Director – James A Surrell, MD: Officially appointed by owner, Kevin Vanatta, I have been employed as Newberry Motors’ Medical Director for almost 5 years now. Service Department employees can call on me for help with any “tailpipe” concerns. They know I can usually fix anything through the tailpipe. My grandfather was the founder and original owner of what has now become known as Newberry Motors. See the “About Us” page for more history. I have a son, Jonathon who is studying abroad and a daughter Samantha who attends Michigan State University.

Sales

Steve Gwizdala

Sales Consultant - Steve Gwizdala: I have an Associates Business Degree with 17 years of experience in the car business including service, accounting and sales. I've been to dealerships across the country and haven't seen another dealership that comes close to the very high customer care standards that Newberry Motors has for their customers. I am happy to be a part of the team that truly does what ever it takes to earn your friendship.

Jerry Galor

Used Car Manager - Jerry Galor: I have been with Newberry Motors for over seven years as the Used Car Manager. I first started in the automotive business with Ray Knauf Chevrolet here in Newberry. I have worked for the Michigan DNR as well as Hyde Equipment. My specialty is heavy equipment. I will do my very best to help negotiate the best trade in value for your deal. When not working, I love to spoil my granddaughters!

Cindy Dalgleish

Sales Manager - Cindy Dalgleish: I started in the car business when I was only 14 years old washing cars for my dad at his small Chevy dealership in western Oklahoma. I sold my first car when all the salesmen were gone one Saturday afternoon and I was hooked! My favorite thing to do is to find the right car at the right price for every customer. I have been the Sales Manager here at Newberry Motors for over 16 years and have enjoyed almost every moment of it. We have excellent vehicles and a top notch staff to work with. I live in Newberry with my husband, Alvin, and 6 year old son, Mike. I have 3 adult children, Tara, Kristine, and Ben and two beautiful grandchildren, Kaley and Jack. My favorite thing to do when not working is to float down the Tahquamenon River.

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Darrin Simmons

I have been with Newberry Motors for over thirteen years. I just got back to work after a three year leave of absence and I am really looking forward to meeting new customers and reconnecting with all my past customers. I have lived in the Newberry area all of my life. I love to help out my family and friends with their vehicle concerns. When you buy a car from me, you are family to me!

Stephanie Bufford

Sales Consultant – Stephanie Bufford: I am a mother of four beautiful children, Alesha (13), Auguste (12), Makaila (9), and Jacob (5). I have been a sales consultant at Newberry Motors for almost three years and enjoy helping people find the right vehicle for them. Stop by or give me a call today. Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family in the outdoors and reading.

Scott Winkelman

Sales Consultant - Scott Winkelman: I live in St. Ignace Michigan with my wife Lisa, our daughter Lauren, and our son Kyle. I have 7 years experience in the car business in sales and finance. I enjoy playing golf, coaching and playing hockey, as well as officiating high school football.

Brenda Holmes

I am excited to partner with Newberry Motors and put my automotive experience to good use. I previously was employed at an auto parts store. I was there for five years and learned a lot about cars, from bumper to bumper and hood to tires. I am a happily married mother of four. My son works in the woods and my daughter is in the Air Force. I have a stepdaughter that attends Michigan State University and a stepdaughter that is graduating high school this year. In my spare time I love to fish, hunt and go camping.

Finance

Service

Nathan Neeb

Service, Parts, Quick Lube and Body Shop Manager - Nathan Neeb: I am a husband to Brooke, my wife of 11 years and father to two children, Claire (8) and Spencer (5). After high school I enrolled at Northwood University and graduated in 1999 with a Bachelors of Business Administration in both Automotive Aftermarket Management and Marketing Management. I have experience working as a parts clerk at an Auto Value parts store and I spent almost 4 years in high performance parts sales to both international and domestic clients. I have a total of 16 years in the industry, 9 of which have been with Newberry Motors exclusively. I enjoy the challenges that come my way as Service and Parts Director. It is the ultimate goal of my team to get your vehicle fixed right the first time and in time. When I am not working, I enjoy hunting, fishing, camping and gardening.

Jordan Couch

Service Consultant - Jordan Couch: I am originally from Ohio and come from a family of seven. I am a husband to Rhiannon, my wife of 6 years. I started working on cars when I was 14 years old. During high school I also went to an automotive vocational school where I learned how to diagnose and repair cars. I went on to college and studied high performance engine building. I have 11 years of experience in the automotive industry, 7 of which have been with Newberry Motors. I am certified by the Automotive Service Excellence organization as an Automotive Technician as well as a Service Consultant. Give me a call if you have a service issue that we can address. I look forward to working with you to resolve your vehicle concerns. When I am not serving you at Newberry Motors I enjoy hunting, fishing, fourwheeling and camping.

Brian Mitchell

Service Consultant – Brian Mitchell: I am a husband of almost twenty years. My wife and I have been foster parents for almost as long. We enjoy the challenges of parenting and currently have 6 children. I got involved in the automotive industry working as a technician for a local logging company. In 1986 I was hired at Newberry Motors and have experience in almost every aspect of the business. Give me a call today with any of your vehicle concerns and I will work hard to get them resolved correctly and in a timely manner. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my wife and kids. We do a lot of camping, fishing, four-wheeling and snowmobiling.

Josh Johnsen

Service Technician – Josh Johnsen: I am a 1995 graduate of the Automotive Service Repair Program at Ferris State University. I ran my own repair shop for 5 years and then worked for 8 years at a facility in Traverse City, Michigan before my move to the U.P. I am ASE Certified as a Master Technician and am current on all my GM and Chrysler Training as well. It’s been two years already since I started working with the Newberry Motors team. I enjoy coming to work everyday and learning how to “operate” on the new vehicles that are being produced every year. When I am not turning a wrench I enjoy snowmobiling and watching football, especially University of Michigan! Go Wolverines!

Mike Blackmer

Service Technician – Mike Blackmer: I have been in the automotive repair industry for 24 years. I started with Glenn Wilson Pontiac Buick in Fenton, Michigan which is now Martin Buick. After that I spent 2 years with the Hydramatic Division of General Motors in Ypsilanti which produces a variety of transmissions. I left there and went to Draper Chevrolet in Saginaw where I spent a few years before deciding that the U.P. was really where I wanted to be. I have been at Newberry Motors almost 13 years now and am their shop foreman. I am an ASE certified Master Technician and am current in all of my GM and Chrysler Training. In my spare time I enjoy hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, riding ATV’s and tractors.

Steve Fair

Service Technician - Steve Fair: I started with Newberry Motors in the Quick Lube. Currently, I am a technician working on my ASE certifications. I am the kind of guy who can 'fix' anything. In my spare time, I love to go mudding, watch and participate in Off Road Racing and catch lots of fish. I live on Big Manistique Lake in Curtis.

Eric Doke

Service Technician - Eric Doke: I have been working with Newberry Motors for over 6 years. I am a ASE Certified Technician with a passion for automotive repair. One of my favorite times of year is the Demolition Derby. My team and I have had a lot of fun and enjoyed much success. I love to fix cars, snowmobiles, four wheelers....just about anything. My favorite person in the world is my two year old son, Dane.

Trent Richards

Body Shop Technician-Trent Richards: I am a Newberry native, graduating from Newberry High School. After high school, I attended Lincoln College of Technology in Indianapolis, Indiana. After college, I worked building street rods in a shop in Greenfield, Indiana. When the opportunity to move home was presented to me, I jumped on it! I am so happy to be back in the U.P. near friends and family and snowmobiling!

Matt McNamara

Body Shop Technician-Matt McNamara: I was born and raised in Newberry. After graduating from Newberry High School, I attended NMU and majored in secondary education. After a few years, I found my niche. I graduated from Wyotech in Wyoming where I studied Auto Body Repair. Since then, I have worked as an Auto Body Technician and it is my passion. I have been married for four years to my beautiful wife, Jessy, who is a nurse at HNJ Hospital. We are expecting the first of many McNamara babies this summer. Although I don't understand why, my nickname is: Red.

Jeff Soblesky

Body Shop Foreman-Jeff Soblesky: I am a lifelong resident of Newberry and the father of my sixteen year old daughter, Lauren. I started in the autobody repair field 30 years ago sweeping floors and taping cars for paint, progressing into all phases of the repair business. I worked for 2 years in Iron Mountain in a truck plant painting heavy equipment. I enjoy all phases of auto body repair, especially refinishing and helping people through the repair process of their vehicle. Give me a call and I will work with you and your insurance company to repair your vehicle in a timely and professional manner. When I'm not working, I enjoy riding my motorcycles, boating, and jet skiing and spending time at the lake with family and friends.

Chad Bodi

I have been in the automotive repair business for over 22 years. Twenty of those years have been in the dealership specifically. I take pride in my work and do my best to make certain your vehicle is fixed right the first time. I have specialized education in the repair field and I keep my ASE certification current by continually testing year after year. I am a husband to Missy and a father to Blake and Kraig. In my spare time I enjoy bowling, hunting, NASCAR and watching Kraig in whatever sport he is currently playing.

Parts

Cecil Sevarns

Parts Sales - Cecil Sevarns: I have enjoyed working in the Newberry Motors' Parts Department for almost 9 years. Every day is a new experience working with the thousands of parts that we sell along with our technicians and customers. I am a Newberry native. I served in the Marine Corps and two of my five children are currently serving in the U.S. Army. I am very proud of my wife, Linda, who has tolerated me for almost 25 years, and my five grandchildren. One is on the way. In my spare time, I have been known to play a little rock'n'roll, fish, hunt, and do almost anything outdoors.

Quick Lube

John McNamara

Quick Lube Manager – John McNamara: I was hired into the quick lube in 1999 as a lube specialist and worked my way up to manager. I enjoy my job because I get to talk to people when they come in for an oil change or one of the many other services that we offer in the quick lube. When I am not working at Newberry Motors or one of my other two jobs I enjoy working on and driving my four cars, one of which is a vintage 1985 Mercedes 300 Turbo Diesel.

Ryan

Quick Lube Technician - Ryan "Willis" Jensen: I am a native of Cadillac, Michigan, but now live in the middle of the woods near McMillan. In my spare time, I love to snowmobile and wood work. I don't like working on my truck, although I do spend quite a bit of time keeping it in good repair. Working in the Quick Lube has been an exciting experience for me. I enjoy meeting with everybody and helping take care of their vehicles.

Jeff McAlpine

I am a Newberry native and have lots of family in the area. My dad got me interested in cars and trucks along with my two brothers. We have been tinkering around with vehicles since I could walk. I have been employed in the automotive industry for almost six years, one of which has been with Newberry Motors. In my spare time I like to ride snowmobiles and fourwheelers as well as work on them. I also like to hunt and fish.

Accounting

Michelle Vruggink

Administration - Michelle Vruggink: I am a wife and mother of two. I grew up working at Newberry Motors. I went to college at Northwood University for Automotive Marketing and worked at Autozone, J&L Warranty Pros, Team Hodges and Graff Motor Sales throughout my college years. After college I started working fulltime at Newberry Motors. I understand all aspects of the automotive business and work hard everyday to support the other members of my team at Newberry Motors. In my spare time I enjoy playing with my 9 hound dogs, camping, gardening, baking, reading and scrapbooking.

Jennifer Magnusson

Administration – Jennifer Magnusson: I am a wife of 12 years to Keith and we have two wonderful boys, Nathan, 10 and Josh, 7. With my boys in school full time, I decided to go back to work full time. I have been at Newberry Motors for almost a year. The majority of my spare time is spent supporting my boys in their sporting events such as wrestling, football, baseball and hockey. We also enjoy camping and spending time with friends.

Sheila LaRoue

I am a wife and mom to three great boys, three busy dogs, a grandma to one beautiful granddaughter and a servant to one demanding cat. I grew up on a dairy farm and worked in the excavating and paper industries after college. After getting married and moving to Newberry, an opportunity with Newberry Motors presented itself. The experience I have in the automotive industry is limited to handing tools and parts to my Uncle who fixed anything we drove on the farm. I am fascinated with new challenges and hope to help make your experience here at Newberry Motors a pleasant one. In my spare time, my family and I enjoy chasing after the animals and our granddaughter, Lauren, as well as hunting, fourwheeling and sharing in the activities of our children and our community.

Detail

Bennett Woltz

Detailer - Bennett Woltz: I have been at Newberry Motors for just almost two years now. I look forward to many more. When I am not working I like to take my vintage Chevy S-10 mudding on the back roads.

Alice Nelson

Detailer - Alice Nelson: I have been with Newberry Motors for 10 years. Detailing has been very rewarding for me because it is so gratifying to see the incredible change I can make on a used car. I am a Saginaw native, but have lived in the Newberry area for 34 years. I think that I should be a Yooper by now! I have been married to my husband, Ken, for 30 years. We have two adult children and five beautiful grandchildren. My church, Northstar Baptist, is a huge part of my life and I am involved in many activities there.