Robert Sickel, owner of Pine Belt Enterprises, Inc., recently assumed the chairmanship of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (NJ CAR). He succeeds Leonard R. Datello (Cumberland Auto Group) as chairman.
Sickel grew up in the car business. His grandfather, Leon, founded the dealership in 1937 and ran it until 1979, when Robert’s father, David, took over and ran the company until retiring earlier this year. From 2004-2008, Sickel worked in every dealership department so he would have a clear understanding of the responsibilities and challenges faced by virtually every employee in the organization; experience that has served him well since he began running the stores in 2013.
Sickel was born and raised in Ocean County. He graduated from the University of Miami in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. In addition to running Pine Belt Enterprises, he currently has an ownership interest in variety of other entities, including Blazing Visuals Sign Shop in Point Pleasant, Pine Belt Insurance Agency in Lakewood and a Playa Bowls franchise in Sea Girt. Sickel was previously co-owner of a national sports clothing brand, ERGO Clothing, and served as a director of Harmony Bank from 2007-2016.
Sickel was recognized as Man of the Year by the Point Pleasant Elks in 2013 and was named to the Automotive News “40 Under 40” list in 2016. He and the Pine Belt organization support a variety of charitable organizations, including many local community events, the local school systems in Lakewood, Brick, Point Pleasant Boro, Point Pleasant Beach and Toms River, as well as Monmouth Medical Center, where Sickel serves on the Operating Board, as well as chairman of the Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus Foundation.
“NJ CAR represents more than 500 neighborhood new car and truck dealers– a $36.1 billion industry that directly employs and supports the jobs of more than 74,000 hardworking men and women in New Jersey,” said Sickel. “New Jersey dealers have always been an integral part of the New Jersey economy and support hundreds of worthwhile charitable causes in every city and town in which we operate. I am proud to lead NJ CAR and provide the Coalition with guidance and support as it evolves to become an even greater resource for dealers, legislators, and consumers.”
NJ CAR’s 2019-2020 Senior Officers also include: Vice Chairwoman Judith A. Schumacher-Tilton (Schumacher Chevrolet of Denville, Denville), Secretary Michael F. DiFeo (Hudson Hyundai, Jersey City) and Treasurer James Curley, III(Jim Curley Buick GMC, Lakewood).
In addition to welcoming a new chairman, NJ CAR launched a brand new web presence (https://njcar.org/) that will serve as a valuable and informative resource, providing information on issues that are critical to both the franchised auto retailing industry and New Jersey consumers. The Coalition has also recently rolled out a comprehensive rebranding effort that honors its history and modernizes the organization’s image.
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