WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. – Richard Herod III, Managing Partner at White Bear Mitsubishi, who joined the Mitsubishi National Advisory Board in 2020 and most recently held the title as Vice Chairman, is now Board Chairman. His term began at the 2022 National Automobile Dealer Association Show earlier this month. The board is comprised of seven dealer members who have 20% or more ownership in their dealership. These members represent a dealer body of more than 330 Mitsubishi dealers nationwide. 

Mitsubishi Motors North America had a successful sales year in 2021, despite low new-vehicle inventory late in the year because of the industrywide computer-chip shortage and other problems with the supply chain.

“We're seeing more affluent buyers,” says Herod. “We're seeing cross-shopping from mainstream brands like Honda, Mazda, Toyota and Subaru. People are very interested in the Mitsubishi Outlander and we have never seen the volume of Outlander sales like we're seeing today. As inventories improve, the sky's the limit. The Outlander has been a hit from day one — the car, the price, the packaging. If we had more, we'd sell more.”

As Board Chairman, Herod will work as a liaison between the dealer body and Mitsubishi Motors North America, assisting in operation strategy, sales event and marketing.

“I’m looking forward to continuing our momentum,” says Herod. “We’ve recently launched a successful marketing campaign, featuring AC/DC’s Thunderstruck, that allowed Mitsubishi Outlander to enjoy a year-over-year sales increase of 300%, and recognition as the fastest growing non-luxury brand in the United States. And with the all-new Outlander plug-in hybrid coming later this year, it’s only going to get better.”