Patriot INFINITI of Merrillville’s newest General Manager Anthony Manteca knew he was born to work with cars – it’s practically in his DNA. He was introduced to the field in his younger years through his grandfather, and it didn’t take long before he caught interest himself.
“My grandfather worked for General Motors for about 40 years, so growing up, I always enjoyed cars. I worked on them early on in high school and college, and I actually thought I wanted to be a mechanic,” Manteca said.
While he thought working on cars would be the overall game plan, Manteca found another passion as he began to establish his career: sales. While selling shoes in a mall at 18, he realized he understood both cars and sales quite well. To make the jump to combine both would be an easy switch he was more than ready to take on.
His love for sports further fueled this passion. Manteca has always been an avid baseball fan and was even a part of a men’s league until just a few years prior. Whether it was on the baseball field or selling field, Manteca learned he was always up for a challenge and enjoyed teams working together to reach a common goal.
“I started 14 years ago and worked my way up through the positions in the group. As I got to the top of the sales department, I wanted a new challenge. I was very confident in my abilities, but it was still something new to me,” Manteca said. “I like to lead teams. One of the biggest things that I pride myself in is creating a positive culture and making sure that, internally, people are looking five or 10 years ahead. Being a leader of a team of 30 to 40 people was a very attractive role for me.”
That drive had Manteca later riding over to Patriot INFINITI, where he joined as a general manager just around a month ago. While new to the team, he is no stranger to the INFINITI brand. He already had a solid relationship with Owner Shawn Kohli and has been a proud owner of INFINITI vehicles for about eight years. That’s why, when the opportunity for employment at the dealership came about, Manteca knew this was just the route he needed to take.
“It's a brand new group. I think that the reputation they have is great,” Manteca said. “It aligned with my own career goals, and obviously this group is expanding in a market I’ve spent a majority of my career with. I'm very familiar with the brand and the product itself. A lot of things aligned; it just was a perfect fit.”
Now, Manteca can be seen out and about at Patriot both assisting customers and working with other employees to make sure all is running smoothly at the Merrillville dealership. He wants each part of his team to succeed – whether that be helping people find their dream car or helping out a fellow coworker with any questions they may have while on the job. Through his new role, Manteca is able to use his leadership skills to help everyone thrive.
“I enjoy the interactions with different people and understanding the way the markets change, but there are constantly new refreshments on products that keep you on your toes,” Manteca said. “You're constantly learning new things about the cars, the technology, and the customer interactions. I think it's a great way to network. I love being able to satisfy the customers so that they come back repeatedly. They see your service department, they send you referrals, and we're able to be involved in the community.”
Manteca’s team, in turn, is his favorite part about the new gig. The people he encounters on the daily, coworkers and customers alike, have made the role all the better, and he is thrilled he gets to work with them all every day.
“I haven't been here for that long of a period of time, but I enjoyed just how welcoming everyone was,” Manteca said. “It's a great team here; the entire team is phenomenal. It's pretty easy to walk into a store where customers already love coming here. Customers love purchasing and servicing here, so at this point, it's just growing.”
Looking ahead, Manteca is excited to bring others to his team and show them what owning an INFINITI vehicle is all about. It’s a brand he’s come to love over the past decade, and he can’t wait for others to get in on the action.
“Our vehicles are all about quality, convenience, and confidence,” Manteca said. “We want all of our customers to feel confident in not only purchasing a car from us but servicing their car and trusting us that they can pull into our service drive. We strive to provide an exceptional experience and treat everyone like their family.”
Outside of work, Manteca enjoys spending time with his three kids, ages 10, 2, and 1. They can typically be found outside and are big into sports and horseback riding. He also noted his younger daughters especially love feeding cows and goats.
For more information about Patriot INFINITI of Merrillville, please visit infinitimerrillville.com.
