Carlos Ledezma
Carlos Ledezma
Carlos Ledezma is the Chief Executive Officer at Cable Dahmer Automotive Group.
Cable Dahmer Automotive Group has created a brand of customer experience through automotive sales, service, parts, and body shop venues. In 2024, the automotive group sold over 12,844 new and used vehicles, 68,549 fleet vehicles and serviced over 171,204 customers in the Kansas City area. Cable Dahmer has generated over $4 billion in sales and boasts 1,150 team members. In 2024 we invested over $18 million dollars in expanding and improving our company. Cable Dahmer continues to thrive.
Carlos Ledezma, CEO, has 40 + years of experience in the automotive industry. After spending several years consulting with auto dealerships across the country, he joined Cable Dahmer Chevrolet in 1995 in the position of General Sales Manager. He became a minority GM owner in 1997 and purchased the dealership in 2002. His long-term goal is to continue to grow, purchase more stores and provide opportunities for people to develop and reach their potential.
In April 2007, Cable Dahmer acquired its second store location, Cable Dahmer of Kansas City and in August 2012 the Cable Dahmer Buick GMC Cadillac opened in Independence. Cable Dahmer opened its state-of-the-art Kia Gallery store on August 25, 2017. On September 25, 2017, Cable Dahmer acquired two more stores from Hendrick Auto Group, Cable Dahmer Cadillac of KC, and Cable Dahmer Buick GMC of KC. In 2019 we created our own in-house marketing agency, Martin City Marketing. In Dec. 2021, we purchased the Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC Cadillac point from Ed Bozarth in Topeka KS. Then in March of 2023 Cable Dahmer acquired the State Line Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM dealership location to expand our offerings and extend our brand in the Kansas City area.
Throughout his automotive career, Carlos has served on several boards including the GM Dealer Fixed Operations Board (DFOAB). He has served as President of the Local Marketing Association (LMA). He was named National Dealer of the Year in 2007, and his dealerships have received the distinguished General Motors Mark of Excellence Awards for the last 17 years, including the prestigious Cadillac Master Dealer Award in 2013 and again in 2017. He is a founding Board Member of the Noland Road Community Improvement District. He was honored in the Top 250 most powerful leaders in Kansas City in 2016, 2017, 2018 and the Top 50 Missourians in 2015. He was named Truman Heartland Foundation Corporate Citizen of the Year in 2017. In 2022 He received the Spirit of Philanthropy Business of the year from the greater Kansas City AFP. We believe in being involved in our community. In 2020, our dealerships partnered with Harvesters to provide one million meals to families in Kansas City who may not know where their next meal is coming from. This is known as the Million Meal Mission.
BY THE END OF 2024, CABLE DAHMER HAD HELPED FEED OVER 17,289,366 MILLION MEALS FOR THE KANSAS CITY / TOPEKA AREA.
Other recognitions for Cable Dahmer Automotive Group include:
- Fastest growing business in Kansas City.
- The Independence Mayor proclaimed December 5 th as Cable Dahmer Day.
- Recognized by Kansas City Business Journal as the #1 Minority owned business in Kansas City.
- Top 100 privately owned companies in Kansas City.
- Cable Dahmer was recognized as the “Best Domestic Dealer in Kansas City.”
- Named a Top 250 Company by Ingram’s.
Carlos and his wife, Sheila, have been married 43 years and are the proud parents of two daughters and six grandchildren. He is a strong Christian whose beliefs and ideals are evident in the way he conducts business. He believes in doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do. He also believes in people and strives to develop a staff with the same work ethics, values, and principles that were instilled in him by his parents. The value statement for him and the company he leads is… We are a Company of People developing People…
IF WE COULD ONLY FOCUS ON THREE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS, WHICH ONES WOULD MOST ACCELERATE US TOWARD OUR 2028 VISION—AND WHY?
Our three priorities are clear and nonnegotiable:
- Customer Retention – Retention fuels sustainable growth and profitability. It’s far more cost effective to keep a customer than to acquire a new one, and it builds brand loyalty that competitors can’t replicate.
- Develop Leaders – Leaders multiply results. By building a deep bench of leaders who can coach, inspire, and drive results, we ensure performance isn’t dependent on a few key people—it becomes cultural.
- Scalable Infrastructure – To grow without chaos, our systems, processes, and technology must be designed to handle two to three times our current volume without losing quality, culture, or control. If we stay laser-focused on these three, we’ll not only hit 30% net to gross but also set the stage for multi-generational stability and growth.
If we stay laser-focused on these three, we’ll not only hit 30% net to gross but also set the stage for multi-generational stability and growth.
WHAT IS THE SINGLE LARGEST BARRIER HOLDING US BACK FROM BEING THE MOST ADMIRED AUTOMOTIVE GROUP IN THE MIDWEST?
The greatest barrier is inconsistency in execution—we have world-class processes and cultural values, but they’re not applied with the same rigor and discipline at every rooftop and in every department. Until execution becomes universally consistent—regardless of location, leader, or market—we can’t fully deliver on our brand promise every single time.
IF WE HAD TO DOUBLE OUR RESULTS WITHOUT ADDING MORE PEOPLE OR LOCATIONS, WHAT WOULD WE CHANGE FIRST?
We would focus on process optimization and performance accountability:
- Streamline every workflow to remove bottlenecks and non-value added steps.
- Use data to feed the production to help train the staff to help them stay engaged in a more proficient platform.
- Strengthen accountability systems so metrics are visible daily, and leaders coach to those metrics relentlessly.
This would unlock productivity and gross profit from the same headcount and facilities—essentially creating capacity without cost.
WHAT WILL OUR CUSTOMERS, EMPLOYEES, AND COMMUNITY SAY ABOUT CABLE DAHMER IN 2028 IF WE SUCCEED IN OUR MISSION?
- Customers: “They remember my name, they care about my needs, and they make every interaction easy and enjoyable. I’ll never buy or service a car anywhere else.”
- Employees: “This is the best place I’ve ever worked. I’m challenged, I’m developed, and I’m recognized. My leaders believe in me and help me grow.”
- Community: “Cable Dahmer makes our community a better place to live. They give back, they support families, and they create real opportunity for people.”
WHICH PART OF YOUR ROLE OR YOUR DEPARTMENT’S WORK WILL LEAVE A LEGACY THAT OUTLASTS YOU?
My legacy will be a leadership-driven, values-anchored business model that consistently produces high performance and high trust. The part of my role that will leave a legacy is the leaders I’ve developed who are now developing other leaders. My true measure of success will not be the numbers we’ve hit or the awards on the wall, but the depth of leadership bench. We’ve built men and women who think, act, and lead with the values and vision of Cable Dahmer long after I’m gone.
Our systems, culture, and business results will endure because they will be in the hands of leaders who are better than I am—leaders who feel a responsibility to multiply themselves just as I have multiplied myself in them. The real legacy will be a self-perpetuating culture of high performance, trust, and growth that continues to compound long after any one of us is in the chair