Built by dealers for dealers
Russ Darrow III has only known the car buisness since he started at 13 years old. Russ has helped his family dealership group thrive through many different buisiness environments.
Early Foundation
Family dealership roots, early entrepreneurship, and the customer experience mindset that shaped a lifelong automotive vision.
Growth & Leadership (1984–1995)
Strategic leadership and store performance improvement that helped turn underperforming operations into top-ranked dealerships.
Executive Expansion (1992–2005)
Executive VP leadership, group-wide sales and marketing oversight, and growth to 22 dealerships with major OEM honors.
Entrepreneurship & National Growth (2006–2010)
Multi-state dealership networks, 300+ employees, and innovative marketing and event programs serving dealer groups nationwide.
Leadership timeline
Russ Darrow III has been growing the family buisness with his father Russ Darrow Jr. and Mike Darrow.
Early Foundation
Started in the family dealership at age 13, launched his first business by age 15, and built early instincts around leadership and customer experience.
Growth & Leadership
Helped transform underperforming stores into top-performing dealerships and sharpened the operational mindset that supported long-term automotive growth.
Executive Expansion
Advanced to Executive VP, overseeing group-wide sales and marketing while helping expand the operation to 22 dealerships with multiple OEM honors.
National Growth
Founded and operated multi-state dealership networks employing more than 300 people and launched event and marketing programs serving groups nationwide.
The Russ Darrow Group Legacy
The Russ Darrow Group of automotive dealerships has been serving Wisconsin buyers since 1965
- 1965: Russ Darrow Jr. opened the first dealership in West Bend, Wisconsin.
- 1997: the group added new acquisitions, finance capability, and additional growth platforms.
- 2001–2007: major expansion included new corporate offices and multiple dealership openings.
- 2024: a new Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM dealership in West Bend honored the group’s legacy where it all started.
Russ Darrow III started DealerDriven.ai in May of 2025 when it was obvious that artificial intelegnece was going to impact the family dealerships in major way similar to when the internet arrived in the 1990's.
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