Buick Fleet Sales Rep Platfoot Dies
Ernie Platfoot, a former fleet sales representative for the Buick division in Dallas, has died. He was especially active with the Mary Kay account.
Platfoot
Platfoot
Ernie Platfoot, a former fleet sales representative for the Buick division in Dallas, passed away April 8. He was 86.
Platfoot attended the University of Illinois and graduated from the General Motors Institute of Technology (now Kettering University) in 1950. After college, Platfoot served for three years during the Korean War.
After his military service, Platfoot joined the Buick division of General Motors, and enjoyed a 35-year career in the sales department. He was especially active with the Mary Kay account.
Platfoot worked in Buick Division Fleet Department from 1962 until his retirement from GM in 1991. He also remained involved with the GMI/Kettering University Alumni Association and various other volunteer activities.
Platfoot was an avid photographer and spent many years photographing and researching all 254 Texas county courthouses. He was also good on horseback and could be found riding trails with his horse, Dan. You would often find Platfoot wearing a 10-gallon hat and boots, according to friends and family.
Platfoot is survived by his wife, Sandra; four daughters and their spouses; and 10 grandchildren.
More Operations
Your Local Dealer Knows More Than You Think
Your local dealer can provide an information advantage that extends well beyond courtesy deliveries.
Read More →
Fleet Meets: Austin Schutte
Here are some industry insights, personal touches, and words of advice from the CEO and Founder of Anew Solutions.
Read More →
Soap Box Derby Challenge: What’s Powering Team Brown
The car is coming together, the students are solving real build problems, and the fleet industry is helping push Team Brown toward the starting line.
Read More →
Commercial Fleet Sales Contribute To June, YTD Gains
The fleet sector has boosted its vehicle purchases at a reliable pace in the first half of this year compared with 1H 2025.
Read More →
What Fleet Managers Really Want From Vendors
From customer service frustrations and technology breakdowns to RFQs, change management, and the growing impact of turnover across the industry, this conversation pulls back the curtain on the real operational challenges fleet managers are navigating every day.
Read More →
Fleet Safety Masterclass: Industry Leaders on Storytelling, Strategy & Innovation
In this special masterclass episode, industry leaders break down what it really takes to build safer fleets in today’s increasingly distracted and data-driven world.
Read More →
Integrating Legacy Fleet Systems and Historical Data
In this episode, we bring together fleet and technology leaders to unpack the realities of data integration, system migrations, and the evolving role of AI in fleet management.
Read More →
From Resistance to Results: Change Management Strategies for Fleets
From new technologies and safety programs to evolving regulations, fleets are under constant pressure to adapt. But as Dr. Betz explains, success isn’t about the system you implement—it’s about whether your people actually use it.
Read More →
Where We're Headed: A Practical Look at AI in Fleet
Discover how AI is actually being deployed in fleets, not just marketed, including practical use cases and emerging risks.
Read More →