Automotive Fleet
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Ford Fleet Announces Retirements and Appointments

DEARBORN, MI — Jerry Frick, director, commercial and government operations, and John Treter, director, rental operations, announced their intentions to retire from Ford Motor Co. effective Jan. 1, 2006.

by Staff
September 27, 2005
2 min to read


DEARBORN, MI — Jerry Frick, director, commercial and government operations, and John Treter, director, rental operations, announced their intentions to retire from Ford Motor Co. effective Jan. 1, 2006.

Frick began his career in 1970 and held field sales positions in San Francisco, Memphis, the North-east Region, and Pittsburgh, where he was district manager. In 1990, Frick was appointed director of truck marketing for Ford of Europe. In December 1994, he was named VP, marketing and sales for Jaguar Cars, North America and in 1996, Frick came to NAFLRO to lead Ford’s commercial and government fleet sales operations.

Ad Loading...

Treter began his career in 1966 in the Lansing district sales office and held a number of sales and marketing assignments in both Ford and Lincoln Mercury. In 1980, Treter joined Lincoln Mercury and spent the next 18 years in the division, including field assignments in Philadelphia and Atlanta. In 1988, he was appointed fleet and leasing manager for Lincoln Mercury Division. Treter joined NAFLRO in 1998 as director of rental, limousine, and livery operations.

Over the years, Frick and Treter received numerous industry accolades and served on many advi-sory boards. Frick and Treter will work with their replacements to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities. Effective Oct. 1, John Ruppert is appointed general manager, commercial and government opera-tions, replacing Frick. Ruppert has worked closely with Frick for the past two years. In this new role, Ruppert reports to Hal Feder, executive director, Ford North American Fleet, Lease and Remarketing Operations.

Eric Guenther, formerly Kansas City regional manager for Ford Division, is appointed fleet operations manager, replacing Ruppert. Guenther is a 20-year Ford veteran and has held a number of sales and marketing positions.

Randy Gold is appointed general manager, rental operations, replacing Treter. Since May 2004, Gold has been auction operations manager in NAFLRO's remarketing activity. Previous NAFLRO fleet sales experience included serving as NAFLRO’s major leasing accounts manager in 1996-1998 and manager of the NAFLRO central region for 4 years.

Topics:Operations

More Operations

Two employees pull opposite ends of a rope in a tug-of-war, illustrating workplace conflict and the leadership strategies fleet organizations use to improve communication and teamwork.
Operationsby Faith HowellJune 8, 2026

How to Manage Conflict for Your Fleet Operations

Conflict management is becoming a core leadership skill. Here are five strategies fleet leaders should know.

Read More →
wheel geotab image
SponsoredJune 1, 2026

Turning Connected Vehicle Data Into Decisions That Matter

Fleet leaders have more data than ever, but turning that data into clear, actionable decisions remains a challenge. This white paper shows how leading organizations are using connected vehicle data to improve safety, reduce costs, and optimize fleet performance. Learn how to turn insight into action across your fleet.

Read More →
A person holding a clipboard and writing on an inspection checklist beside the wheel of a large white vehicle, likely conducting a fleet or safety inspection.
SponsoredJune 1, 2026

Cameras, Safety and Insurance: From Reactive Claims to Real-time Prevention

Commercial auto remains one of the most challenging and costly lines of coverage for fleet operators and insurers alike. Learn more about how to effectively address these issues from Onur Aksan, Enterprise Business Development Executive, Geotab.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
fleetio coast pay
SponsoredMay 29, 2026

Are You Tracking Your Fleet's True Total Cost of Ownership?

Bobit Business Media surveyed 190 fleet professionals and found that while most fleets are tracking costs, fragmented systems and data gaps are keeping true TCO visibility out of reach. With rising pressure to control spend in an increasingly volatile environment, the gap between what fleets think they know and what the data actually shows is wider than you might expect. See how your peers are managing costs today and where the industry still has room to improve.

Read More →
Promotional graphic for a fleet management whitepaper titled “From Data Overload to Decisive Action: 5 Steps to Drive Smarter Fleet Decisions.” The design features a row of white commercial fleet vans, blue and lime-green branding, and supporting text about using telematics data to improve fleet performance, driver behavior, safety, and operational decision-making. A highlighted quote reads, “The challenge is no longer collecting data. The challenge is using it effectively.” The Utilimarc logo appears at the bottom alongside the website URL.
SponsoredMay 28, 2026

Turn Fleet Data Into Smarter Decisions

Fleet leaders have access to more operational data than ever, but disconnected systems and unclear metrics often slow decision-making instead of improving it. This article outlines five practical steps fleets can take to transform fragmented data into actionable insights that improve planning, safety, utilization, and long-term performance.

Read More →
SponsoredMay 15, 2026

Hybrids: Electrification Without the Challenges

For fleet managers, fuel is one of the biggest line items in the budget — and it's one hybrids can shrink without changing how your people work. Download the eBook to see the numbers, understand the technology, and get a step-by-step guide to making the switch.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Man speaking during an Automotive Fleet interview beside text reading “The 60% Driver Improvement Nobody Expected!” with blue motion graphics background.
Operationsby Chris BrownMay 14, 2026

How NOV Uses Telematics to Improve Fleet Safety Across 160 Locations

James Victory of NOV discusses how the company manages fleet safety, maintenance, and telematics across more than 150 locations supporting oilfield operations throughout the U.S.

Read More →
A graphic with Ford Pro's Steven Sanstostasi's headshot on it representing the Fleet Meets series.
Operationsby Faith HowellMay 14, 2026

Fleet Meets: Steven Santostasi

This edition of the Fleet Meets series features Steven Santostasi, the current TSP channel manager for Ford Pro.

Read More →
Cover of a whitepaper titled “The Hidden Costs of Departmentally Assigned Vehicles on Your Fleet” featuring a black fleet vehicle driving on a road at sunset. Subheadline reads: “Discover how your fleet can reduce costs and minimize risk by implementing vehicle sharing.” The document focuses on fleet optimization, vehicle sharing, cost reduction, utilization tracking, and risk management for fleet operations.
SponsoredMay 13, 2026

Why Fleet Managers Are Replacing Departmental Vehicles with Shared Motor Pools

Departmentally assigned vehicles often create hidden costs through underutilization, poor visibility, and increased administrative burden. This white paper explores how shared motor pool strategies help fleets reduce costs, improve accountability, and optimize vehicle utilization.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Three team members in shop with Chris
Operationsby Chris BrownMay 12, 2026

Soap Box Derby Challenge: Assembling the Crew

Meet Gabriel, Matthew, and Angel — the team helping bring this soap box derby build to life.

Read More →