Mansfield Motor Group enters new chapter as longtime owner plans retirement

MANSFIELD — Dirk Schluter has spent much of his life behind the wheel of Mansfield Motor Group.

He is now ready to put the brakes on his career — and drive away into retirement.

Schluter, 69, recently completed the sale of Mansfield Motor Group to Clement Auto Group, marking the end of 79 years of family ownership.

When asked what led to the decision and why now was the right time to change ownership, Schluter noted one simple reason: retirement.

“Because I’m retiring,” Schluter said. “Because I’m not 30 anymore.”

Schluter said retirement ultimately made the timing right, even though walking away from the business means leaving behind employees and customers who became an important part of his life.

“I made a lot of friends and I’ve got a lot of employees here,” he said. “So it was really hard to do that because it affects our employees.”

Schluter said several people expressed interest in buying the dealership. He worked with a broker who spoke with potential buyers and negotiated the sale before the two sides settled with Clement.

The transition brings mixed emotions for Schluter, who said his family’s long history with the dealership made the sale bittersweet.

“Well, it’s sweet and sour,” Schluter said. “Our family is four generations and 79 years [old].”

Schluter, Mansfield Motor Group’s third-generation president, explained in a story in 2022 that his grandfather started the business in 1947. Dirk’s uncle and father perpetuated the dealership prior to Dirk and his brother, Brett Schluter taking control.

MMG was formally named Whitey’s Auto Mall for his grandfather’s white hair —  Frank “Whitey” Schluter.

A new chapter for the dealership

Penuel Raj Clement founded Clement Auto Group in 2012 and has since expanded its operations throughout the St. Louis area and Illinois.

Customers will begin seeing the Clement name around the dealerships, but the familiar faces will remain, according to the announcement of the sale.

“You can still expect the same familiar faces, the same local team and the same commitment to taking care of our customers,” Clement Auto Group said in a Facebook post on Mansfield Motor Group’s page.

Clement Auto Group also emphasized the importance of maintaining the dealership’s ties to the community.

“For years, Mansfield Motor Group has built strong relationships throughout the community and earned the trust of customers across Mansfield and the surrounding area. As we begin this next chapter together, preserving that history and those relationships is incredibly important to us.”

Schluter said keeping employees and customers in mind throughout the transition remains important to him.

“We’re still here and it’s the same people,” he said. “And we’re here to take care of our employees and our customers. And we’re doing the best we can at both of those.”

The Facebook post states Clement Auto Group plans to build on what Mansfield Motor Group has already created while bringing additional resources, opportunities and support to the team.

Schluter looks toward retirement

When Schluter looks back on 79 years of family involvement with Mansfield Motor Group, he said choosing one favorite memory proves difficult.

“Oh, gee, you know, 79 years, there’s a lot of them,” he said. “That’s kind of hard to answer.”

Instead, Schluter pointed to the relationship between the dealership and the community as something he values most.

“We’re just very happy to be part of the community,” he said, “and I will continue to be part of the community.”

Schluter said he loves living in Mansfield and appreciates the support the community has given his family over the years.

“The community has been good to us,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ve been good to the community.”

Schluter has not settled on specific retirement plans yet. He still has work to do to unwind his responsibilities and hopes to have more time to think about what comes next within a month or two.

For now, Schluter said his priority is simple.

“Right now, I just want to spend time with my family,” he said.

As Mansfield Motor Group begins its next chapter with Clement Auto Group, Schluter said he remains grateful to the people who helped shape the dealership and the community that supported it.

“We’re just thankful to all the past employees, the current employees and extremely thankful and appreciative to the community,” Schluter said. “We love Mansfield. And we’re still here.”