Yes, controllers are expensive to hire. But, dealers who employ them frequently claim they are among the best hiring decisions they ever made.
Controllers are super-sharp accountants with financial management skills that can hold the business and its managers accountable to long-term goals. Their negotiating skills often secure better terms for dealers, adding more money to the bottom line.

Dealers often claim their controller is their right-hand person, and they?d rather give up their right arm than give up their controller. But, does your business need such a high-level financial manager?

A controller brings more horsepower to recordkeeping. This person can do the same tasks as a bookkeeper, but will also have significant experience in accounting and typically years of experience in a dealership setting. A controller is often a CPA with four years of education, and 90 percent of people in this position have a degree in accounting.

Not only can a controller record historical data, but he can navigate rules and regulations, prepare budgets and forecasts, enter into business negotiations, and close financial dealings. ?A controller brings a higher level of sophistication to an RV dealership. In many cases the controller can supervise an office manager/bookkeeper,? said said Stephan King, a partner with Moss Adams and specialist in consulting with RV dealers.

Dealers contemplating hiring a controller are often scared of investing the money it costs to hire someone in that role, King said. But, it?s an investment that often pays for itself quickly. Those dealers who have hired controllers come to depend upon them to run the day-to-day business in their absence.

The tipping point

A bookkeeper can generally help a dealer handle most financial transactions until sales reach the $15 million mark. At that point, King said dealers would be hard pressed to believe they don?t need controller. When a dealership grows to the point it generates between $50 million and $60 million per year in sales, King said the dealer better have a controller on staff, if not a CFO.