A native Californian, Boeckmann began his career selling automobiles at Galpin Ford in 1953.  His exceptional ability and astuteness was quickly evident and by 1957, at age 26, he was general manager of the company.  In 1960, he began a buy-out of the corporation, purchasing stock with his own earnings, which were based on a percentage of the profit of the company.  By 1968, the buy-out was complete, and today, Boeckmann is widely recognized as the most honored and successful automobile dealer in America.

For 32 of the past 36 years, he has been #1 in profit with Ford Motor Company nationally and, for the past 13 years, has maintained leadership in retail car or truck sales.  He currently ranks #1 nationally in Ford retail car and truck sales; #1 nationally in leasing and #1 nationally in finance.  His more recent additions of Lincoln Mercury, Saturn Jaguar, Mazda, Volvo and Aston Martin are also top ranking leaders in sales and customer satisfaction.  Boeckmann and his dealerships have received over 3,000 awards and honors for outstanding professional leadership as a result of extensive involvement within his community and civic life.

His ethical standards and moral character have brought a strength and solidarity not only to his personal life, but also to his business and economic endeavors as well.  A man of wisdom and commitment, Boeckmann’s leadership is by example, and is most evident in his ability to attract people of like character, and build a strong and enduring organization based on service and integrity.

In addition to the hands-on, day-to-day operation of 8 preeminently successful automobile franchises, Boeckmann has been involved in numerous other business ventures.  These include buffalo and cattle ranching, publishing, finance, computerized language translation systems worldwide, manufacturing in California and Costa Rica, real estate and resort developments in Southern California, Oregon, Hawaii and Puerto Rico; gold and diamond mining in West Africa; and, most recently, joint ventures in Russia.

He is a man who honors God and puts family ahead of all earthly endeavors.  He is a devoted and loving husband to Jane, his wife of 35 years; and has instilled in his children those same principles and values which reflect his own character.  He cares deeply for his 5 children, their families, and his 5 grandchildren.  

Since taking over management of Galpin Ford in 1957, Boeckmann has been, and continues to be today, the guiding force behind the continuing success of the company.  He functions daily as the General Manager of the Company, even though he has been its President for 39 years and sole owner for 35 years.  He has developed a management team that shares his enthusiasm, honesty and dedication to the company and to the people they serve.  The tenure of his top management team (which ranges from 18-40 years) attests to their commitment to the company as well as to Boeckmann and to the ideals and principles which he embodies.

Yet, becoming an outstanding success in the automobile business was just the beginning.  While continuing to keep Galpin Ford and the added franchises at the “top of the heap” in sales and customer satisfaction, Boeckmann utilized his financial position to diversify into many other business interests.

From motor home manufacturing (which became #1 in sales in California in its category the first year out) to publishing, insurance, language translation systems, ranching, mining alternative fuels, major real estate developments, resort development and executive production of documentary movies, one of which earned him an Emmy-Boeckmann is a literal giant of commerce.

But commerce is only one aspect of Boeckmann’s life, albeit a most important one.  His community, his state and his nation have benefited from his unselfish giving and expertise.

In December, 1991, Boeckmann and his wife, Jane, together with Secretary of State and Mrs. James Baker, co-chaired an event in Blair House in Washington, DC, to honor Mother Teresa with the Prince of Peace Prize, Boeckmann arranged for a $1,000,000.00 gift to Mother Teresa’s charities in the form of medical supplies, food, clothing and other needed goods. 

In May 1992, he responded to a desperate plea from the city government of Moscow and the Russian farmers.  Seeds were dismally lacking in supply and they feared the dire consequences of no harvests by Russian farmers for the next winter.  Again, through organizations of which he is a part, arrangements were quickly made for donations of 57,000 pounds of seed, and the Department of Defense responded positively to the request for air transportation in order to have them there in time for the short planting season.

Then he and his wife met the transport plane in Moscow and personally oversaw the distribution of the seeds in three different farming regions outside of Moscow.

Later that year, other pleas came to Boechmanns, this time from the USSR Ministry of Health and the Moscow Medical Academy requesting humanitarian aid in the form of medical supplies, medicines and surgical supplies, medicines and surgical equipment to “save the lives of the newborn and their mothers”.  The Boeckmanns met the shipment and oversaw its distribution.

These are only quick glimpses into the life of this most unusual and accomplished man.     

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