For those nearby Kia commercials, Caroline Renfro, better known simply as “Caroline,” has made a comeback to television. Back in 2017, she left her position. Then Billy Fuccillo sponsored a competition to choose Caroline’s replacement, and McKinzie Roth won. Billy claimed Caroline called him and requested to return.
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Caroline left Fuccillo Kia for what reasons?
The two made Renfro’s return official on Saturday with an all-day “Welcome Back party” with food and live jazz music that attracted hundreds to the Cape Coral shop.
Before the two showed in, dozens of salespeople in red polo shirts circulated the tables for several hours.
For eight years, Renfro was Fuccillo’s pitch partner, helping to record commercials, sell automobiles, and eventually emerge as one of the brand’s faces. But she left in the latter part of 2017.
The parting was cordial yet a little hasty. Initially, Fuccillo claimed Renfro went for Spain in order to join a nun in Virginia, but subsequently he claimed he was unaware of her reasons for leaving. The reason Renfro departed the country, she claimed on Saturday, was to “go out and kind of go places that I hadn’t been.
While she was away, the two kept in touch by texting each other and speaking once a month, according to Fuccillo. Renfro later returned to the United States where she spent time with her folks hiking in western North Carolina.
I returned to Spain on my own, but once he learned that I had done so, we began to discuss making some advertisements in what I initially took to be lighthearted conversation, Renfro recalled.
But after that, he said, “No, let’s do it.”
Immediately after Renfro had left, Fuccillo conducted a nationwide hunt for the “next Caroline,” a model for his ads. Soon, Portland, Oregon-based model and TV newscaster McKinzie Roth was chosen. Roth will now serve as a sales representative for a Nissan dealership run by Fuccillo’s son in both Tampa and Jacksonville.
The seasoned team wasted no time in beginning the Saturday’s batch of advertising. As soon as they entered the building, a group of about a dozen people flanked them in an effort to gain a live view of the upcoming advertisement.
A fan of the commercials named Kay Rihn traveled from Englewood to Cape Coral to speak with Fuccillo. After Renfro left, Rihn called the dealership incensed more than a year ago.
However, when she discovered Caroline had departed on her own initiative and subsequently learned she would be returning, she made the hour-long drive to apologize to Fuccillo in person.
In Port Charlotte, Fuccillo and Renfro intend to host a similar “Welcome back event” on Sunday. At this event, they will welcome attendees and take additional live advertisements.
“There’s no pretend (with Caroline). You will receive what you see, and receive that which you see. She is able to connect with people, just like I can, Fuccillo remarked. We sort of fit the same mold. We just disagree on one thing: I prefer roses and mints on my pillow at night, whereas she is content to sleep in a tent in the mountains. The only aspect of us that differs is that.
But because we’re just average folks, we can relate to people because we’re so people-oriented.
What is Fuccillo Kia’s Caroline doing?
A lot of people have noted that Caroline is no longer flanking “Huge.” What has become of her?
What transpired with Caroline in the Kia advertisements? In the new ads, she has been replaced.
A: It’s amazing that Caroline’s absence from the local Fuccillo Kia of Cape Coral television advertising was apparent this month. That demonstrates how commonplace these locations have grown in Southwest Florida, especially with dealership owner Billy Fuccillo’s confrontational catchphrase, “It’s HUGE!”
Because they are so prevalent, Caroline, his marketing assistant, and Fuccillo are undoubtedly huge here. springing out on slick posters in mailboxes, roaring from every radio station, disrupting every TV channel, and spreading across the Naples Daily News. They cannot be overlooked.
Of course, this is the reason another blonde named Abby took Caroline’s place in this month’s advertising when she was absent.
“For two weeks, Caroline was on vacation. She wasn’t in the advertising because of this “Fuccillo stated over the phone from Syracuse, New York, the headquarters of his enormous auto company.
So, when she was away, the girl who fills in on our infomercials covered for her.
Unlike other lovely faces, Caroline Renfro is unique. She is a North Carolina native who works as a professional spokesperson. She has also promoted the Charlotte Bobcats basketball club and a supermarket chain that is located close to Charlotte. After seeing her in advertising for a Kia dealership in the Carolinas, Fuccillo recruited her.
Currently, Fuccillo and Renfro record roughly 35 TV ads per month. Since it opened in December 2010, these pitches have assisted the Cape Coral dealership in selling 7,500 to 8,000 vehicles annually, making it the top Kia dealer in the country, according to Fuccillo.
For August, the duo already had commercials taped. So, Caroline will return to broadcasting this week, according to Fuccillo.
Caroline may be noteworthy, but compared to Fuccillo’s King Kong persona, she is just second best. Imagine the reaction Fuccillo encounters as a result when he is out and about in Southwest Florida. More people will likely recognize him by his voice than by his face.
“I spend the entire night signing autographs wherever I go. Regardless of where I go “said Fuccillo. “They start the “Huge” chant as soon as I enter the Blue Martini.”
Fuccillo recalled a day when he was fifth in line at a Publix grocery store in the neighborhood when a man in the next line recognized him.
“Hey, Huge, how are you doing? he greeted. The four individuals in front of me all turned around, “explained Fuccillo.
The proprietor of the Fuccillo Automotive Group, which consists of over 20 automobile dealerships, claimed he doesn’t mind being referred to as “Huge.” It doesn’t actually refer to Fuccillo’s size, which is unquestionably enormous and tall. It’s not only about his $100 million reported net worth. Whether you like it or not, the focus is primarily on Fuccillo assimilating into Southwest Florida daily life. That is MASSIVE.
What disease did Billy Fuccillo suffer from?
Fuccillo’s passing was disclosed to members of the Syracuse Auto Dealers Association through email on Friday morning, according to WSTM.
Following a stroke, Fuccillo’s health had deteriorated during the previous year, and he sold the Ruane family his property in Cape Coral, Florida, for $2.25 million, according to the Fort Myers News-Press. At the time of his passing, he was a resident of Sarasota, Florida.
Two dealerships in southwest Florida, located in Port Charlotte and Cape Coral, were sold by Fuccillo last year to the publicly held LMP Automotive Holdings company, according to the newspaper. According to the Albany Times-Union, Fuccillo sold Matthews Auto Group three New York dealerships in the Syracuse area and two in the Rochester area in January 2021.
The advertisements Fuccillo was most famous for on television and radio always ended with a loud voice.
“In an interview with the Times Union in 2008, Fuccillo stated, “My mum says she mutes me when my advertisements come on.”
“William Fitzpatrick, the district attorney for Onondaga County, told WSTM that he was larger than life.
“He was a large man. He had a strong personality, according to Kim Perrella, vice president of member relations and auto shows for the Eastern New York Coalition of Automotive Retailers, Inc.
Fitzpatrick claimed that Fuccillo, an enthusiastic golfer, attracted attention everywhere he went.
Every time we played and he made a shot, someone would exclaim, “That was HUGE! According to Fitzpatrick, Billy would wave and smile as if he were hearing it for the first time. “Just a wonderful man.
Before earning a degree in marketing, Fuccillo played tight end for the football team at Syracuse University, according to the News-Press. According to the Times-Union, he claimed to be broke and on the verge of being kicked out of his flat after graduation.
“Selling automobiles was the only employment I could find, Fuccillo admitted to the newspaper. “I discovered I was proficient at it.
According to WKBW, Fuccillo was also renowned for his generosity. Fucillo Automotive provided hundreds of meals at a time to front-line staff at hospitals around Western New York during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“People could make fun of him, but what the heck? Because everyone knew his name, that man was among the smartest men I have ever met, Perrella told the Times-Union.” In terms of marketing, he did an excellent job.
According to the News-Press, Fuccillo organized a Styx performance on his Cape Coral lot in 2012 that attracted thousands of the band’s fans and resulted in the sale of dozens of vehicles.
When he sold 523 automobiles in a single day in 1996, Fuccillo claimed it was his best day as a dealer. According to the press, he invited Evil Knievel’s son Robbie to jump his motorcycle over 19 automobiles in front of the Adams Dealership.
Fuccillo’s current owner?
COLONIEA
Many of the nearby Fuccillo auto stores are being taken over by a new high-energy car salesman with a slogan.
Many of the Fuccillo stores in the Capital Region and other regions of upstate have been acquired by Walid “Wally” Darwish, a rising auto dealer based in New Jersey.
Since Billy Fuccillo, a former Syracuse football star who built a vehicle marketing empire with his distinctive “yuuuuuuge-jahhh,” or “big,” tagline at the conclusion of ads, passed away in 2021, Fuccillo has been selling off its dealerships.
The son of Billy Fuccillo, who now owns Fuccillo, recently sold Darwish four local dealerships. Although the deal’s terms were not disclosed, county real estate records show that Darwish obtained mortgages for the homes totaling tens of millions of dollars. East Greenbush, Colonie, and Amsterdam shops are among them.
Darwish, who shares Fuccillo’s flamboyant demeanor, has his own catchphrase that is based on his moniker Wally: “Whoo-hoo!”
Although TV stations in other cities run by Fuccillo and a national trade magazine were the first to announce the original transactions, the Albany Business Review was the first local publication to report on the deals.
Darwish could not immediately be reached for comment, but the business announced the acquisition in a post on Facebook on April 29 that appeared on several pages, including the former Fuccillo Ford of East Greenbush page. Now it’s East Greenbush’s Wally’s Ford.
“The next chapter of our tale begins when we team up with a business that shares our enthusiasm for buying, selling, and maintaining cars. Watch this space to see where our innovation and progress take us next “Wayel Algabyali, the general manager, wrote. “Fuccillo has played a huge role in the community we serve for the past 20 years. Despite the name change, the dedication is more steadfast than ever at this moment.”
Fuccillo sold his dealerships, right?
Darwish, a former platform manager for Napleton Automotive Group and a minority investor in a New Jersey Audi dealership, claimed that after signing a contract with Fuccillo in August 2020, he experienced a number of delays. Because to COVID-19, his law firm had to close, and Darwish became ill.
Darwish claimed he spent two months on oxygen but made a full recovery. Billy Fuccillo Sr., the CEO of Fuccillo Automotive, passed away in June 2021.
Darwish claimed that over those 20 months, he slept very little as he tried to finalize the agreement by meeting with numerous manufacturers and banks.
He currently employs more than 400 individuals, all “extremely good employees,” according to Darwish.
The crew that came with this contract, he remarked, “is outstanding.” The squad is outstanding as a whole.
Prior to a year or two ago, the Fuccillo Automotive Group owned more than 20 dealerships, but it has since sold many of those locations. Early in 2021, the company sold Matthews Auto Group five dealerships in New York. Then, in March 2021, it sold LMP Automotive Holdings Inc. two Kia dealerships in Florida. It gave Morgan Automotive Group a Nissan dealership in Clearwater, Florida, in August of last year.
Around the time of the Darwish acquisition, Fuccillo Chevrolet-Buick at the Auto Mall in Adams and Fuccillo Chevrolet of Nelliston both closed their doors in New York. The franchises were canceled in late April and early May, according to a GM representative. Darwish bought the land for both locations as part of his deal.
He hopes to apply to revive the Chevrolet store in Adams and plans to use the locations as used-car dealerships.
Since he was 21, Darwish, 50, who claimed to be a college dropout, has dreamed to run a vehicle shop.
He said, “I gave everything to get here. “I put everything at stake to get here.”
He also wants more. Darwish stated that he plans to start searching for additional dealerships before the end of the year in order to expand his current collection of 90+ locations.
According to Darwish, Bob Morris of the Columbus, Ohio-based buy-sell firm Tim Lamb Group handled the seller in the deal.
Is Caroline the offspring of Billy Fuccillo?
- On the other hand, Billy is a father (he has mentioned the boy in the advertisements). Although he is currently in Spain, he attends school in Caroline’s home state of North Carolina.
- Update 6/17 (added below as comment number 24): JTA Talent called me back. In actuality, the Caroline Renfro who works for them is the Caroline from the Billy Fuccillo advertisements. The problem is that she scheduled such advertisements prior to joining JTA. We are aware of her identity, but we are unaware of her connection to Billy.
The JTA receptionist, who is always very helpful, has asked Caroline to phone me.
Who is the brand-new Kia Fuccillo girl?
McKinzie Roth was engaged by Fuccillo Kia to appear in TV commercials alongside Billy and Gloria.
Roth’s experience promoting vehicles, according to Fuccillo, helped distinguish her from the other 1.000 applications they received.
Roth has previous expertise managing Ford and Kia stores. She has previously worked with NBA teams.
The three got along well, according to Fuccillo, when Roth joined the group, but it was her manner with his clients that really won him over.
She approached our clients in the showroom and introduced herself as McKinzie, introduced herself as Billy’s new girlfriend, and thanked them for visiting the dealership, according to Fuccillo.
Who is the Fuccillo Caroline?
Prior to leaving her position in November 2017, Caroline Renfro sold vehicles for Fuccillo Kia for eight years through radio ads, TV commercials, and direct mail. She has since returned to the company in 2019.
Until she left her position in November 2017, Caroline Renfro promoted automobiles for Fuccillo Kia in TV ads, radio spots, and through the mailing of flyers. She has since rejoined the team.
The bulky, folded Fuccillo Kia flyers started showing up in mailboxes in Southwest Florida on Thursday. To use a cliche, unfolding it disclosed some news that was “big.”
“Caroline’s returned! It’s time to pack, then! “The advertisement made reference to a cruise deal in June.
Friday at noon, business owner Billy Fuccillo arrived at the Cape Coral location at 404 NE Pine Island Road.