Brant Celebrates 50 Years With Modern Garage/Schmidt Auto

Lifelong Sullivan resident Keith Brant recently celebrated his 50th year with the Schmidt family, having been employed with Modern Garage/Schmidt Auto from November 23, 1968 through the present day with no signs of slowing down.

According to Brant, he was working in the St. Louis area in November 1968 when he was speaking with friend and Modern Garage Owner Eddie Schmidt, when he told Schmidt he needed to find a job as he was getting laid off from his job with Wagner Electric, St. Louis on Tuesday night.

“Eddie told me he was needing to hire someone in his parts department and I told him I’d take it,” said Brant. “I started on the 23rd of November and got a day with pay off on November 24, as it was Thanksgiving,” laughed Brandt.

Brant stated he was always into cars and it was a perfect fit.

Brant, a Korean War Veteran having served from 1953-55, found his home with Eddie, wife Verna Schmidt and brother Harold Schmidt and later with their son and daughter-in-law Danny and Sandra Schmidt as they took over ownership of Modern Garage in 1994.

Brant spent his early days also mentoring a young Danny Schmidt at the family business.

In fact, a young Danny Schmidt recalled telling people that Keith was his older brother at the family business that caught some funny eyes from his mother Verna, who stated to young Danny “to stop telling people that Keith is the same age that I am.”

Brant grew with the Schmidt family, moving into the sales team in 1986 alongside a young Danny Schmidt and the two combined for a strong sales pair in the family business.

“The penetration we had with Pontiac and GMC in our market allowed us to be in the top three dealerships with GMC in our area,” said Danny Schmidt. “We worked hard and during those times in late 1980’s and 1990’s that meant more people in our communities were driving GMCs than Ford or Chevrolet. That was an awesome thing to achieve that was possible with Keith Brant and I working together.”

Brant stated that through the years, he estimates to have sold over 5,000 vehicles with his best year having sold 215 vehicles with one month sales of 26 vehicles.

“I remember the first customer I sold to when I went into sales was Charlie Studdard in 1986,” said Brant. “Through the years I can say that Danny and I have really been blessed with really, really good customers.”

When Brant was asked what he has enjoyed most about a career in sales, “I have always enjoyed the people, meeting them, talking with them, in fact I still do. That’s why I’m still here,” said Brant. “I’ve really enjoyed them and the Schmidt family as well.”

Brant and Danny Schmidt discussed some of the biggest changes they have seen together through the years with both determining the technology with vehicles and motors that thrusted into the business in the 1990’s.

“Vehicles just got more complicated in the 1990s and there were checkoff lists we had to go over with each and every customer starting in that time with how the vehicles worked and every feature and how it worked,” said Brant and Schmidt. “We always knew these items and showed the customers but it got more and more in these years going forward.”

Brant and Schmidt also stated that it was tough for them and customers once a used vehicle started selling for over $10,000.

“This was tough to put $10,000 in a used vehicle or sell a used vehicle for over $10,000 during the late 1980s and early 1990s,” said Brant. “Prices really started to jump and that was a tough sale to a customer.”

Brant concluded this interview stating, “Danny and I have been a good team together all these years through the good times and the bad times. There are many people that think we think a lot and that’s probably true because we spent so much time together in this business. It’s never been an 8-5 job. We put in many long days and long hours.”

As the interview wrapped up Brant stating, “I’ve been married to a Schmidt for more than 55 years, (referring to wife Ellen(, and worked for one for right at 50 years. That’s spending 100 years with the Schmidt family,” laughed Brant. “I’d go home from working with a Schmidt and home to a Schmidt.”