Meet The Team at Friendly Honda

Hello, my name is Eric Kahn, and I am the Owner and President of Friendly Honda. I have worked in the automotive retail industry for more than twenty years.

I acquired Friendly Honda in late 2007, and I am proud to share that we are the highest volume dealership of any brand in the Hudson Valley (including Putnam, Dutchess, Orange and Ulster Counties) and one of the highest volume Honda dealerships in the northeast.

The Friendly team is comprised by a group of hardworking and talented individuals, and I often receive praise on their behalf.  I am proud to have such a great group of people working here.

I am married and I have two children.

My Name is Michael and I am the General Manager at Friendly Honda. I grew up in England, the youngest of five children raised by Irish parents with a healthy respect for Irish traditions. I left England to back pack America and sample life; little did I know it would lead to a life in the Auto Industry!

I have two sons, Liam and Oliver, who bring me much happiness even when they play Football (American, that is). I prefer to play the English version myself and still do when the opportunity arises with the local team in Croton-On Hudson next to where I live in Peekskill, NY.

I have been with Friendly Honda since 2008 after spending 15 years with a CJD franchise. A long drive to work is all the easier knowing that when I get to work, I will not only be around friends but with people who truly care about what they do, and the people they serve, the customer.

Veronica started in the car business right here at Friendly Honda in 1997, first scanning office documents into a machine for 5 hours a day, moving into the Service Department BDC answering phones and making appointments. She was then promoted to Service Advisor, and when there was an opening her role shifted to Assistant Service Manager. Currently, Veronica serves as the Service Manager.

Her future goal is to travel around and eventually retire to the Carolinas. She enjoys all forms of art, but she has a special love of tattoos. She says that King Crab legs are her favorite food, but that she probably drinks too much coffee. When she's off work, you'll find her nose buried in a Stephen King novel or playing with her grandson.

Hablo Espanol!

Hablo Espanol!

American Honda Platinum Level Sales Consultant

Hablo Espanol!

Jim has been a dedicated employee at Friendly Honda for so long, there are rumors that he was actually born here. While those rumors are untrue, his dedication to his job is unrivaled. He started here in 2001 as a porter and has since worked his way up the ranks to Assistant Service Manager.

Dreams of warm beaches and clear waters flood his imagination when he's not working, and he's been running triathlons since 2016. In fact, he hopes to one day compete in an Ironman 70.3 (also known as a Half Ironman). He also roots passionately for the New York Yankees and has a pretty extensive collection of bobblehead dolls.

Ricky began his career as a Service Advisor in 2007 after a lifetime of working with, on, and around cars, including earning a certification in automotive paint refinishing. He's worked in a variety of different fields prior to landing at Friendly Honda, including being the co-owner of a high-end custom swimming pool installation and construction company.

When he's not busy serving customers at Friendly Honda, he's at home working on various projects around his house. His motto is "If it ain't broke…it's because I fixed it!" On the (very) rare occasion that his "to do" list is finished, he loves to do absolutely nothing while relaxing with an ice-cold lemonade by the pool. But what he loves the most is getting to spend time with his two sons, Lucas and Ben.

James started making a list of his previous jobs to share, but after filling four pages we agreed to just say he's got experience in many different fields. He started working in the car business in 1996, and it was a natural fit for him! He loves fixing cars and electronics in his free time anyway, so it was a no-brainer.

He spends the workday energized by the music of Metallica and Pearl Jam and a steady diet of Combos, but when it's quittin' time, he wants nothing more than to relax at home for some much-needed QT with his wife and son. In the future, he plans to build racecars in his garage and race them around a track he also plans to construct himself.

Scott (not to be confused with our other Scott) began his adult life as Gotham City's favorite superhero (we can't say his name, but it rhymed with Bat Fan). But he got out before the Val Kilmer era began, and in 1993 made his way to Poughkeepsie to start working at Friendly Honda.

Sure, he has a beautiful family - daughters Olivia and Saia and sons Kaleb and Osbourne - and he thoroughly savors the relaxation he gets from fishing on the lake by his house. But his heart truly belongs to cars, and one that sends his heart a-flutter is the Honda Urban EV Concept car.

Michele is such a friendly person that she spells her name with only one "L", just in case anyone else needs the extra one. Before she started her career at Friendly Honda she worked at a pharmacy and at an auto parts store, and her customer service experience made her a perfect fit for us at Friendly! Her favorite Honda is the Passport, since it has enough room for her growing family!

She loves to be outdoors, and her favorite activity is running. Her playlist includes everything from Sugarland to Soundgarden, the Beatles to Beyonce, Foreigner to the Frozen soundtrack. While some people prefer to slow down and relax on vacations, she would rather load up her agenda with tons of fun activities

Scott (not to be confused with our other Scott) was working at the Gap Warehouse when he decided to switch gears and pursue his true passion: automotive service. That was in 2005, and he's never looked back. His friendly demeanor and laid-back personality make him a great fit here on the Friendly Team.

His hobbies include photography (he might take your picture, if you ask him), and he also dreams about the Honda Del Sol, his favorite car. And when he's not pre-occupied with yet another game of Monopoly, he routes HARD for the Steelers…especially when there's hot pepperoni pizza involved.

Dan has been with Friendly since 2017 after a successful career in a different auto-related field. Previously, he worked for a car rental company, and customer service was his specialty. It sounds cliché, but Dan is mild-mannered and easy-going, and his ability relate to customers keeps them coming back and asking for him by name.

But he's more than just a guy working at a car dealership. Dan loves following the Yankees, and his trips to MetLife Stadium to see his Giants play are quite memorable. His favorite Honda model is the 2005 Honda S2000 in Suzuka Blue Metallic, he always appreciates a well-made cheeseburger, and he hopes to one day retire to a golf course so he can finally work on his short-game.

Brian has been a constant here at Friendly Honda, having started working here in 1999. He's a car guy, through and through, and his strength is being able to explain even the most complicated car stuff into words everyone can understand.

After he gets off work, he enjoys biking and hiking (and rhyming!) with his two daughters, who usually leave him in the dirt! He's a diehard Yankees fan, he loves Taco Tuesdays, and he won't stop talking about his site-seeing trip to Alaska.

Virginia (or Ginny, as we sometimes call her) claims she wasn't named after the state, but we're still investigating. She worked in a retail job before finding her calling in 2002, when she began her automotive career here at Friendly Honda.

She wants to move down South with her family one day, but until then she'll remain active in her local church and she'll continue to take legendary family vacations to Lake George. Her favorite actor is rumored to be Tom Cruise, but we've confirmed her favorite person is, in fact, her sister Veronica.

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