Kruse Control Inc

Kruse Control Inc Maximize resources. Secure your profit. Kruse Control Inc.

was built on 25 years inside car dealerships - as a controller, CFO, and the person owners called when the numbers stopped making sense. Founder Kathi Kruse grew up in a Los Angeles car family and spent her career managing the financial and operational realities of new car franchises in Southern California. She's seen what happens when dealerships run without real financial leadership - and she bu

ilt Kruse Control to fix that. Today, Kruse Control provides fractional CFO services, accounting consulting, and hands-on training for dealership owners, controllers, and auto groups who need expertise without the full-time overhead. Our signature service, Automotive CFO To Go™, gives dealers access to senior-level financial guidance on demand. We specialize in:
Accounting assessment, cleanup & recovery | Financial performance consulting | Controller mentoring & training | Forensic accounting | Expense control | Buy/sell facilitation | Expert Witness | OEM & executive training

📩 [email protected]
📞 714-251-6440

Over the years, I’ve noticed a persistent misunderstanding in the dealership world: the tendency to dismiss the accounti...
06/17/2026

Over the years, I’ve noticed a persistent misunderstanding in the dealership world: the tendency to dismiss the accounting office as a “cost center.” You’ll hear it in meetings, on the showroom floor, and see it in budget reviews—this idea that if you’re not selling something, you’re costing something.

It’s a tidy narrative. Unfortunately, like most tidy narratives, it leaves out the messy truth.

The accounting office isn’t a cost center. It’s a profit retention center. A stability center. The place where profits are protected, not just tallied.

Read more>> https://www.krusecontrolinc.com/reframing-dealership-accounting-from-cost-center-to-profit-retention-center/

There is a particular stillness that settles over a used car lot when inventory ages.It doesn’t creak. It doesn’t flash ...
06/16/2026

There is a particular stillness that settles over a used car lot when inventory ages.

It doesn’t creak. It doesn’t flash red lights. It doesn’t send a push notification.

It just sits there.

Shiny. Detailed. Parked at a slight angle as if that might improve its odds.

And while it sits, it quietly taxes your cash, your floorplan, your patience, and occasionally your marriage.

As a Dealership CFO, I have learned that aging inventory does not announce itself as a crisis. It arrives dressed as optimism.

“It just needs the right buyer.”

“We haven’t had the right weather yet.”

“It’ll pop this weekend.”

Hope is not a strategy. And metal does not move because we believe in it.

Read more: https://www.krusecontrolinc.com/turning-metal-not-parking-it-a-cfos-playbook-for-used-car-aging-and-cash-flow/

A dealership controller recently sent me a message that stopped me in my tracks.Not because it was unusual.Because it wa...
06/12/2026

A dealership controller recently sent me a message that stopped me in my tracks.

Not because it was unusual.

Because it was painfully normal.

She wrote:

I'm at work today, juggling all issues of the store and thought, 'Kathi should write about the silent work of a Controller.'

Then she proceeded to list everything she had handled before 1:00 PM.

By the time I finished reading her note, I was exhausted.

Not because I had done any of the work.

Because I have lived it.

For years.

And if you've never worked inside a dealership, it's almost impossible to explain what controllers actually do all day.

Most people think a controller manages accounting.

That's a nice thought.

In reality, the controller often becomes the unofficial Chief Problem Solver, Chief Firefighter, Chief Therapist, Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Notary Coordinator, Chief HR Manager, and occasionally, Chief Adult in the Room.

All while trying to close the books every month in a timely fashion.
Read more: https://www.krusecontrolinc.com/the-silent-work-of-a-dealership-controller/

Running a car dealership without understanding your financial statement is like driving blindfolded - and I mean that in...
06/11/2026

Running a car dealership without understanding your financial statement is like driving blindfolded - and I mean that in the specific way that a blindfolded person behind the wheel is not merely inconvenienced, but is also, statistically, about to ruin someone's afternoon.

You might keep the engine running. You might even feel good about it. But you won't know when you're about to crash, and more importantly, you won't know why, which is the part that really stings.

Dealership financial statements are dense, and nobody is going to pretend otherwise. But like most intimidating things - tax returns, IKEA instructions, conversations with your CFO - they become manageable once you know where to focus. There are four key areas that tell you everything you need to know.

Read more: https://www.krusecontrolinc.com/how-to-read-a-dealership-financial-statement-practical-guide/

Bringing a CFO into your dealership can feel a bit like inviting a houseguest who goes through your medicine cabinet, yo...
06/10/2026

Bringing a CFO into your dealership can feel a bit like inviting a houseguest who goes through your medicine cabinet, your freezer, and your credit card statements, and then tells you what’s expired, what’s rotting, and why you’re broke. It’s unsettling at first, but if you’re smart, you’ll pour them a cup of coffee and let them keep talking.

Timing is everything. Hire a CFO too soon and you’ll wonder why you’re paying someone to keep you awake at night with spreadsheets. Wait too long and you’ll wake up one morning to discover you need to sell a fleet of trucks at a loss just to cover payroll.

Read more: https://www.krusecontrolinc.com/when-to-hire-a-dealership-cfo/

Let’s be honest for a second.A lot of people in dealership leadership roles are sitting in financial meetings…nodding al...
06/09/2026

Let’s be honest for a second.

A lot of people in dealership leadership roles are sitting in financial meetings…
nodding along…
following just enough to keep up…

But not fully confident in what they’re looking at.

And it’s not because they’re not capable.

It’s because no one ever actually showed them how to read a dealership financial statement in a way that makes sense.

I’ve sat across from dealer principals and GMs for years as a CFO.
Smart operators. Strong businesses.

Still unsure where to look. What matters. What’s a red flag.

So I put together a plain-English guide:

👉 How to actually read your dealership financial statement
👉 What to pay attention to (and what to ignore)
👉 How to stop relying on someone else to tell you if you're doing okay

If you’ve ever had that quiet moment of “I should probably understand this better” - this is for you. https://www.krusecontrolinc.com/how-to-read-a-dealership-financial-statement-a-practical-guide-vip-ebook/

In every dealership I’ve ever walked into, there’s always one room that feels like the engine of the whole place. No, no...
06/08/2026

In every dealership I’ve ever walked into, there’s always one room that feels like the engine of the whole place. No, not the showroom, not even the service drive. It’s the accounting office. It’s usually tucked away in a corner, behind glass doors that don’t quite close right, humming with printers, sticky notes, and the occasional sigh of someone trying to make sure they have all the receipts in order to reconcile the Amex statement.

This is where reconciliations happen – or at least, where they should.

Read more: https://www.krusecontrolinc.com/car-dealers-guide-to-reconciliation-best-practices/

Address

3419 Via Lido Ste 484
Newport Beach, CA
92663

Telephone

(714) 251-6440

Website

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