When you meet Kitty Van Bortel, as so many customers of her three dealerships do every day,
you know that she’s the powerhouse behind the enormous, consistent success of Van Bortel
Subaru, Van Bortel Ford and Van Bortel Chevrolet. Kitty owns one of the top selling Subaru
dealerships in the nation, as well as one of the most successful Ford dealerships in a multi-state
area. Her automotive group is now one of the fastest growing, privately held companies in the
greater Rochester, NY area. With an investment of only $500, Kitty founded her first used car
dealership in her front yard in 1985, lining up the cars in front of her small house in Victor, NY.
She applied the experience she had gained as sales manager for John Holtz’s Mercedes
Benz/BMW dealership to her own enterprise, moving to a three-acre lot in 1990 and quickly
gaining momentum until it was time to choose a brand and move into new car sales. It was only
natural that she became attracted to Subaru because of their sturdy construction, excellent design,
and focus on safety, reliability and comfort. She built a 6,000-square- foot facility in Victor to
house Van Bortel Subaru, and opened the doors in 1991.
Kitty’s commitment to the community she calls home is evident in the many non-profit
organizations she and her automotive group support. The Van Bortel dealerships sponsor the
Susan B. Anthony House, the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester, Girl Scouts of Western New
York, IAC Kids, Gilda’s Club, Serenity House, Leukemia Lymphoma Society, Golisano
Children’s Hospital, Pluta Cancer Center, Mercy Flight, Embrace your Sisters, and local Rotary
and Kiwanis clubs. Van Bortel even conducted a yearly car buying seminar for pediatric interns
at the University of Rochester.