businesses entering or exiting the marketplace to help with sales prospects and maintaining receivables.
The civic contributions of franchise new-car dealerships and their employees are unrivaled, but dealerships’ roles in local community activities is not fully appreciated, says NADA’s Taylor. NADA is also leading efforts to provide more transparency and better understanding of the auto financing process. Its Website, www.nada.org, has a section devoted to consumer education.
MINORITY JACKPOT
William E. Shack, president of Shack Findlay Honda (No. 18 on the list with $110 million in sales) saw an immediate boost in sales this year when he beefed up personnel and revamped advertising campaigns to better target minority outlets.
Shack added 10% more staff and shifted print and radio advertising toward the dealership’s Hispanic and African American markets. Along with Shack Findlay Honda’s strong, fuel-efficient Honda products, these quick moves powered the Henderson, Nevada, dealership through a period of high gasoline prices to increase revenues 49.6% over the previous year, from $73.5 million in 2003 to $110 million in 2004. The dealership leaped from selling a total of 165 new vehicles per month in 2003 to 200 in 2004, and from 66 used cars per month in 2003 to 88 in 2004.
Shack takes pride in his dealership’s 2004 customer satisfaction- based Honda President’s Award, which puts Shack Findlay in the top 5% of U.S. Honda dealers for the fourth consecutive year. Offering good customer service and fuel-efficient vehicles are key to the dealership’s success, says Shack. “Gas prices and vehicle quality drove people toward Honda; we had a growth in the overall marketplace here in Las Vegas-Henderson, and we focused on customer satisfaction,” says Shack. “We feel part of our growth had to do with how we take care of our customers.”
Auto Dealer
[Eligibility]
An auto dealership must be at least 51% black-owned and have been fully operational for the previous calendar year.
Top Growth Leaders
| Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
| Company | Location | 2004 Sales* | 2003 Sales* | % Increase |
| Shack Findlay Honda | Henderson, NV | $110.000 | $73.540 | 49.58 |
| Prestige Automotive | Detroit, MI | 1066.579 | 766.507 | 39.15 |
| McKinney Dodge | McKinney,TX | 50.005 | 37.142 | 34.63 |
| Ultimate Pontiac Buick GMC Isuzu | Fredericksburg, VA | 40.600 | 30.200 | 34.44 |
| Walker Family Auto Group | Laurel, MS | 49.549 | 36.911 | 34.24 |
| Baranco Automotive Group | Lilburn, GA | 151.215 | 120.125 | 25.88 |
| Panhandle Automotive Inc. | Crestview, FL | 140.000 | 111.881 | 25.13 |
| Nissan-Mitsubishi-Kia of Lake Charles | Lake Charles, LA | 42.581 | 34.048 | 25.06 |
| Forest Lake Ford | Forest Lake, MN | 29.944 | 24.094 | 24.28 |
| BMW of the Hudson Valley | Poughkeepsie, NY | 36.027 | 29.387 | 22.60 |
*IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, TO THE NEAREST THOUSAND. AS OF DEC. 31. PREPARED BY B.E. RESEARCH.
REVIEWED BY THE CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM EDWARDS & CO.
Top Auto Dealers Summary 2005
| Â | 2004 | 2003 | % Change |
| Total Staff | 11,821 | 12,295 | -3.86 |
| Total Sales* | $8,906.685 | $9,027.646 | -1.34 |
*IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, TO THE NEAREST THOUSAND. AS OF DEC. 31. PREPARED BY B.E. RESEARCH.
REVIEWED BY THE CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM EDWARDS & CO.Â
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