For 30-plus years, Hal Green has been in the car dealership business and he’s seen a lot. But this year, he saw something new: his own picture on the cover of Time magazine.
At the National Automobile Dealership Association Convention & Expo held Jan. 22-25 in San Francisco, Green – owner of Harry Green Chevrolet, Jeep & Nissan - received one of 55 Time Dealer of the Year Awards. His picture was among those featured on a giant mock cover of the magazine. Collectively, the photos lined the stage of San Francisco's Moscone Center during the awards ceremony.
“It’s been a tradition for 40-some years that Time magazine honors car dealers across the country,” said Green. “A candidate from each state is selected as their ‘dealer of the year.’”
Green was nominated for the award by Ruth Lemmon, president of the West Virginia Automobile & Truck Dealers Association.
Nominees are recommended and winners of the award – sponsored by Time, in partnership with Ally Financial, Inc. – are selected by the NADA board of directors.
“It’s usually someone who is well-rounded and community service is a big factor, as is being an upstanding car dealer. You have to be in good financial standing and have good customer satisfaction – and just have an all-around good car dealership – a long-term and stable business, not just fly by night or flash in the pan establishment,” Green said.
Another criterion is being involved with NADA.
“The association helps protect the franchise dealer system, making sure laws aren’t bad for business and so forth. That’s really the connection for me,” Green said. “I’ve served so many years and it eventually comes your time for them to recognize you. Through the years, I’ve known almost every one of the winners personally and it’s usually people who are community-minded.”
It was quite surreal to be one of 55 award candidates, standing on a stage in front of 5,000 people, Green said.
“They had all of our pictures there and did a little bio as we walked out on stage,” he said. “They picked four finalists and then one winner out of those four. It was pretty neat.”
The 2015 Time Dealer of the Year is Andy Crews, who owns AutoFair Honda in Manchester, New Hampshire.
“He’s a self-made guy who started out as a mechanic and was a U.S. Marine in Desert Storm,” Green said. “He came back and worked in a dealership and worked his way through. He now owns six or seven stores and he’s given back to the community.”
Green believes whole-heartedly that there’s a definite correlation between car dealerships and community service.
“It’s the American dream that you go out, run a business and make a profit – but basically what you realize is that car dealerships are part of communities. They’re the place where people go for donations – for baseball and community causes,” he said. “They’re part of the fabric of communities. Dealers realized they’ve been blessed with being able to have a good living and run a good operation and at the same time have an obligation to give back.”
And standing on that stage in San Francisco, Green wasn’t thinking about how successful his business has been. Rather, he felt a small part of a big group which has made a difference in small town America, he said.
After graduating from Bridgeport High School in 1974, Green studied economics at Stockholm University in Sweden. Since 1979, he has been part of Harry Green Chevrolet and since 1987, he has been managing operations. Green said he was groomed for the business by his dad, for whom the business was named.
Harry Green, who founded the dealership back in 1959, is also a past recipient of the Time Dealer of the Year Award. He was honored at the NADA Convention in 1984.
Located on “Old Route 50,” Harry Green Chevrolet, Jeep and Nissan has for more than a half century been a successful business. Today, it is one of the state's largest dealerships for new and used cars.
When established in 1959, the business was all about Chevrolet. In about 1979, the Jeep brand was added and in 1987, Nissan came on board.
“We’ve been in business for 55 years and have probably sold over 100,000 vehicles,” said Green, who lives in Bridgeport with his wife Sandy. “We’ve been solid with Chevrolet, good with Nissan and Jeep and had a strong used car and truck operation.”
He attributes that to a good sales team of 20 and a management staff of seven. For several years, there have been about 600 vehicles on the lot at any given time.
Soon, another half dozen sales people will be added to the staff. Green's two sons Nick and Eric and his stepson Patrick Moore are the next generation to run the operation. Nick Green currently serving as executive manager.
“He’s been with us since the summer of 2009 and is already handing almost everything,” Hal Green said. “He fits right in with our veteran crew.”
Green said he can picture the 2005 graduate of Bridgeport High School on the cover of Time as West Virginia dealer of the year – someday.
The three-day NADA Convention featured workshops, dealer franchise meetings and various other activities, including a keynote address by Jay Leno. Read more about Green's national recognition HERE. He is also the father of Amanda Green Schorsh and the stepfather of Shannon App.
Read this week's "It's Happening" blog, which tells the story of the driving force behind Harry Green Chevrolet.
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