a letter from mr. hudson
Transcription
a letter from mr. hudson
JHNews, Nov 2011 Volume 2, Issue 1 CONTENTS A LETTER FROM MR. HUDSON The Holidays are upon us, and at the end of a difficult year like this, they could never be more welcome. We’ve been through some tough times in 2011, from a shaky economy and widespread unemployment to natural disasters and conflict overseas. With all that’s happening around us, it’s easy to lose touch with what is truly important, and there is no better time to bring those things back into focus than during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. For my family, this is the only time that we can seem to come together with all of our aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Despite our best intentions, it always seems impossible to gather the dozens of members in our extended family for any other purpose, but once a year, we manage to set aside our busy lives to enjoy one another’s company in the way we always should. It is too easy to take these simple gatherings for granted. I believe it is vital to stop for a moment and acknowledge the importance of our families, our greatest source of support, comfort, and inspiration. When you are surrounded by loved ones, all of the stress of everyday life becomes much more manageable. We must remember that, no matter how harsh our lives may seem, there is always someone out there who is enduring greater hardship. We live in a wonderful nation, one that allows us the freedom to choose our own path and strive for the happiness that we ultimately desire. Our brave men and women in the military fight tirelessly to protect those freedoms, and because of that, we can continue to celebrate during these Holidays and enjoy the moments we have together. My family, along with the entire Jim Hudson Automotive Group, has much to be thankful for, Front Page—Introduction A Letter from Mr. Hudson Contents & Submissions Page 2—Editorial Information CRM Contacts Newsletter Credits Page 3—Jim Hudson Buick/GMC/Cadillac/Saab Investing in SC’s Future Welcome to New Employees Page 4—Jim Hudson Lexus of Columbia Lexus Moves to Killian Road Behind The Scenes Page 5—Jim Hudson Lexus of Augusta Community Projects Volunteering Helps Everyone Page 6—Jim Hudson Toyota-Scion A Customer Really Never Forgets Shoe Drive Success Page 7—Jim Hudson Hyundai Visit Our New Pre-Owned Center Congratulations to Newlyweds Page 8—Jim Hudson Ford Making Lexington Our Home Corporate Chaplains and we constantly feel humbled by the success that our communities have allowed us to have. It is our pledge to continue giving back to our community. With our long-standing relationships with Oliver Gospel Mission and Harvest Hope Food Bank, we hope to deliver our care and concern to those who may be less fortunate than ourselves. By sponsoring community events and maintaining constant awareness of the needs around us, the Jim Hudson Automotive Group will contribute in every possible way to keep the Holidays special. Once again, thank you for making us part of your family, and we are honored to have you as part of ours! Sincerely, Keith Hudson SUBMISSIONS WELCOME! If you have stories to share or information that you would like to pass along, please feel free to send letters or emails to our editors! See next page for a complete list of Customer Relations Managers and Newsletter Staff >>> Page 2 Wayne DuBois General Sales Manager, Jim Hudson Buick/GMC/Cadillac/Saab [email protected] (803)783-0110 Cheryl Hayes Customer Relations Manager, Jim Hudson Lexus of Columbia [email protected] (888)240-6309 Angela Hillesland Customer Relations Manager, Jim Hudson Lexus of Augusta [email protected] (888)216-3033 Dave Ellison Customer Relations Manager, Jim Hudson Toyota [email protected] (888)448-4893 Carli DiPietro Customer Relations Manager, Jim Hudson Hyundai [email protected] (877)732-0404 Madison Gantt Customer Relations Manager, Jim Hudson Ford [email protected] (803)359-4114 NEWSLETTER EDITORIAL STAFF Project Lead: Dave Ellison Chief Editor: Joshua French Assistant Editor: Chris Murdaugh Special Thanks to Jay Yarnell & FedEx Office®! THE NEWEST MEMBER OF OUR EDITORIAL TEAM Congratulations to our Chief Editor Joshua French and his wife Rui on the birth of their baby girl! Sophia Rei French was born at 8:24 am on November 18th, just hours before the newsletter went to press. Sophia weighs 6.5 lbs. and measures 18.5 inches! Page 3 720 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, SC 29209 Phone: 803-783-0110 INVESTING IN SOUTH CAROLINA’S FUTURE TECHNOLOGY LEADERS Jim Hudson Buick-GMC-Cadillac was proud to sponsor the first-ever South Carolina Robotics Invitational and Workshops, or SCRIW for short. SCRIW saw seventeen teams that compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition bring their 2011 robots for one last shot at this year's game. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) aims to inspire students to take up careers in science and engineering through programs like their flagship robotics competition, where teams create 120-pound robots in just six weeks to play a game that changes each year. This time, LogoMotion required teams working in alliances of three to pick up and hang various inner tubes on the elements of FIRST's logo, with smaller robots racing up a pole at the end of each match. SCRIW, created by the teams from Richland One and Lexington/Richland Five, is one of several offseason competitions organized by teams after the FIRST Championship in April, and it is the first such event to happen in South Carolina. After eleven matches each, the winning alliance was led by team 2751, SPARK, from Pendleton, who finished undefeated; 1319, Flash, from Mauldin; and 1554, the KC Revolutionists' B-team from Lugoff. WELCOME NEW EMPLOYEES THANKS TO OUR ACCOUNTING STAFF We are pleased to have new additions to our dealership staff. Welcome to Larry Crossett, Ryan Mayo, and Chris Tucker for our sales department, Robert Laymon and Jay Pomnitz for service, and Thomas Lowder for parts. Also, we are honored to have Stacey Whitaker as our new parts manager. It’s always exciting to see fresh faces who bring new skills and experience to our diverse team of professionals. Some of the most important tasks in our dealership are handled by the unsung heroes of our back office. Our accounting professionals may spend most of their day out-of-sight, but they are never out-of-mind. Our team is made up of Jennifer Turner, Kim Suddeth, Robin Cunningham, Amber Dillon, Carole Holland, pictured below. Not pictured are receptionist extraordinaire Wendy Stephens and cashiers Meranda Mathias and Katie Albright. We appreciate all that you do for us! DEALERSHIP INFO General Sales Manager: Wayne DuBois Service Manager: Charlie Gibbs Parts Manager: Stacey Whitaker http://www.jimhudsonsuperstore.com http://www.facebook.com/ JimHudsonGM http://twitter.com/JimHudsonBPGS EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: WENDY STEPHENS Wendy Stephens' name tag may say Receptionist, but Juggler may be an equally-fair job title. In addition to greeting guests and answering the phones, Wendy also handles tasks for our accounting department. Wendy has been working for Jim Hudson for 13 years, filling several roles in accounting over the years. Wendy grew up in Columbia, graduating from Airport High School, and is a die-hard Gamecock fan. She is married to her husband of 11 years, Sparkey, and has one daughter, 9-year-old Sydney. Page 4 328 Killian Road, Columbia, SC 29203 Phone: 888-240-6309 JIM HUDSON LEXUS OF COLUMBIA HAS MOVED TO A NEW LOCATION EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: In the last newsletter, we previewed Lexus of Columbia’s upcoming move to Killian Road, and now the vision for that new dealership has been realized. The 50,000 square-foot facility has 24 service bays, a luxury waiting lounge, and plenty of other amenities to help us serve our customers better. We hope that everyone will come visit us in our beautiful new home! AMBERLY MCLAUGHLIN Amberly McLaughlin has been the Warranty Administrator and Title Clerk for the past 8 1/2 years at Jim Hudson Lexus of Columbia. “I hear rave reviews from the Lexus organization on Amberly’s skills, and they considered her one of the top warranty administrators in the organization. I feel blessed to have her working for me,” states her supervisor TK Keane. “I enjoy helping and answering customer’s questions and concerns involving their vehicles and I find myself learning something new and exciting every day,” says Amberly. BEHIND THE SCENES WITH LEXUS ACCOUNTING This quarter, we are highlighting the accounting experts in our administrative office, and at Lexus of Columbia, we are confident that our team is one of the best in the business. We don’t get enough chances to properly thank our office employees for their hard work, and we are proud to have such reliable professionals in this role. With the new dealership in full swing, their jobs are more important than ever! Thanks to Amberly McLaughlin, Melissa Keeling, Judy King, and Stephanie Byrd. You’re all awesome! MAKE $100 FOR REFERRALS! Send a friend to buy their next vehicle from Jim Hudson, and we’ll return the favor! DEALERSHIP INFO Partner / General Manager: Pete Olmstead General Sales Manager: Matt MacIntyre Service Manager: T.K. Keane Parts Manager: Mel Musgrove http://www.hudsonlexus.com http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jim -Hudson-Lexus-ofColumbia/198969366781287 Page 5 3520 Washington Road, Augusta, GA 30907 Phone: 888-216-3033 VOLUNTEERING HELPS STAYING ACTIVE IN OUR AUGUSTA COMMUNITY EVERYONE This Fall, Lexus of Augusta was involved in a wide range of community endeavors. At the Arts in the Heart Festival, we coordinated Jim Hudson Lexus Guest Services stations to give our customers and potential patrons a chance to ask questions and meet our personnel. Lexus supported the Augusta Rose Society’s Rose Show, as well, which benefits The Lydia Project, a special initiative for breast cancer survivors. We also participated in this year’s Halloween with a Heart, which allows disabled children to enjoy a safe Trick-or-Treat experience. Guest Services Team Leader Dapheny Wells (pictured) helped coordinate the event, and she even got in the spirit of Halloween with a Flintstones costume, which the kids loved. A special thanks to her and Rosanne Guedea for helping the children have a fun Halloween! And last but not least, we held a month-long food drive to support the Golden Harvest Food Bank. At Lexus, we believe that staying active with events like these is vital, as it allows us a chance to give back to a community that has supported us through many successful years of business. Here in Augusta, Lexus helps drive community involvement in many ways, but one of our largest and most successful initiatives is Volunteer Augusta, a website and companion Facebook group that partners with the Mayor’s office, Chambers of Commerce, and United Way to coordinate volunteer work for a variety of local needs. We continue to encourage anyone in our area to visit this online resource and become active in their communities. We also have many team members at Lexus who contribute their time and talents on a regular basis. For example, Pre-Owned Internet Manager Frank Gibbs, Jr. is the immediate past chair of the local sports council. And Joyce Thomas, from our detail department, volunteers at the Food Bank. Service to our guests and to those in need is a commitment we embrace, and it is our honor to do so. DEALERSHIP INFO General Manager: Bill Gibbs Service Manager: Jose Tovar Parts Manager: Warren Spooner http://www.augustalexus.com http://www.facebook.com/ JimHudsonLexus http://twitter.com/JimHudsonLexus MEET OUR ACCOUNTING TEAM At Lexus of Augusta, there is always an expectation of top-notch quality, and while that is constantly apparent in the way our sales and service departments serve our customers face-to-face, the daily operations that happen behind closed doors must also reach this high standard. Fortunately, we have a wonderful accounting team that exemplifies the Lexus quality of work. Thanks to Susan Goodson, Tammy Delph, Laura Rollins, Alice Pulliam, Christy Dean, and Kenyelle Norman for raising the bar on administrative service! EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: SUSAN GOODSON Jim Hudson Lexus is proud to feature team member Susan Goodson, who manages all of the deals that come through the accounting department! Susan does an amazing job for us. She is efficient, courteous, helpful and responsive. She has been a part of the team for over a year. Susan is a single mom with two kids, Mercedes and Tanner. They are very active in sports and school activities, including travel soccer, drums, alto sax, speed stacking, math club, and pep squad. Susan was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and her nickname is Buggs, after her childhood hero Bugs Bunny. Page 6 970 Columbiana Drive, Irmo, SC 29063 Phone: 888-448-4893 A CUSTOMER REALLY NEVER FORGETS Dear Mr. Hudson, I can’t thank you and your staff enough for the wonderful visit I had at the Toyota store. John Rectenwald was my salesman and Nate did the finance work. These two men did a pro job for me. Never any pressure, just pro. service. I bought a Toyota Corolla 2011 S model. A truly well-built and beautiful car. I love it already! It looks like it is running 100 mph when it is sitting still. I have been a barber for 46 years. You used to come in Parkland Barber Shop, and Willie would shine your shoes. Dennis Hendrix would cut your hair. You were going to USC. You had a nice wife and two boys at that time. You drove a 1963 Chevy 4-door Bel Air. I worked the fourth chair. I was 20 years old and just getting started in my new job. Dennis and Joe Hendrix were the best people I have ever worked for. As long as I did my job well, they never said a word to me! The reason you have made it Big is because you treat people like you want to be treated. They are a person, not a number. I believe we are brothers in Christ Jesus, he will never let you down!!! Thank you again! May God Bless You and Yours! Tommy E. Teague West Columbia, SC EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: JESSALYN CRANE Jessalyn started her career with Jim Hudson in July 2002 when she was only 18 years old. She first worked as a receptionist and cashier at Mitsubishi before moving to accounting and payroll at Toyota in 2005. Jessalyn thinks of the people at Jim Hudson Toyota as family, and she appreciates how Mr. Hudson shows such respect to all of his employees. As dedicated as she is, it seems like Jessalyn is always at work, but she says that she also enjoys white water rafting! TOYOTA’S ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERTS SHOE DRIVE SUCCESS It takes an army of intelligent and hard-working people to make a dealership run smoothly, and that’s especially true for our enormous Toyota-Scion store. Accounting and reception are among the most demanding positions in the dealership structure, and we have some amazing young ladies that make it all look easy. From warranty work and payroll to phone calls and customer correspondence, these diligent desk workers deserve more thanks than we can ever give them. More than 40 pairs of shoes donated through the Columbia East Rotary Club went to deserving middle school students at Camp Gravatt in Aiken, where they spent a very special weekend. Thanks to all who made the effort a complete success! Pictured below are Cassie Thiele, Ashley Maricle, Steffanie Cottrell, Erica Hutto, Laura Brummett, Lourdes Sirin, Jessalyn Crane, and Amanda Carey. Thank you for being a constant driving force in our daily operations! DEALERSHIP INFO General Sales Manager: Scott Trotter Service Manager: Edgar Alewine Parts Manager: Greg Foster http://www.jimhudsontoyota.com http://www.facebook.com/ JimHudsonToyota http://www.twitter.com/ JimHudsonToyota Page 7 310 Greystone Boulevard, Columbia, SC 29210 Phone: 877-723-0404 JIM HUDSON HYUNDAI OPENS ITS NEW PRE-OWNED CENTER We are thankful this holiday season for the opening of the Jim Hudson Pre-Owned Center. The new parking lot and building remodel have given us the opportunity to expand our pre-owned inventory and create an inviting atmosphere for our customers. The project is part of an ongoing effort to improve operations and expand Hyundai’s facilities. The potential for growth in the New Year is exciting and something that Kip Skipper, Used Car Manager, is very enthusiastic about. “We are glad to be a part of the Jim Hudson Automotive Group family and look forward to the opportunities ahead,” he says. EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: DEBRA O’QUINN Debra has been a member of the Jim Hudson family since 1987 and has served as Office Manager since 1998. Born and raised in the Midlands, Debra graduated from Lexington High School. She and husband Ric like riding their Harley, camping, and spending time with their kids (five children and five grandkids)! Debra also likes painting ceramics and needlepoint, and even though she has a ’97 F-250, she says she would love an even bigger truck. “When I took over operations at the dealership, I didn’t know what to expect from existing staff. It wasn’t long before she became my ‘right-hand ma’am’,” says General Manager Rob Dunn. MARRIAGE ANNOUNCEMENTS We so happy for our newlyweds! Congratulations to Vlad and Olga Rabinov, and best wishes to Lesley and Adrian Alston. DEALERSHIP INFO General Manager: Rob Dunn Service Manager: Karl Eibling Parts Manager: Howard Haller http://www.jimhudsonhyundai.com http://www.preownedzone.com http://www.facebook.com/ JimHudsonHyundai http://twitter.com/JHHyundai WE APPRECIATE THE HYUNDAI ACCOUNTING OFFICE If service is the backbone and sales the heartbeat, then accounting is the lifeblood of the dealership. Jim Hudson Hyundai is thrilled to boast that our accounting department has 84 years of combined experience. This awesome team is made up of Pat Hoesly, Andrea Ambrose, Hilary Henry, Crystal Templin, Letty Madrid and Debra O'Quinn. Thank you ladies for all that you do, and keep up the outstanding work! Page 8 1201 West Main Street, Lexington, SC 29072 Phone: 803-359-4114 MAKING LEXINGTON OUR NEW HOME Jim Hudson Ford has barely been in Lexington for eight months, but we are already proud to call it home. Following Ford’s Dealer Executive Conference, where General Manager Keith Hudson accepted a graduation certificate from Executive Chairman Bill Ford, we have continued expanding both our dealership and our community connections. Lexington residents may have noticed our new parts delivery trucks on the road, and we recently sponsored the LCLEOA OktoberFest Bass Tournament off Larry Koon Landing, in cooperation with the Lexington County Police Department and the Fishers of Men National Tournament Trail. CORPORATE CHAPLAINS Jim Hudson Ford is proud to welcome Steve Acree as our corporate chaplain., part of a company-wide effort to reach out to employees, families, and friends in their times of need. To introduce Steve to our Ford staff, Jim Hudson held a Labor Day Kick-Off Breakfast, complete with catering, prizes, and a chance for employees of every department to come together as a single family. We appreciate everyone who makes the dealership a daily success! WE LOVE OUR ACCOUNTING STAFF The everyday workings of a dealership like Jim Hudson Ford would be impossible without the hard work of our dedicated accounting office. They handle our paperwork, take care of our warranty registration, write up reports, keep track of our bills to keep the lights on, and sign our checks on payday. EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: The accounting team at Jim Hudson Ford includes Kelly Ayers, Seabron LeCompte, Niki Davenport, and Brandi Robinson. We appreciate everything you do for us! NIKI DAVENPORT Niki has been with Jim Hudson Ford since the beginning, having worked as a receptionist for Ben Satcher for more than 8 years before the change in ownership. Her diligence was quickly recognized by management, and she was moved to accounting, where she posts deals, works on dealer trades, and handles wholesales. Niki even met her husband Glen at the dealership! We’re proud to have Niki in our offices, and she says that she feels honored to have been given a chance to move into accounting. DEALERSHIP INFO General Sales Manager: Joe Pietrobono Service Manager: Mike Taylor Parts Manager: Mark Radle http://www.jimhudsonfordlexington.com http://www.facebook.com/pages/JimHudson-Ford/162682233783911 http://twitter.com/JimHudsonFord