Speaking to the Chairman of the Auto Show was a bit different than with the various dealers, but we learned some interesting things about George, the auto shows and his perspective on the auto industry. Describe your education background. What did you study? I have a bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University, and a law degree I received from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago in 1969. You have a law degree, but how did you become a car dealer? Did you always aspire to be part of the automotive industry? I didn’t start my career in the auto industry with any plans to enter the auto industry. I had a couple of friends in college who had family members in the business, but I was in law school and planning on becoming a lawyer. One of my friends – a former college professor with a Ph.D. in Economics – had a father-in-law who had a Chevrolet dealership. One day, he put his arm around me and said, “George, come to work for me.” I explained I was in law school and had my career path set; I was going to become a big-time lawyer in Chicago. My friend pulled out the Yellow Pages and opened it up to the “big-time lawyer section.” There were a lot of lawyers. Even I could see there were a lot. So I did get my law degree, but I also decided to give car sales a try. I started in the automotive business in 1970 as a new-car salesman at Bill Jacobs Chevrolet in Joliet, Illinois. In 1972, I was promoted to sales manager after selling more than 1,200 cars in two years. It turns out I had a knack for selling cars. In 1973, two things happened: I sold a car to an FBI agent from Memphis. He knew people in Florida, and I got a job offer to become a general manager at a Cadillac dealership. I took it. Figured I couldn’t get a better reference than the FBI! I purchased my first dealership in 1977, in Tavares, Florida. It was an Oldsmobile dealership – a single point dealership – and I was there for 25 years. I had a good run with them until the manufacturer killed off Oldsmobile. So, I bought a Saturn dealership in Montgomery, Alabama – which, as we all know now, also went the way of Oldsmobile. I was eventually able to turn my dealership in Montgomery into a Subaru franchise, and in 2010, I was able to negotiate a Chevrolet franchise in Wildwood, Florida. My wife, Ann, used to say, “I married a lawyer and got a car salesman.” Right before she passed away, she told me that she wouldn’t change a thing. The car industry has been good to me. Do you have family members in the auto industry? No family members. My cousin worked with me for years, but sadly he passed away. I am a first-generation dealer, and I came up through the ranks. Are there any specific individuals who had a major impact on your career? Bill Jacobs. He was the consummate teacher. There were 25 people who started their careers and came up through the ranks at his dealership, and they all became dealers and very successful in their own right. He grew dealers. Working for Bill was an invaluable experience. Another person who made a difference in my career – and my life – was Terry York. He was one of the managers at a Bill Jacobs dealership. Terry and Ray Dennison were both mentors and good friends. Both went on to become dealers. The auto industry is a good place to learn from one another. GEORGE NAHAS Orlando's Auto Show Chairman This article was originally published in 2019-2020 Issue 2. Pub Yr 2 | Issue 4 11 CFADA.ORG
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