For Greg Bruner, the automobile business is much more than a profession; it’s a calling shaped by family, community values and a deep belief in servant leadership. His career is the story of a family dealership’s progression and of an industry navigating rapid change while remaining rooted in relationships and trust. SHAPED BY FAMILY AND COMMUNITY Greg grew up immersed in the car business and witnessed firsthand the dedication required to build, grow and sustain a successful dealership in a close‑knit community. The Bruner family entered the automotive industry in the early 1920s in Kerens, Texas, beginning with an auto service station run by Greg’s great‑grandfather, Charlie, and then his grandfather, Vernon. Vernon first sold Star automobiles before becoming a Chevrolet dealer in 1928, and the legacy of Bruner Chevrolet eventually passed to Greg’s father, Dwain. For young Greg, watching his family interact with customers, employees and neighbors was a lesson in the importance of reputation and character. FOLLOWING THE FAMILY PATH — BY CHOICE Greg didn’t march into the showroom with a predetermined plan. In college, he first pursued accounting, drawn by mentors and the idea of becoming a CPA, before realizing the profession wasn’t as good a fit as he’d imagined. Around his junior year, as he and his girlfriend Lynda were planning to marry, he told his father he wanted to return home and work at the dealership. His dad chuckled, “You just need a job because you’re fixing to get married,” to which Greg responded, “Well, you’re not wrong.” Greg got the job he’d asked for, and once there, he learned every corner of the business. A four‑month stint selling cars turned into an unexpected promotion to F&I when the department manager resigned. Greg had learned just enough from helping out at the dealership during the summers while in college to print contracts, so he stepped in to fill the gap. He later became sales manager when the prior manager left to establish his own store. “Every one of my promotions was from attrition,” Greg jokes. Learning the ropes of the family business wasn’t always easy. As a teen washing cars, he accidentally left a manual-transmission vehicle in gear, started it to listen to the radio like the older guys, and sent the car lurching forward. It was his “first wreck,” and as bad 9 DEALERS’ CHOICE
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