GETTING TO KNOW OUR NEW GLANCDA BOARD MEMBER JohnDavis John Davis is the President at Glenn E. Thomas Dodge Chrysler Jeep, the oldest established Dodge dealership in California and the 14th oldest established Dodge dealer in the country. As a third-generation dealer, John is proud to carry his family legacy forward and continues to grow the business established over 115 years ago. The Long Beach Auto Company was founded in 1909 by Walter L. Thomas. His son, Glenn E., became very active in the company and eventually purchased the dealership. The name was then changed to the Glenn E. Thomas Company. In 1934, Glenn entered into a franchise agreement with Chrysler, and Glenn E. Thomas Company became a Dodge dealership serving Long Beach. In 1944, a young Navy fighter pilot, Monte Davis, and Glenn crossed paths. Glenn was duck hunting at the Bear River Duck Club in Brigham City, Utah. Monte served as Glenn’s guide while he was home on leave, and a bond between the two men developed. Glenn knew that Monte would be good in business and offered him a job at his car dealership when the war ended. In 1945, Monte and his wife moved to Long Beach. He began his automotive career with Glenn, starting in the parts department and eventually working his way up to general manager of the dealership. Monte became the sole owner of the company in 1968. Monte’s son, Robert (Bob), joined him in the car business in 1973. Chrysler quickly recognized him for selling more vehicles than any other Dodge salesman in the United States in 1976. In 1990, the Glenn E. Thomas Company opened a new multi-million-dollar facility in Signal Hill near the 405 Freeway. At this same time, Bob Davis took over the reins as president, while Monte served as chairman. Bob followed his father in serving the automotive industry and community. Bob is a past President of the Southland Motor Car Dealers Association. He was on the National Sales Council for Dodge and served as the National President for two years. He was nominated as TIME Magazine’s Dealer of the Year in 1998. Today, Monte’s son and grandsons, John and Brad Davis, continue to do business the way they were taught by the patriarch of the family — going above and beyond to provide customers with superior service. Following the golden rule to treat customers as they would want to be treated. We recently had the opportunity to talk with John and learned more about his career path, his experiences in the industry and what serving on the GLANCDA board looks like. The following are excerpts from our conversation. 14
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