Car dealerships have been a part of the American landscape since the first horseless carriages coughed down the street.
Many dealerships are decades old.
A few will commemorate a century of active service.
Many of these dealerships are family-owned.
Some started out as small operations and now span several states or regions.
Others sit on the same small lot that they started out on.
One thing they all have in common though is their close ties to the communities that they have served.
The car industry has evolved quickly in the last two decades.
The advent of the Internet made big changes to the process of buying and selling cars.
Then came the Great Recession, the decision to save Detroit, and a series of recalls that have hammered every make and brand.
It hasn't been an easy few years, and they have had to make rapid changes very abruptly.
Through it all, they have found ways to evolve, survive, and adapt.
Even more so, they have remained critical supporters and employers within their communities.
Car dealerships don't just sell cars.
They are hubs of economic activity within a community.
Many employ hundreds of people.
Salespeople and management work out on the showroom floor.
Receptionists answer the phones.
A sales staff manages the website, Internet leads, and online inventory.
Buyers travel to auctions and purchase trade-ins.
Drivers transport vehicles to the lot for sale.
Mechanics inspect, repair, and service vehicles.
A parts department stocks parts for an entire region, often to the tune of millions of dollars worth.
There is even a detailing department that ensures that every car is clean for the lot.
Hundreds of people work together to make every sale possible.
That is just at the dealership itself.
Throughout the community are contractors and businesses who support the operations.
Tech specialists, parking lot pavers, landscapers, building maintenance, cleaning crews, office supply vendors, and so on, all benefit from the business.
As you can quickly see, car dealerships can have a huge economic impact on the community.
Almost a century of business in a community builds even closer ties than that.
Not only do car dealerships provide jobs and business, they are also huge drivers of charitable contributions.
They sponsor everything from charitable drives to softball teams, community events to the United Way and Toys For Tots.
They provide a way for the communities they are a part of to not only help their own members who are less fortunate but also to reach out, across the country and the world, to help those in need.
It has been a tough couple of decades for those who sell cars.
The Internet made big changes to the business.
The Great Recession caused a whole new set of challenges.
Through all of that, car dealerships have continued to provide jobs and economic lifeblood to their communities.
In addition, they continue to be significant drivers of charitable giving and community engagement.
The illustrious legacy of the local car dealer in the heritage of America continues to be a shining example of good business.