Don Thornton Auto Group, which comprises Lexus of Tulsa, Don Thornton Cadillac, Don Thornton Volkswagen, Audi Tulsa, and other dealerships, was created by Thornton, who had been selling vehicles in Tulsa for more than 50 years.
Thornton, a native of North Carolina and a former Air Force pilot, rose to the position of top Ford sales manager in Dallas before relocating to Tulsa in 1968 to co-own a dealership.
He acquired a Ford dealership at Admiral Place and Mingo Road in 1971, then in 1986 he constructed a brand-new building at Memorial Drive and Interstate 244.
In 1998, Don Thornton Ford amalgamated with United Ford after 27 years, and he sold the company.
Thornton made his mark in a more established neighborhood by purchasing Lexus and Land Rover dealerships at 41st Street and Memorial Drive, while other dealers followed the trends and went farther south.
Later, he added the first standalone Audi dealership in Tulsa and Don Thornton Cadillac.
“I am a simple-minded North Carolina native from the South who wasn’t very brilliant. But he added, “I had several mentors that helped me.” Someone who has never piloted an airplane can become one with the correct instruction.
He needed one quality in order to sell cars: “Do they give people any thought? We can tell if you’re just in it for the money.
Thornton continued, “to watch a man who hasn’t sold vehicles mature and develop, and to observe how his family responds as he provides for them more. That’s what gives me such a wonderful feeling.
Former head of the Oklahoma Motor Vehicle Commission and Oklahoma Automobile Dealers Association, Thornton was a pioneer in his field.
As part of his volunteer work, he spent almost 40 years on the board of the Hillcrest Medical Center. He also served on the boards of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum, the old Children’s Medical Center, and the Tandy Family YMCA. Together with his wife, he actively supported the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Barbara Thornton, his wife of 65 years, three daughtersCathy Atchley, Laura Bloomfield, and Sandi Litzingereight grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and brother Michael Thornton round out his survivors.
You can make memorial contributions to a charity of your choice or the Better Together building campaign at Asbury United Methodist Church.
In This Article...
Who oversees Lexus of Palm Beach as general manager?
Exhibit No. 1 for Lexus of Palm Beach’s policy of internal promotion is Suzanne Kauniste.
At the age of 19, Kauniste began working as a receptionist at the AutoNation dealership. She advanced to scheduling appointments, managing deliveries, and finally her current position of selling autos during the past ten years.
According to general manager Cliff Brush, “She went from $9 an hour to $100,000 a year.” She is doing well and enjoys it.
When Brush observed Kauniste’s interaction with clients, he promoted her. Her accomplishment at the delivery job dispelled any prior misgivings she had about her ability to sell vehicles.
She currently sells about 15 cars per month when business is slow at the dealership and 20 cars per month when it’s busy.
When positions open up, according to Brush, he constantly strives to promote current employees. His director of fixed operations was formerly a technician.
Since 2001, Brush has served as general manager. “It conveys the proper message and keeps everyone involved,” he added. “Everyone thinks, ‘Why am I working so hard?’ if you bring someone in from the outside.”
As long as they satisfy performance goals, top performers at the dealership can also choose their own work schedules. Brush said that since sales representatives conduct much of their business through cell phone, they are able to perform their duties from home or essentially anyplace as long as they have access to a phone.
Additionally, he provides other workers who require it with flexibility like later start times, including single parents like Kauniste.
If they’re serious to putting in the time, Brush continued, “We’re committed to being adaptable enough to take into account what else is going on in their life.”
Lexus of Wesley Chapel’s owner?
With a new showroom being built close to Wiregrass Ranch, a new dealer will enter the Pasco County luxury car market.
On roughly 8 acres, next to Wesley Chapel Toyota, at 5300 Eagleston Boulevard, south of State Road 54 and west of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Lexus of Wesley Chapel is being constructed.
Nearly 130 dealers nationally bid for the prized Lexus dealership, and Williams Automotive Group’s owners faced off against them.
By the end of 2017, the new Lexus showroom is anticipated to open and hire roughly 100 staff. The parent business of Wesley Chapel Toyota, Wesley Chapel Honda, and Tampa Honda is Williams Automotive Group.
The second dealership in Pasco County to sell high-end, luxury cars is Lexus of Wesley Chapel.
The first Mercedes Benz dealership in Pasco County was established by AutoNation in 2015 at the intersection of State Road 56 and Interstate 75, also in Wesley Chapel. Tampa Premium Outlets, Cypress Creek Town Center, and Florida Hospital Center Ice are all nearby.
According to research and analysis of the area’s demographics, Wesley Chapel is “a fantastic fit for the luxury car consumer,” wrote John Williams, co-owner of Williams Automotive Group, in an email.
Williams stated in the email that the market for Lexus of Wesley Chapel extends beyond Pasco to include northern Hillsborough County, Hernando County, and beyond.
Wesley Chapel’s annual median income, as determined by the 2015 Census, is roughly $75,000. The median income in Pasco as a whole is roughly $45,000.
Wesley Chapel and Pasco have even higher average household incomes of almost $85,000 and $60,000, respectively.
Williams claimed that the market can support even more luxury dealerships in the future given the county’s continued growth.
There will be a two-story structure with around 58,000 square feet as the main Lexus showroom. Additionally, there will be a 3,800 square foot double-tunnel car wash and a 1,900 square foot covered outdoor pavilion.
More than 600 extra parking spots as well as a potential collision center can be built on a 10-acre neighboring site. Williams stated that the collision center’s construction will likely start in 2018.
Twelve Lexus vehicles will be on exhibit within the dealership, while ten more can be seen outside. With capacity for extension, there will be 30 service bays, eight of which will be detail bays.
There will also include a kids’ play area, a technology center, a number of customer lounges, quiet rooms, corporate offices, and an elegant cafe serving coffee and cappuccino.
Wesley Chapel Toyota’s owner?
PLANS, DESCRIPTION: Wesley Chapel’s Williams Automotive Group and Lighthouse Point’s Phil Smith Automotive Group acquired Wesley Chapel’s Honda.
David and John Williams, owners and operators of Wesley Chapel Toyota, as well as Phil Smith and Michael Dayhoff of Phil Smith Automotive Group make up the ownership group.
For $12 million, the partnership company Smith-Williams Real Estate LLC acquired the 12-acre site and 42,624-square-foot Honda dealership facility.
A 26-bay service facility and sales operations are housed in the dealership building. Built in 2007, it.
David Williams claims that after running the Toyota business for more than two years, he and his partners decided to diversify into Hondas. Because of the potential for expansion in the area and its proximity to the Toyota dealership, they decided to open a dealership in Wesley Chapel.
Williams claims, “We are betting on the future growth in this area.
For future expansion, a lot of development has been done in this area.
For $8.59 million, Smith-Williams Real Estate mortgaged the building to SunTrust Bank.
Lexus of Orlando’s owner?
Jimmy Bryan Sr., the dealer’s principal, has held the property since 2010, and he has been preparing to add it to Lexus of Orlando ever since. The second-largest Lexus dealership in Central Florida right now is Lexus of Orlando.