Community – Page 15 – Park Place Dealerships

June 14, 2016June 14, 2016

Experts in Excellence Recognize Experts in Education

It’s the award season we look forward to all year- the annual Teacher of the Year awards. From Allen and Plano to Carroll ISD, the events honoring the districts’ teachers are filled with excitement as teachers gather to congratulate and celebrate their colleagues, and share well wishes with teachers who are retiring.

Park Place Lexus Grapevine and Park Place Lexus Plano are proud supporters of the annual awards. To show our appreciation, the Teacher of the Year winners from each district are presented with a new Lexus to enjoy for the summer, tickets to a Texas Rangers game, and passes to the Dallas Arboretum all courtesy of Park Place Lexus Grapevine and Lexus Plano.

Amy Evans and Leslie Elkins are this year’s Carroll ISD Teachers of the Year. The ladies picked out their new summer rides at Park Place Lexus Grapevine. Amy Evans opted for the all-new 2016 Lexus RX 350 and Leslie Elkins went straight for the sporty 2016 Lexus RC.

Matt Woolsey- General Manager Park Place Lexus Grapevine; Amy Evans- Old Union Elementary Teacher of the Year

Matt Woolsey- General Manager Park Place Lexus Grapevine; Leslie Elkins- Carroll Middle School Teacher of the Year

Meanwhile in Plano. Plano Senior High School Math teacher Bryan Yee, fresh off his Teacher of the Year win, arrived to Park Place Lexus Plano with his family on a sunny Friday afternoon, to pick-up his Lexus for the summer. The all-new 2016 Lexus RX 350 was Mr. Yee’s Lexus of choice, a decision that was clearly approved by the “oohs” and “that’s cool, dad” from his two sons once they saw the SUV.

Mr. Yee isn’t the only Plano ISD Teacher of the Year winner. Park Place Lexus Plano was at the awards banquet where Erika Manning of Weatherford Elementary School took home the evening’s top honor.

Allen ISD teachers Jennifer Clements- Spanish teacher at Allen High School and Amanda Perkins- 3rd Grade teacher at Cheatham Elementary are this year’s Allen ISD Teachers of the Year. Jennifer and Amanda didn’t waste any time, they arrived together early Saturday morning to pick up their cars. Little did they know they picked matching cars…silver 2016 Lexus RC 350s.

(L to R) Jennifer Clements- Spanish teacher at Allen High School; Chris Brunner- General Manager Park Place Lexus Plano; Amanda Perkins- 3rd Grade teacher at Cheatham Elementary

The next day, we received the following e-mail from Jennifer Clements: “Thank you Park Place Lexus for the BEST SATURDAY EVER! From the moment I walked in to the dealership and was greeted by Michelle and Chris, I was treated like a Queen! The tour of the dealership revealed a beautiful facility designed specifically for the customers….even bagels, coffee, computer work stations and televisions for your short wait for your car service or car wash! Everyone on staff is so friendly, respectful and genuine! And then the moment, I had been waiting for….laying eyes on my RC 350 for the first time! A gorgeous sports coupe….all mine for the summer! WOW! I am blown away by the smooth drive, comfort, and innovative technology! Jesse explained all the gadgets and bells and whistles to me…making it so much simpler and comfortable to drive! A few fun pictures, some paperwork and goodbyes….and I was off! As I drove off the lot, I was smiling from ear to ear! Free Carwashes, Texas Rangers tickets, Valet Parking, Dallas Arboretum tickets…..THANK YOU PARK PLACE LEXUS FOR LOVING TEACHERS!!!”

Jennifer, Amanda, Bryan, Erika, Amy, and Leslie, we would like to thank YOU and all teachers for the selfless dedication and contribution to the community.

Check back for more as the teachers share their Summer in a Lexus stories and pictures.

June 8, 2016June 8, 2016

Baby Raccoons Rescued From Engine of Mercedes-Benz at Park Place Motorcars Grapevine

As dreary weather and torrential downpours eclipsed Texas last week, an unexpected discovery brought smiles to everyone’s faces at Park Place Motorcars Grapevine. A technician, working on a Mercedes-Benz brought in for service, came face to face with a baby raccoon…and 3 of its siblings.

Monty Butcher, a technician at Park Place Motorcars Grapevine, opened the hood of a car and found the underside of the hood had been damaged, which begged the question, what caused this damage? Joseph Gonzales was assisting and saw something move and then a little head peeked out from within the engine.

Immediately, Buddy Ward and Patrick Estes jumped in and started removing parts of the engine. When they realized there were several baby raccoons trapped, Mark Waugh- Body Shop Manager, Doug Prince, and Andrew Zendejas- Service Drive Supervisor helped extract the animals. The Park Place team was able to pull the four baby raccoons safely from the car and put them in a box.

In the meantime, Scotty MacLean headed off to the store to pick up a cage, pillow and milk to make them comfortable.

Of course, the raccoons had many visitors throughout the day at the dealership as everyone wanted to meet them!

A wildlife rescue organization has picked the babies up, where they will be raised until they are able to be released back into the wild.

Park Place has a wonderful history of rescuing animals from cars including a red-tailed hawk in 2011 that was caught in the grill of a Lexus and a kitten that was trapped behind the front grill last year. Each of these rescues has been a complete team effort!

May 27, 2016June 9, 2016

Carroll ISD Teachers of the Year to Spend the Summer in a Lexus

As if winning Teacher of the Year isn’t exciting enough, how about spending the summer in a brand new Lexus? Park Place Lexus Grapevine is treating two Teachers of the Year to a fun Summer with a luxurious Lexus to enjoy as well as goodie bag with Rangers tickets and Dallas Arboretum passes among many other items.

This year, Amy Evans from Old Union Elementary & Leslie Elkins of Carroll Middle School are the lucky winners.

(L to R) Matt Woolsey- General Manager Park Place Lexus Grapevine; Amy Evans- Old Union Elementary Teacher of the Year; Leslie Elkins- Carroll Middle School Teacher of the Year

Leslie Elkins- Carroll Middle School Teacher of the Year

Amy Evans- Old Union Elementary Teacher of the Year

Check back for more, as the teachers share their stories and pictures while enjoying their summer in a Lexus.

May 24, 2016May 24, 2016

Allen Teachers of the Year to Spend Summer in a Lexus

It’s the breakfast we look forward to all year- the Allen ISD Superintendent’s Recognition Breakfast honoring the district’s teachers and retirees. Excitement filled the room as teachers from across the district gathered to congratulate and celebrate their colleagues, and share well wishes with the teachers who will retire once the school year comes to a close.

More than a dozen teachers were recognized as teachers of the year at their schools, but there are only two District Teachers of the Year. Jennifer Clements- Spanish teacher at Allen High School and Amanda Perkins- 3rd Grade teacher at Cheatham Elementary are this year’s Allen ISD Teachers of the Year.

(L to R) Amanda Perkins- 3rd Grade teacher at Cheatham Elementary; Chris Brunner- General Manager Park Place Lexus Plano; Jennifer Clements- Spanish teacher at Allen High School

The winners received a variety of gifts, along with the favorite prize amongst teachers year after year- a summer in a Lexus courtesy of Park Place Lexus Plano.

Jennifer and Amanda didn’t waste any time. They arrived together early Saturday morning to pick up their cars. Little did they know they picked matching cars…2016 Lexus RC 350.

Jennifer Clements

Amanda Perkins

Park Place Lexus Plano is proud to support Allen ISD. Each year, two lucky Teacher of the Year winners from each district get to spend a summer in a Lexus, attend a Texas Rangers game, and spend the day at the Dallas Arboretum all courtesy of Park Place Lexus Plano.

Check back for Jennifer and Amanda’s Summer in a Lexus adventures.

May 23, 2016

2016 Plano ISD Experts in Excellence

Plano Senior High School Math teacher Bryan Yee has a fun summer to look forward to. Fresh from his Teacher of the Year win, Mr. Yee arrived to Park Place Lexus in Plano with his family on a sunny Friday afternoon, to pick-up his Lexus for the summer.

Park Place Lexus Plano is proud to support Plano ISD and provides a brand new Lexus for the Teacher of the Year winners to enjoy during the summer vacation.

Mr. Yee with New Car Sales Manager Doug Klein

The all-new 2016 Lexus RX 350 was Mr. Yee’s Lexus of choice, a decision that was clearly approved by the “oohs” and “that’s cool, dad” from his two sons once they saw the SUV.

Mr. Yee isn’t the only Plano ISD Teacher of the Year winner. Park Place Lexus Plano was at the awards banquet where Erika Manning of Weatherford Elementary School (Erika Manning- Plano ISD Teacher of the Year Profile) and Bryan Yee of Plano Senior High School (Bryan Yee- Plano ISD Teacher of the Year Profile) took home the evening’s top honor.

(Photo Credit: Plano ISD)

General Manager Chris Brunner (R) and Lead New Car Sales Manager, Patrick Jaccar (L) were on hand to congratulate the winners and present the “Summer in a Lexus” prize-pack, which also includes Texas Rangers tickets and Dallas Arboretum passes.

Park Place Dealerships would like to thank all the teachers for their selfless dedication and contribution to the community.

(Photo Credit: Plano ISD)

May 16, 2016May 17, 2016

Lexus’ L/Certified Best Overall Luxury CPO Program for 2016

Lexus’ L/Certified (Certified Pre-Owned) Program won top honors from Autotrader. The magazine recognized L/Certified as the best overall CPO program in the industry! “Among luxury automakers, Lexus’s CPO program “L/Certified” won top honors primarily due to its excellent warranty along with other alluring benefits. L/Certified offers limited bumper-to-bumper coverage for up to six years and unlimited mileage from the vehicle’s original sale date—a risky proposition, but one that shows the brand is willing to firmly stand behind its vehicles. Lexus’s program boasts no deductible for covered repairs, meaning that owners won’t have to pay a penny if their cars suffer a warranty claim. Icing on the cake is the fact that Lexus’s program touts complimentary maintenance covering the next four factory-recommended services for two years or 20,000 miles¬—a small benefit, but one that’s certainly worth mentioning.”

Certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles are typically late-model, low-mileage vehicles that come with a host of perks like manufacturer-backed warranties, roadside assistance and more. While nearly every manufacturer offers a CPO program, the terms and benefits vary greatly. To make it easy for car shoppers to discover which CPO programs stand out, the experts at Autotrader® analyzed all brands’ CPO terms and selected the 10 best luxury and 10 best non-luxury CPO programs, with one overall winner and nine honorable mentions in each category. For 2016, Autotrader selected Lexus as the winner for Best CPO Program in the luxury category.

“The number one benefit of any CPO program is the warranty, so we decided that the length of warranty should be the top criteria when choosing this year’s Best CPO Programs,” said Brian Moody, executive editor at Autotrader.

CPO vehicles offer many of the same benefits of a new car without the higher price tag and steep depreciation. Each vehicle undergoes an extensive inspection defined by the manufacturer and must meet a variety of guidelines from age to mileage. Once certified, these vehicles come with a manufacturer-backed warranty, giving buyers the confidence they desire when purchasing a pre-owned vehicle. In fact, 64 percent of shoppers say that the certification process and warranty give them peace of mind.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LEXUS L/CERTIFIED HERE

SEE AVAILABLE LEXUS L/CERTIFIED VEHICLES HERE

For more information about Lexus L/Certified or other Pre-Owned vehicles, please contact:

Chris Collins, Pre-Owned Sales Director at Park Place Lexus Plano at 972-407-7025 or CCollins@10.2.54.33

Juan Puentes, Pre-Owned Sales Director at Park Place Lexus Grapevine at 817-416-3308 or JPuentes@10.2.54.33

May 16, 2016July 19, 2018

Park Place Jaguar Land Rover Coming Soon to Grapevine

We are thrilled to finally let the cat out of the bag and announce our latest addition to the Park Place Dealerships family. A new Jaguar Land Rover dealership is coming to Grapevine. Expected to open in spring 2017, the dealership will sit on eight acres on the south side of Highway 114 near Texan Trail Parkway. The Grapevine location will be the new home of Jaguar Plano with the addition of the Land Rover brand to our portfolio.

“We currently have two dealerships, as well as a body shop in Grapevine,” said Ken Schnitzer, chairman of Park Place Dealerships. “Building a Jaguar Land Rover dealership in Northeast Tarrant County is a natural extension for our company as this market continues to grow. Jaguar has just introduced the new XE and F-PACE, the first SUV in the brand’s history. Land Rover is an iconic brand that introduced the first luxury SUV in the world and has a tremendous following.”

Park Place continues to invest in building facilities that are client friendly, energy efficient, and designed with its clients and employees in mind. Each dealership showcases Park Place’s distinctive style in a warm, inviting environment. The new Park Place Jaguar Land Rover will feature a two-story, LEED-certified facility. The shop will include 30 service bays and 12 make ready bays. The showroom can accommodate up to 12 new Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles. A nine-car service drive and 2,800 square foot carwash will round out the areas dedicated to serving a client’s needs.

“Northeast Tarrant County is a great community to do business and with the opening of Jaguar Land Rover, Park Place will have a larger footprint to serve our growing client base,” said Gary Venner, president of Park Place Dealerships. “I have been fortunate to live and work in this community for more than 30 years. It is an honor to work for a company that stands for integrity, respect and excellence and to serve the clients who become a part of our Park Place family.”

The Park Place brand has become synonymous with offering clients a high quality ownership experience. The company continues to be recognized locally and nationally with top honors for its customer service, sales, and excellent processes.

Park Place Jaguar Plano has been named a recipient of the 2016 Pride of Jaguar Retailer Excellence five years in a row. Sixteen of the 162 Jaguar dealers across the United Stated were selected based upon being top performers in three core business categories; customer advocacy, sales and business excellence. Out of the 16, only one Jaguar retailer is awarded the esteemed Marque of Distinction title for being the top retailer for its brand. Jaguar Plano is proud to have earned the Marque of Distinction as the #1 Jaguar dealership in the country three years in a row.

During the construction phase that will begin immediately, the dealership is expected to create 1,000 jobs. Upon opening, Park Place will add new sales and service positions to the dealership. Currently, there are 48 employees at Jaguar Plano.

Texas-based Good, Fulton & Farrell has been named the architectural firm for the project. Hill & Wilkinson has been selected as the general contractor.

April 22, 2016

Meet the Man Behind the Wheel of Park Place Lexus Grapevine

Imagine starting your first job. You’re the proud recipient of a Business Economics degree from UT Austin. You start working for a small insurance firm, and the company goes bankrupt 4-months into your new career. Not many would call it their lucky break, but for Matt Woolsey it actually was.

Today, Matt Woolsey is the General Manager of Park Place Lexus Grapevine. Eighteen-years ago he shifted gears and fate set him on a new career path with Park Place.

Matt started working in Pre-Owned Sales at Park Place Motorcars Mid-Cities (currently Park Place Motorcars Grapevine), then transitioned to New Car Sales and hasn’t looked back since. He loved the fast pace of the car business. “I enjoy the camaraderie of the teams having fun and working together to take care of clients and exceed monthly goals.”

After two-years of exceeding numerous monthly goals, Matt moved into sales management and eventually F&I before being named General Manager of Park Place Motorcars Mid-Cities (currently Park Place Motorcars Grapevine).

Matt eventually moved to Park Place Lexus. After a few years of being General Sales Manager, he was named General Manager at Park Place Lexus Grapevine, the first automotive dealer to win the prestigious Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award.
And the awards have not stopped coming. Park Place Lexus Grapevine just won the 2015 Elite of Lexus award for the 16^th year in a row. [Elite of Lexus is awarded to Dealers who excel at sales, service and overall owner support. Winners are selected based on customer feedback from surveys rating owner satisfaction, sales and service as extremely exceptional, as well as the dealership exceeding rigorous Lexus operational and certification standards.]

Matt brings an inspirational, competitive, and collaborative leadership to the team, and always stays engaged. It works for his team and the dealership as it provides open and honest communication. His one piece of advice for new members is “Invest in yourself. Commit to yourself and to your team. The grass is greener where you fertilize it. Your future is up to YOU!”
No stranger to the Grapevine and Southlake-Carroll community, Matt and his team are proud to give back. Growing up in Southlake, Matt attended Carroll High School. “I’m now the proud father of two Carroll Dragons. I’m excited to see not only how much growth has taken place here, but look forward to seeing where Southlake will be three or four decades from now.”

Park Place Lexus Grapevine is a proud supporter of the Southlake-Carroll Teacher of the Year awards. Each year, two Teachers of the Year from the district get to enjoy a Summer in a Lexus, as well as tickets to a Texas Rangers game and other fun gifts, all courtesy of Park Place Lexus Grapevine.

“Confucius says ‘Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.’ I can’t imagine another industry being any more fun than this,” says Matt. “Add that Park Place Dealerships truly cares about its clients and its members, and you have the support of a phenomenal company in a truly exciting industry, meeting some of the most interesting and successful clients in our market.”

April 13, 2016April 18, 2016

Meet the Man Behind the Money of Park Place Dealerships

You never know where your success story will begin, but it always begins with taking a chance. Whether you take a chance and reach for the stars or someone takes a chance on you, oftentimes these chances are handsomely rewarded. Such was the case for Rick Stone, Chief Financial Officer of Park Place Dealerships.
After graduating from Stephen F. Austin University with a degree in Finance, Rick was working as an Accounting Clerk for the City of Nacogdoches when a recruiter who believed in Rick and a twist of fate came together with an opportunity of a lifetime, although at the time it may not have seemed like it.

“A recruiter I worked with presented me for a job that I was not qualified to hold,” said Stone. “Thankfully the Schnitzer family took a risk on me and put me in an analyst position for the dealership investments.”

After about 3 years, Rick moved to Dallas to work directly with Mr. Ken Schnitzer- Chairman and Owner of Park Place Dealerships. Rick worked on special projects such as acquisitions, financial analysis, real estate and more. Rick took to his new role with tremendous success and saw the challenges as opportunities. In 2007, he led the effort to bring construction management in-house to improve controls and accountability on real estate construction projects.

In 2015, Rick was promoted to the role of Chief Financial Officer as his predecessor retired. “CFO is the first official title I have ever had with this organization.” During his first two weeks as CFO, Rick made it a point to meet his team face-to-face, although they are dispersed all over DFW as well as Nevada. “In those meetings, one of the common threads in our discussions was the fact that I was there to serve them and not the other way around,” said Rick, “My leadership style is fearless servant, and it works because it’s real. I take the time to know and recognize everyone by their first name or send a quick note of encouragement. They see me every day putting 150% effort right there with them, and they see that I’m not perfect, that I have a sense of humor, and over the past year it has fostered an environment where we support, encourage and edify each other. We laugh together, we cry together, and we battle together. In order to serve others it’s important to establish rapport and get to know the team, because without that rapport they will not seek your service.”

The fearless part of his leadership comes into play by being willing to step out on the thin limbs for his team and for implementing changes, and some may be somewhat unconventional for the industry, to put Park Place in position for greater success. ” It’s [car business] actually a fairly complex business and I thrive on being challenged.”

The fearless factor flows into Rick’s personal life as well. Before he was pouring over financials, he enjoyed pouring his heart out with a good ballad as the lead singer of several hair-metal cover bands during his high-school years. Just recently, he was cast as Mr. Bradley in a production of “Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”

Family fun includes coaching his sons’ baseball teams for the last 10 years, trips to the beach and tending to a cause close to his heart- youth theatre. “Sounds crazy, I know,” said Rick, “But I’ve seen the confidence in my own kids and in others through performing on stage. In today’s world there are so many ways our youth gets beaten down and discouraged; therefore, it has been refreshing to find an activity that has consistently built them up. The youth is our future and it is incumbent upon all of us to put our youth in position to succeed.”

Whether coaching a baseball team or supporting the accounting team at Park Place, working behind the scenes doesn’t present much room for recognition, however to Rick it’s not the trophies or the plaques that motivate him to work harder. “Seeing a deal get closed or a member grow and develop is what really drives me.

March 14, 2016March 22, 2016

Scenic Stroll Through Dallas Blooms

It’s our favorite time of the year! Dallas Blooms is in full swing once again at the Dallas Arboretum. From great scenery and statues of great contributors to great luxury SUVs, there’s plenty to see and do. Park Place Dealerships is the exclusive automotive sponsor of the annual event and we added some of our favorite models from Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Volvo to the Dallas Blooms mix.

Warm welcome! Visitors are greeted by this gorgeous grey Mercedes-Benz GLC300, which also provides for a fun photo-op.

Perched among the fragrant flowers, not far from the entrance, is a picture-perfect white Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid.

A Swedish model is making Cool Thursday Concerts a lot cooler. Be sure to check out the 2016 Volvo XC60 greeting visitors on the lawn.

This year’s theme, “The Artistry in Nature” includes life-size sculptures of great contributors such as Benjamin Franklin, and William Shakespeare relaxing on benches or in garden-setting throughout the Dallas Arboretum. Whether to take a selfie, or take in the views, guests are invited to have a seat on the bench along with the great contributors. The bronze sculptures are works of renowned sculptor Gary Lee Price.

Dallas Blooms runs through Sunday, April 10th.