Grapevine Lexus Dealership Has Rare LFA Supercar

The pre-owned department at Park Place Lexus Grapevine is offering for sale a rare Lexus LFA. The vehicle is in exquisite condition as it was only driven a total of 300 miles. Only 150 Lexus LFA supercars were originally produced for the U.S. market, so exclusivity is guaranteed.

Featuring an obsidian exterior coupled with a sporty red interor, this supercar is a race car in Lexus clothing. With a super high-performance engine that generates a staggering 552 horsepower along with an incredibly light carbon fiber body, the car will ensure that every drive is memorable and exhillerating.

Outperforming almost everything in the world, the LFA has set record lap times on some of the most well-known race tracks in the world such as the Nürburgring (Nordschleife).

The 2012 Lexus LFA is available now and can be found front and center in the showroom of Park Place Lexus Grapevine. Racing license not required.

 

Park Place Motorcars Dallas Presenting Sponsors of the Dress 4 Yellow Fashion Show – LIVESTRONG

Living Strong and Wearing Yellow!

Park Place Motorcars Dallas was proud to be the Presenting Sponsors of the first annual Dress 4 Yellow Fashion Show and Luncheon benefitting LIVESTRONG, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Cook Children’s Medical Center.  The event took place on Thursday, April 5 at the historic Adolphus Hotel and hosted a sell-out crowd of over 400 fashionistas all wearing yellow and eager to support cancer research.

Lance and his mother, Linda Armstrong Kelly, were front row center at the event as were other advisory board members such as Pat Smith, Amy Vanderoef and Chef Tre Wilcox along with event chairs, Jennifer Applbaum and Lee Nagel.

Couture designers created original, yellow-inspired fashions for the Dress 4 Yellow runway.  Among the notables were Abi Ferrin, Christian Louboutin, Diane Von Furstenburg, Donna Karan, Ellie Tahari, Justin Boots, Michael Kors, Nha Khanh, Peach Carr, Prashe, Ralph Lauren, Shirin Askari and Zang Toi.  Several of these fashions were presented in the Live Auction to raise additional funds for the organization.  Lesa Oudt won the Park Place complimentary Register to Win Package which included a Mercedes-Benz for the weekend, deluxe detail and year of gas for her own vehicle, a $500 Skintastic ‘More Beautiful You’ gift certificate, Abi Ferrin fashion, Kendra Scott earrings and a weekend for 4 couples with guest room accommodations and golf at the luxurious Boot Ranch in Fredericksburg, Texas.  The package has an estimated value of approximately $5,500.

The Dress 4 Yellow event team plans to produce a video entitled  “Why I Wear Yellow” which will allow walk up guests to state why they wear yellow.  This allows supporters that dedicate their time and energy to honor those in their lives who have bravely fought cancer and remember those who win the fight and those that are missed daily.  The video shoot and video premiere will take place at Park Place Motorcars Dallas this June.

Since 2009, the 4 Yellow Foundation has contributed more than $750,000 to LIVESTRONG in the global fight against cancer through their Swing Fore Yellow and Ski Yellow events in Texas and Colorado.  Park Place Dealerships, celebrating our 25th year, has a long history of supporting cancer research.

Three Reasons To Choose Park Place BodyWerks For Collision Repair In Dallas/Ft. Worth

What makes Park Place Bodywerks superior to some of the other big chain, highly advertised body shop and collision repair centers out there? You know – the ones that insurance companies try to send all their repairs to? Competitors like Service King and Maaco? We’ve got the top three reasons to choose Park Place BodyWerks over the rest.

Number Three: A major difference that sets Park Place BodyWerks apart, is our state-of-the art equipment and technologically advanced facilities that the other shops don’t (or wont’) make the investment in, to insure that vehicles are returned back to factory specifications after a collision. We are held to a higher standard, because of our brands. And of course – we are certified to do repairs on all of them and more. Which brings us to….

Number Two: One more key advantage that we have that no independent shops have is our manufacturer training for all the brands we represent.  Each one of our brands are constantly putting out new models made with more and better technology as well as being made with newer and lighter and in many cases exotic materials.  We are at a distinct advantage to the independent shops since we get constant repair information updated direct from our manufacturers, and have the unique ability to send our technicians to the most current training available.

Number One: The number one difference is the quality of our members. We’re Experts in Excellence. And it’s not just a tagline. From the professionalism of our front office staff to the expertly trained technicians repairing the vehicles, you won’t find better talent than right here at Park Place to handle your collision claim.

Park Place Celebrates Community Partners – Plano ISD Education Foundation

monica_shortino_03

“Park Place Lexus Plano has been an instrumental partner of the Plano ISD Education Foundation. They have invested generously in the teachers of Plano ISD and through their support we have been able to award thousands of grants to teachers and recognize our teachers’ excellence in the classroom. The Education Foundation would not be able to offer such critical support to our teachers without wonderful community partners such as Park Place Lexus.”

Monica Shortino, Executive Director

Jaguar Plano wins Pride of Jaguar Dealer Award

Jaguar Plano has been awarded the Pride of Jaguar Retailer Excellence Award. The award is the highest honor a Jaguar dealer can receive. It is only bestowed on dealers who take the ideals of excellence and turn them into a way of doing business for every customer, every day. Earning the Pride of Jaguar requires that all areas of a Jaguar dealership’s business are focused on the customer. There are three key components to achieving Pride of Jaguar: providing an exceptional customer experience; exemplary sales satisfaction performance; and excellence in service quality.

“To achieve this accomplishment is a tremendous success, but to receive the award in our very first year of eligibility is truly outstanding,” said Stephen James, General Manager of Jaguar Plano. “Our staff dove right in, learning everything they needed to know about Jaguar, while adhering to Park Place’s stringent standards of excellence in every phase of our business. This is a great honor.”

Pride of Jaguar winners are dealers who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence and the Jaguar brand. Evaluation was based on customer satisfaction, sales performance and staff training during the 2011 calendar year. Only 16 select dealers are honored with this award each year. Jaguar has a network of 164 dealers across the U.S.

“The Pride of Jaguar award annually honors those select dealers who exceeded expectations in customer satisfaction, sales performance, and overall business excellence. These dealers are key elements in Jaguar’s continued success,” says Andy Goss, President, Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC.

Photo by David Alvey: Left-to-right: Mike Cotroneo, Jaguar Plano Sales Manager; Daniel Syvrud, Jaguar Plano Sales Manager; Angela Adams, Jaguar Plano Parts Manager; Kevin Boles, Jaguar Plano Service Manager; Stephen James, Jaguar Plano General Manager; and Mike Mykeloff, Market Manager, Jaguar Land Rover North America

Park Place Volvo is only Texas Dealership to Win President’s Club Award

Park Place Volvo has been named a 2011 recipient of the Volvo President’s Club Award.  The Volvo President’s Club, in its eighth year, acknowledges outstanding performances of the top 10 percent of U.S. Volvo retailers. Park Place is one of only 35 Volvo dealerships nationwide, and the only dealership in Texas, to receive the prestigious award.

“We are truly honored to earn this distinction,” said Rob Schweizer, Park Place Volvo General Manager. “Park Place prides itself on being ‘Experts in Excellence’ and that means incorporating strict standards in every area of our business. But, more importantly, it means that every member of our team is committed to performing at their very best day in and day out.”

In addition to the Volvo President’s Club Award trophy, Park Place Volvo members were treated to a Volvo-sponsored celebration party at House of Blues in Dallas.

“Volvo finished 2011 as the fastest growing luxury brand, with U.S. sales up 25 percent,” said John Maloney, president & CEO of Volvo Cars of North America. “Park Place Volvo truly helped us achieve this with their continued customer focus. We will accomplish great things in 2012 with the dedication and leadership of dealerships like Park Place.”

Volvo Cars of North America provides marketing, sales, service, technology and training to Volvo automobile retailers in the U.S. and Canada. For more information on the entire Volvo product lineup please refer to the Volvo Cars of North America, LLC, media website at: http://www.volvocars-pr.com/.

Left-to-right: Park Place Volvo General Manager Rob Schweizer; Tom Radgoski, Regional Sales & Marketing Manager, Volvo USA; John Kendig, Volvo USA Regional Vice President; Neil Grossman, President, Park Place Volvo; and John Niesman, Market Manager, Texas/Delta, Volvo USA

Park Place Dealership Group Seeks Summer Interns

Park Place Dealerships is seeking interns for the summer following a successful inaugural year with its internship program.  As part of the company’s effort to recruit students, Park Place headed to area college campuses such as Baylor, Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, University of Texas at Dallas, and University of North Texas to find interns.

Currently, Park Place is looking for candidates who would be interested in sales, service, finance, IT, training, accounting, and marketing.  The program is designed to provide students with meaningful work experiences, on the job training and ongoing personal development.

“Our primary objective at Park Place is to ensure an extraordinary experience for our clients,” said Kurt Vanous, human resource brand manager at Park Place. “Through our internship program, we can teach students the importance of building relationships and the fundamentals of working on a team for the sole benefit of making the client purchase or sales experience the best it can be.”

The ideal candidates are confident, passionate people looking to grow and succeed with one of the most successful organizations in Dallas/Fort Worth. All candidates must currently be enrolled in college and working towards a degree program.

Farah Ellenbogen, marketing intern from UTD began her internship with Park Place Motorcars Dallas last summer and has continued working with the company. “I was looking for a well-rounded internship experience that allowed me to work on a variety of projects and have some autonomy,” said Ellenbogen. “Park Place offered just that. I was given the chance to take ownership of projects and really get some great hands-on experience. My internship at Park Place has given me the opportunity to hone the skills that I needed to begin my professional career.

To apply for an internship, please contact Kurt Vanous at kvanous@10.2.54.33.

Park Place Lexus Creates New Position – Vehicle Technology Specialist

Park Place Dealerships have now twice been named one of Dallas Top 100 places to work – and for good reason: we’ve got the most innovative jobs in the automotive industry.  The automotive industry is constantly buzzing with new developments and fantastical technology, and at the forefront of these advancements, is Lexus.  There’s no denying it – all one needs to do is take a look at the 2013 Lexus GS to see that our brands, and our vehicles are more advanced than ever.  To support the rapidly changing technical options available to our clients on the vehicles – and also to help educate and assist the client in maximizing these new features Park Place Lexus has developed a new position called the Vehicle Technology Specialist (VTS).

The VTS will provide front-line support to clients with complex technology questions or concerns with their Lexus. In addition, the VTS would also be responsible for ongoing training and support for dealership members regarding current, new, and future Lexus products and technologies. The VTS is truly a unique position – and one that only an Expert in Excellence could occupy considering the additional requirements of the position:

  • Maintains a high degree of product and technical knowledge, including information about all Lexus products, resources, features, benefits, applications and competitive vehicle technology and reviews.
  • Maintains a collection of technology information and resources to assist in explanations
  • Creates and maintains FAQ guide for clients
  • Follows up with clients to ensure understanding and anticipate additional technology needs
  • Maintains all certification requirements
  • Assists with car displays and marketing events by greeting clients and sharing product information

Of course, the main goal of any position at Park Place is to support the team, and ensure an enjoyable purchase and ownership experience for the client. This new position will achieve both of these goals. It will also allow for fast, efficient resolution of client inquiries regarding vehicle technology or concerns. It’ll also allow the member to spend enough time with the client to properly troubleshoot any vehicle technology and vehicle system features.

Most of the time, when a client schedules a service appointment because of a technology related issue, it’s because the client doesn’t have a clear understanding of all the functionality or the feature of product. When this happens, it not only becomes an inconvenience for the client (because they have to bring their vehicle in for service and even possibly leave it overnight, which can be a hassle).  Most of the technology issues so far have been Bluetooth phone or Navigation system related, and can often be fixed or set up within a few minutes.

With this new position, the client can schedule directly with the VTS, who will work directly with the client. If it’s not broken, and in most cases, the VTS can show the client what is causing the concern and how to prevent it from happening in the future. It is Park Place Lexus’ “personal concierge” service for each client.

Another nice perk, for our clients, is that if clients that are waiting in the client lounge would like a refresher course on how some of the features on their vehicle work, we have a technology center set up so we can provide tutorials via iPads and TV monitors. From the tech center we can also keep clients up to date on the status of their vehicle while it’s in service.

So far, only Park Place Lexus Grapevine has had the opportunity to find the perfect VTS, and that candidate was Greg Milner, who is a five-year sales veteran with Park Place Lexus. Greg has been married to his wife, Karin for 21 years and they have one son, Curtis.  Greg is retired from the U.S. Army, and resided in Germany for seven years, where he met his wife, and also where his son was born. Greg holds a Technology Degree from Pierce College in Washington.  Greg likes working on his 1960 Austin Healey 3000 (no Bluetooth or GPS there!) and helping his son fix the cars he wrecks.

 

 

 

 

Park Place Sponsors Accessible Luxury Charity Fashion Event In Dallas

Set against the luxurious back drop of Park Place Dealerships, Accessible Luxury is one of Dallas’ most exciting events to hit the fashion scene. The event, benefiting the patients at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, is set to impress, once again, this year on April 21, 2012.

Under the leadership of 2012 Accessible Luxury honorary event chairs Lisa and Ken Schnitzer and event chairs Heather and Robert Murphy, the highly anticipated evening will provide guests exclusive access to fashion, cars, art, jewelry and delicious cuisine by notable area chefs.

Runway

“Robert and I are so proud to be at the helm of an event that benefits Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children which has such an important role in the community,” said event chairman Heather Murphy. “To have a night that is dedicated to celebrating some of Dallas’ finest, it only seems fitting that it would benefit such a medical jewel in our city. We are also thrilled to have Lisa and Ken Schnitzer involved in this special night. Their support of Accessible Luxury since the first year has been vital to the event’s success.”

Party attendees can expect a vast selection of activities throughout the night:

  • McLaren State-of-the-Art featuring Wisby-Smith Fine Art Browse and buy original art from one of Dallas’ finest art galleries. You won’t find a better exhibition space than in the company of a McLaren Roadster, a super performing, adrenalin-pumping sports car. As one of only 6 McLaren dealers in the United States, Park Place McLaren Dallas is at your service.
  • Maserati Man Cave featuring Beretta This male-dominated cavern showcasing Beretta’s polished apparel and gear awaits you for an evening of luxury cars, specialty drinks and hand-rolled cigars.
  • Bentley Bubble Roomfeaturing Eiseman Jewels Sip champagne as you pick out a new precious gem from Eiseman Jewels. Browse the collection of Texas native and jewelry designer Katie Decker.
  • Rolls Royce Runway Show featuring Oscar de la Renta Be inspired by the new fashion obsessions and vogue looks of Oscar de la Renta at this 8 p.m. show featuring Model Citizens and Campbell-Wagner models.
This accessible chic event is anything but typical and is sure to entertain guests from the time they arrive on the red carpet.
To be a part of one of the best fashion events Dallas has to offer, visit www.tsrhc.org/AL or call (214) 559-7656 for ticket information
or sponsorship opportunities.

Pictured, above  – Heather and Robert Murphy (Photo by Rick Smith)
Pictured, top – Models show off Barneys Spring 2011 collection
(Photo by Bob Manzano)