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Member Spotlight: Dreams Changed for Malcolm Gage as Doors Opened for New Opportunities

Malcolm Gage Enrolled in Pre-Med Courses at SMU until a Part-Time Job Led Him Down a Different Road

Malcolm R. Gage Jr., current General Manager at Park Place Motorcars Arlington, never envisioned a career in the automotive industry. In fact, he was in a Pre-Med program at Southern Methodist University in 1997 when his college roommate suggested he could get Malcolm a job at a Lewisville Ford dealership during his college break.

“My friend thought my quick wit and personality would be a good fit,” recalled Gage. “Reluctantly, I took his advice, and they hired me the same day I interviewed. I fell in love with the job, and changed my focus to a career in the automotive industry. Now, 23 years later, I know it was the right decision.”

A Journey to Automotive

In 2005, Gage joined Park Place Dealerships as New Car Sales Manager at Park Place Motorcars Bedford, which is now located in Grapevine. Gage quickly rose up the ranks at Park Place, where he spent the past five years as New Car Sales Director at the Park Place Premier Collection in Dallas, representing luxury brands Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Maserati, and McLaren. He was recently named General Manager at Park Place Motorcars Arlington.

“The automotive business is unlike any other,” said Gage. “I’ve made some amazing contacts, and it’s given me opportunities I never could’ve imagined. Having the opportunity to work in state-of-the-art facilities with world-class brands, and interacting with professionals of the highest caliber, one cannot put a value on that. I consider myself blessed to have reached this point, but I credit a lot of mentors and managers that have supported me and given me guidance to reach this point.”

Rolls-Royce Sales Manager of the Year, Coach of the Year, and SMU Alum

Some of his greatest accomplishments are being named Coach of the Year from two different Park Place dealerships, and being part of teams that were recognized as Dealerships of the Year, both nationally and internationally. Gage was also named the first-ever Rolls-Royce Sales Manager of the Year by Rolls-Royce Motorcars North America.

“As leaders of this organization, we try to predict future trends based on metrics and the past,” explained Gage. “But there are so many external factors that can affect it at any moment. Hiring and retaining the best talent is a challenge, but we pride ourselves on our industry-leading retention rates. I think the biggest challenge is probably the pressure we put on ourselves to exceed expectations.”

Gage graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Affairs and Corporate Communications, and he is still involved with the SMU Alumni Association. He is an Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Lifetime Member, and he volunteers with Equality Texas, the Human Rights Campaign, the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, and several other organizations.

“I’m involved with these organizations to give back to the Dallas/Fort Worth community that has given so much to me. Much of my success in this industry has been from networking and forming relationships with business and civic leaders in the area. I’ve always believed in dedicating time to serve others.”

Featured on the Food Network, Too!

Food Network fans may remember Malcolm Gage and Ophelia’s New Soul co-owner Cordey Lash as winners of the acclaimed TV show’s Food Court Wars. Formerly located in Plano’s Collin Creek Mall Food Court, Ophelia’s New Soul launched in 2014 and specialized in modern interpretations of classic soul food dishes served in a fast, yet relaxed, atmosphere.

“We have been approached by fans of the restaurant asking if we were going to open a new location,” Gage explains. “But I think my time in the restaurant industry has passed. We achieved great success and national recognition with Ophelia’s New Soul, and it allowed us to create a franchising plan for someone who might want to continue the brand. Who knows what the future holds? It’s still a treat to see the episode on Food Network at times.”

Park Place Motorcars Arlington is located at 4201 Beltway Place off I-20 at S. Center Street. Founded in 1987 with a single Mercedes-Benz dealership on Oak Lawn in Dallas, Park Place Dealerships also represents luxury brands Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Maserati, McLaren, Koenigsegg, Lexus, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover. For more information, visit parkplace.com.

 

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Park Place Dealerships is Open, With You in Mind

Hours of Operation 

Sales: 10:00am-7:00pm Monday through Friday & 9:00am-6:00pm on Saturdays

Premier Collection Sales: 9:00am-6:00pm Monday through Saturday

Service: 8:00am-6:00pm Monday through Friday & 8:00am -5:00pm on Saturdays.

Premier Collection Service: Closed Saturdays

Recent Updates

Our clients’ health and the health of our employees is our number one priority. Every decision we make is through that lens. As we begin to find a “new normal,” we wanted to share the updates we’ve made in how we serve you and your vehicle needs.

  • Conduct daily health screenings for our employees
  • Providing face coverings for all of our employees
  • Taking steps to allow for social distancing of six feet or more
  • Increasing cleaning and sanitization of our dealerships, client vehicles, service loaners and newly purchased vehicles
  • Offer vehicle pick-up and delivery options for both sales and service clients
  • Provide virtual test drives and online buying options
  • And while we always want to warmly welcome you into our dealerships, we’ve asked our employees to refrain from hand-shakes or hugs with clients

We look forward to seeing you again whether that be in our dealership or virtually as we know how important a safe and reliable vehicle is to your daily life.

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Jaguar Land Rover North Austin to Hold Virtual Event for New Defender

SOCIAL DISTANCING HAS COMPANIES GETTING CREATIVE

Learn a New Recipe, Create a Fun Drink and See the Reveal of a New SUV all Online

In these days of social distancing, the community can’t gather for events, so two local companies joined forces to host a fun and innovative get together to enjoy at home. Austin’s popular Rosedale Kitchen and Bar and Jaguar Land Rover North Austin will launch a virtual event this Friday, April 17, at 3 pm via Facebook, YouTube, and IGTV.

The online event features the Rosedale Kitchen and Bar mixologist, Aaron Hernandez, demonstrating a step-by-step guide to create the “Landy,” a cocktail named after the new Land Rover. Executive Chef Janelle Reynolds will show us how to make Seared Halloumi with Tomato and Zucchini. Rosedale Kitchen and Bar has shared both recipes. Jaguar Land Rover North Austin will reveal the much-anticipated new 2020 Land Rover Defender.  This is the first dealership in Austin for Park Place, which opened on March 2.

TUNE-IN

Guests are invited to join the event on Park Place’s YouTube, Facebook, and IGTV channels at 3 pm Friday, April 17, for a virtual event, including an unveiling of the new 2020 Land Rover Defender. 

Land Rover brought back its Defender this year after a 23-year hiatus. It has always had something of a cult following in the U.S. because it couldn’t be purchased here. The 2020 Defender is a rugged off-road vehicle, but it’s also a luxury SUV that’s equally at home on the urban streets of downtown Austin or deep in the back roads of the Hill Country. 

Inside, the Defender is the most connected Land Rover product ever. Available in two-door or four-door models, the Defender has a new infotainment system with over-the-air software updates, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a 12-inch digital instrument panel.

“While we just opened our first store in Austin six weeks ago, Park Place Dealerships has been around more than 30 years,” said Matt Woolsey, general manager of Jaguar Land Rover North Austin. “We have already developed some great partnerships with Leander ISD, Round Rock ISD, and Seton Williamson Hospital. Putting this fun event together allows us to interact with our community and offer something fun to share and enjoy.”

Located at 13910 FM 620 North on State Highway 45 and Parmer Road, Jaguar Land Rover North Austin features a large, glass-enclosed showroom to accommodate up to 12 new Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles. The 70,000 square-foot facility also includes a five-story garage, a shop with 42 service bays, a nine-car service drive, and a 2000-square-foot carwash.

Jaguar Land Rover North Austin Management Team. (L-R) John Gasparaitis, Parts Director Justin Griggs, Shop Foreman Walter Rhodes, New Car Sales Director Jose Fernandez, Service Manager Matt Humphrey, Service Director Matt Woolsey, General Manager Chris Nations, Pre-Owned Sales Director Cade Mannetti, Sales Manager Erika Falk, GM Admin Vy Nguyen, Finance Director Jordan Case, President of Park Place

Founded in 1987, Park Place Dealerships also represents luxury brands Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Maserati, Koenigsegg and McLaren. For more information, visit parkplace.com.

 

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Member Spotlight Featuring Diki Terry: A Rare Bird Takes Flight

Diki Terry spreads cheer, optimism and professionalism at Park Place Motorcars Arlington

She’s that rarest of North Texas birds – an actual Arlington native!

“Born and raised right here,” says Diki Terry with an easy laugh. “I graduated James Martin High School, which is only 15 minutes west. Go Warriors!”

And while she’s still a proud supporter of the school’s black, red, and silver, she’s unabashed about her dedication to Park Place Motorcars Arlington, where she’s served as Parts Director since October 2015.

“The pace can be quite hectic at times,” she freely admits. “The key is focus. Our clients need us at the top of our game every day.”

She’s a firm believer in the power of teamwork and doesn’t miss a chance to praise the six members of her busy team. “Our team works extremely well together and we get along really well together, too,” she says. “When you’re responsible for selling, tracking and replenishing inventory, for a huge variety of vehicle models and years, things can get pretty complicated fairly quickly. But our team gets it done!”

Diki holds brief (15-minute) “tune-up” meetings every morning with her staff so they can identify challenges and solutions. “I believe in the power of team communications and being open and up-front,” she says. “You can only control what you can control, so we take it one day at a time and focus on what needs to get done.”

She came to the world of automotive parts service after stints at another local dealership where, after serving as a receptionist, her office manager approached her with an opportunity – parts administrative assistant.

She accepted and thrived in the fast-paced environment. “I was like a sponge, absorbing all the action,” she says with typical enthusiasm. “I especially liked being a backup service dispatcher, it was a blast!”

She’s also typically frank about her experience as a woman in a traditionally male role.

“This was back in the late 1990s when it was sort of weird to see a girl at the parts counter,” she says. “But once clients have confidence you know what you’re doing, it’s all systems go and really not a big deal at all.”

Her Park Place Journey

She joined Park Place Motorcars Fort Worth in 2005 as a Parts Advisor and moved up to Assistant Parts Manager in 2007. Her sunny outlook and positive attitude garnered management attention and ultimately led to her current role. She keeps her team enthused with shared book studies about practical tools to enhance culture, communication, and performance.

“We’ve studied Jon Gordon’s ‘Power of a Positive Team’ and ‘Who Moved My Cheese?’ by Spencer Johnson,” she says. “Right now, we’re on ‘The Mamba Mentality’ by Kobe Bryant and it’s great,” she adds.

In Her Spare Time

In her spare time, she gathers strength from her faith and her family: her husband of 23 years, their 19-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son. From their home base in Aledo, they jump into their Sprinter RV and head for the hills as often as they can. “We all love camping,” she chuckles.

She also acknowledges being a fan of Def Leppard. “’Hysteria’ is a great album,” she says with a smile. Seemingly on the opposite side of the cultural fence, she admits that her favorite movie is the classic weeper “Sixteen Candles.”

Some Real Advice

What advice does she have for women who’d like to explore careers in the automotive industry but feel uncertain?

“Just be yourself, go out there and be willing to learn and ask questions,” she states. “Nobody’s standing in your way. Immerse yourself in what you’re learning, figure out your niche and just keep going.”

 

 

 

 

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Park Place Extends Pick-Up and Delivery Services to all Locations

‘Pick-up and Delivery’ will temporarily be offered at all Park Place Dealership locations for clients who continue to have service and detail needs. 

Park Place Dealerships recognizes that COVID-19 is affecting our clients’ day-to-day lives and we are here to continue to assist by offering pick-up and delivery for all your service needs. We want to make this difficult time as seamless as possible for you and your vehicle, while also ensuring you and our members assisting feel safe.

Click Here to Schedule Service

Park Place is taking extreme safety measures when it comes to sanitation for the health of our clients and members. You can expect the following precautions to be taken with every pick-up and delivery appointment for your vehicle and your loaner vehicle:

    • Member must wear latex gloves
    • Member will spray a liberal amount of dis-infecting cleaner into a micro-fiber rag
    • They will wipe the driver’s door handle thoroughly and then open driver’s door and wipe down interior door handle, switches, and armrest
    • Additional disinfecting cleaner will be sprayed into a micro-fiber rag and wipe down the steering wheel, center console climate control, console screens, switches, center console lid, and gear-shift selector
    • Our member will exit the vehicle and spray additional disinfecting cleaner into a micro-fiber rag and wipe down the driver’s side rear door exterior handle, interior handle, switches, and armrest.
    • FOR SUVS: Members will also wipe down the rear tailgate exterior release handle
    • They will wipe down passenger’s side rear door exterior handle, interior handle, switches, and armrest
    • and finally, they will wipe down the passenger’s side front door exterior handle, interior handle, switches, and armrest.

Once the sanitization process is complete, the member will mark the driver’s front window with a checkmark, and keys will be sanitized prior to handing them over to our clients.

Check out this service delivery from our team at Motorcars Dallas to see what these new pre-cautions look like:

Disclaimer for clients scheduling an appointment:  

Prior to a service appointment being scheduled, our service coordinators will ask the client the following questions to ensure the safety and health of everyone involved:

  1. Have you recently traveled outside of the United States or to a hot-zone state?
  2. Have you recently been around anyone with COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms?
  3.  Are you currently experiencing any flu-like symptoms?

Park Place’s top priority is to take care of our clients during this difficult time with top-notch service and increased health precautions. Contact us today to reserve your pick-up and delivery appointment:

  • Book Online: https://www.parkplace.com/schedule-service.htm
  • Call: 855-361-6745

Pick-up and delivery is by appointment only. Must have a valid U.S. driver’s license, insurance and credit card. Geographic restrictions may apply. See your dealer for full details. 

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Member Spotlight: Lorien Lippen on Guiding Members and Clients to Extraordinary Experiences

The first thing you notice about Lorien Lippen is her extraordinary energy in her 10-million-megawatt smile, her lively banter, and the intensity of her gaze – when she focuses on you, she’s focused on YOU.

All About Foundations

She brings this engaging magic to all Park Place University programs, like “Foundations,” the weekly onboarding experience that welcomes brand-new Park Place team members. In a room full of new members, she quickly, and genuinely, puts everyone at ease. Within minutes, the once-perfect strangers are interacting cheerfully as she guides the group through the program’s various modules and activities.

All programs are created by the Organization Development team, the six-person department she leads, and align with Park Place’s culture, values, and business goals.

“Our team’s core focus is to deliver extraordinary learning experiences that make Park Place, My Place, for all members,” she explains. “We provide a deep, welcoming experience to all new members through “Foundations,” and reinforce the importance of our client experience through more specific training such as the ‘One Touch’ sales program for Sales Experience Managers, the ‘Service Experience’ for Assistant Service Managers and the ‘Valet Experience’ for Service Valets. It’s about providing the best programs to meet the members’ needs and lead to extraordinary client experiences.”

A Force of Good for Park Place

Simply put, Lorien Lippen is a force of nature. And fortunately for Park Place, she’s been our force for good since joining in July 2018. Why did she venture into this field of learning, development and coaching?

“I was often the student helping the others in my classes. Working with someone on a challenge, and then watching them find their way through it is truly rewarding,” she says.

Knowing her passion before leaving high school, she went on to receive her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Cincinnati, and went on to help others pursue their own excellence and passion with such notable companies as NBCUniversal, Creative Artists Agency, DIRECTV, American Honda Motor Company and The Walt Disney Company.

All that magic might explain her multiplicity of certifications in skill-based development programs that encompass leadership development, executive coaching, change management, performance management, succession planning, talent review, and competency modeling, just to name a few.

A Little Personal

On the personal side, she admits to being somewhat of a bookworm and devours novels like “Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt, “All the Light You Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr and “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen.

She and her husband Ryan also get a huge kick out of the film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” “Endlessly funny,” she says. They pair it with her favorite comfort food – “Homemade pizza with pepperoni, black olives and mushrooms! Absolute heaven, I could eat it every day.”

A trained classical pianist, she relaxes by playing favorites – favorite composers include Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Chopin – and credits her high school music theory instructor, Mr. Lassaine, with teaching her an important life lesson she still lives by.

“I was being overly disruptive in class, and he pulled me aside to ask what was going on,” she confesses. “I began complaining about how early I had to wake up and the long commute. And he looked me in the eye and said, ‘Hey, you earned your spot, but if you don’t want it, somebody else will gladly take your place. So you need to choose if you want to be here, otherwise you’re wasting my time and yours.’”

“I was a little shocked but he was right,” she admits. “The lesson was that life is about choice, and whatever you commit to, commit fully. It was good advice then, it’s still good advice now, and I try to follow it every day.”

 

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Park Place Porsche Unveils New Electric Taycan

Park Place Porsche recently unveiled the new electric Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S in Dallas and Grapevine.

In Dallas, guests enjoyed charged-up cuisine from The French Room and City Hall Bistro; craft cocktails like the Maker’s Mark Electric Current and Old Soul; powerful pop-up experiences from the Spa Adolphus and Commerce Goods & Supply; supercharged photos courtesy of Celebrity Cruises; and off-the-chart performances by the Southpaw Preachers.

In Grapevine, guests enjoyed options from Truluck’s, Copelands and Brio; craft cocktails like the Maker’s Mark Electric Current and Old Soul; fast-paced fashions from Malouf’s, Johnny Was, Scout & Molly’s and 7 for All Mankind; an Eco Lounge featuring delightful drinks by Pressed Juicery and treats from Trader Joe’s; supercharged photos courtesy of Celebrity Cruises; and electrifying performances by the Southpaw Preachers.

Patrick Huston, General Manager Porsche Dallas

“Obviously, an Electric Vehicle doesn’t need a turbocharger to reach supercar acceleration,” said Park Place Porsche Dallas General Manager Patrick Huston. “Since the first Porsche 911 Turbo was launched in 1974, “Turbo” has become a sub-brand, a nomenclature for the fastest models in each Porsche model. Make no mistake, the Taycan is 100-percent Porsche. It looks, drives, and responds unmistakably Porsche. It handles corners like a true sports car, but it’s very comfortable on long drives. And it’s one of the fastest recharging EVs on the market.”

Jordan Mizrach, General Manager Porsche Grapevine

“The evening was truly exhilarating. The Taycan is a transformational addition to the Porsche family. Most electric cars have a single-speed direct-drive gearbox, but the Taycan’s rear axle uses a two-speed setup for improved acceleration and range. But regardless of its power plant, the Taycan handles like you expect a Porsche to handle. While the acceleration might be a bit more stimulating initially, the ride and drive are exactly what you expect from Porsche. And it’s one of the fastest recharging EVs on the market today.”

Pronounced “Tie-KHAN

Pronounced “Tie-KHAN,” the four-door Turbo S sports sedan will go from 0-to-60 mph in 2.8 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph and a driving range of 192 miles (201 miles for the Turbo) all with the incomparable handling, dependable quality and world-class styling of a Porsche.

While an Electric Vehicle doesn’t really need a turbocharger to reach supercar acceleration, Porsche chose to maintain the Turbo and Turbo S branding for the Taycan. Since the first Porsche 911 Turbo was launched in 1974, “Turbo” has become a sub-brand, a nomenclature for the fastest models in each Porsche line.

 

Founded in 1987, Park Place operates 18 full-service dealerships representing luxury brands Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, McLaren, and Maserati. For more info, visit parkplace.com.

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Park Place Dealerships Recognized for Outstanding Operations and Service

2019 was quite the year across Park Place’s Dallas-Fort Worth Locations. Congratulations to all of our teams for these awards:

Park Place Motorcars 

Park Place Motorcars Dallas has won the Mercedes-Benz 2019 “Best of the Best” Gold Laurel award, representing the pinnacle of achievement and the absolute best of what the Mercedes-Benz brand has to offer. This is the 13th win for Dallas. Only 52 Mercedes-Benz dealerships out of 384 nationwide received this prestigious distinction.

“All of our dealerships are dedicated to creating exceptional client experiences each and every day,” said Park Place Dealerships CEO Neil Grossman. “It’s especially rewarding when that hard work is recognized nationally bu the luxury brands we represent.”

Park Place Motorcars Grapevine and Park Place Motorcars Fort Worth both won the Mercedes-Benz 2019 “Best of the Best” Silver Laurel award, which acknowledges dealers for their outstanding achievements throughout the year. Only 88 dealers out of the 384 Mercedes-Benz dealerships nationwide have earned this lofty designation. This is the fifth win for Grapevine and the ninth for Fort Worth.

Managers at Park Place Mercedes in Grapevine, Monday, Feb. 3, 2020. (Michael Ainsworth)
Managers at Park Place Mercedes in Fort Worth, Monday, Feb. 3, 2020. (Michael Ainsworth)

Both Park Place Motorcars Dallas and Fort Worth dealerships also won the 2019 “Mercedes Benz Financial Valued Partner Award,” the equivalent of “Best of the Best” for Finance.

Park Place BodyWerks 

“Park Place BodyWerks Grapevine won the 2019 Lexus Collision Center of the Year designation,” added Grossman. “They are the first such facility to ever win the award back-to-back. They also won the award in 2018.”

Park Place Jaguar Land Rover

Park Place Jaguar Land Rover DFW received two of the highest honors a Jaguar Land Rover dealership can receive: the 2019 “Pride of Jaguar” award and the Land Rover “Pinnacle” award. Both awards are notable for their exclusive designations as “Lyons Elite” and “Wilks Elite,” signifying sales and service leadership in the “Largest Dealer” category. This is Jaguar Land Rover DFW’s ninth “Pride” award and first “Pinnacle” award. JLR North America CEO Joe Eberhardt personally congratulated the dealership on their outstanding achievement.

In addition, Park Place Lexus Plano and Park Place Lexus Grapevine both won the 2019 “Elite of Lexus” award, given to a very select group of dealerships based on customer ratings and a rigorous series of operational and certification requirements. Plano has earned this prestigious award 26 times, while Grapevine has won 19 times. 

Bentley Dallas

Last, but certainly not least, Park Place Premier Collection’s Bentley Dallas was named number one for sales in the Central Region in 2019.

“Park Place is proud of our members for their pursuit of excellence in every area of our operation,” concluded Grossman. “The recognition when the pinnacle of success in such a competitive industry is rewarding. But, more importantly, the dedication to customer service is what makes our clients refer to Park Place as ‘My Place.’”

Founded in 1987, Park Place operates 17 full-service dealerships representing luxury brands Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, McLaren, and Maserati. For more info, visit parkplace.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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BodyWerks Fort Worth Shop Manager – Born to be Wild

Member Spotlight: Greg Cinicolo, Body Shop Manager at BodyWerks Fort Worth

Westchester County in New York is well-known for its quaint villages and picturesque towns as well as open spaces and a network of beautiful parks. But Hells Angels? Yep. And at just five years old, Greg held the flashlight while his dad repaired the members’ Harleys from his garage in small-town White Plains.

 

“They’d babysit me,” he laughs. “Dad restored motorcycles and cars as a hobby and I’d pass him wrenches and other tools. The bikers took a shine to me and I remember having a blast. In fact, one of dad’s buddies is Chuck Zito, the actor from the HBO prison drama “Oz,” who was president of the New York Hells Angels chapter!”

Clearly, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree – Greg’s always been into cars and motorcycles. His family moved to Texas in 1984 and at 16, he went to work at a Chevrolet dealership and never looked back. “I even read books about body shops and repairs. For fun! I’m totally boring.”

Greg Began at Park Place in 2011

Greg began his Park Place career in 2011, serving as an estimator at Grapevine BodyWerks for six and a half years. He’s been in his current role, shop manager for BodyWerks Fort Worth, for almost three years and oversees 22 members as they go about their daily operations, which include everything from major to minor structural repair, paintless dent repair (PDR), paint and bodywork … and in several cases, even animal rescue.

“We’re not surprised by damage from floods and hailstorms,” he says. “But animals are another story. A client came into the Lexus service department with a hawk trapped in the vehicle’s grill. But they saved the hawk! Another time, raccoons made themselves at home in a vehicle. They were still in there by the time we got the vehicle, so that was a job for sure.”

It’s a Science…and an Art

One of the more challenging aspects of vehicle repair is also one of the industry’s oldest and most vexatious – paint-matching.

“It’s a science as well as an art,” he says. “Modern paints are all water-based acrylic polyurethane enamels and very durable, but UV rays are terribly destructive to any kind of paint and actually change the color. Vehicles with clear coat, basically a pigment-free paint, suffer much less UV damage than those without it and make matching much more precise.”

Fortunately for owners, Greg says that the BodyWerks members have all the necessary technical certifications and industry experience to make things right. They also have another essential ingredient – artistry.

“They’re really artists,” he says proudly. “They view these vehicles as their canvas. And day in and day out, they prove their gifts. It’s an honor to work with them.” 

Protect your Paint!

His advice to owners – take care of that clear coat. “Savvy owners know to wash the surface thoroughly, then polish the paint, then wax the polish. That protects the clear coat, which protects the paint. If you don’t have the time, we’ll do it for you. It’s a great investment to keep your vehicle pristine.”

Family First

It’s clear Greg is not only passionate about his profession, but he’s well-equipped to run this full operation. But while it might be hard to imaging, restoring vehicles to their “before wreck” condition isn’t his only focus. In fact, his priority is now his family.

“These days, my hobbies have less to do with repairing motorcycles and more to do with family,” he adds. “We have three girls ages 10, 8 and 3, so we basically live in our backyard. But none of them are holding flashlights and wrenches for me – yet!”

For more information on how to join the Park Place BodyWerks team or to book a free estimate visit us at www.ParkPlaceBodyWerks.com

 

 

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Game Day at the Park Place Auto Auction

An up-close-and-personal look at Park Place’s Auto Auction for area authorized dealers.

It’s 4 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon at Park Place Auto Auction in Plano, and the non-stop auctioneer chatter over the booming loudspeakers is silent now. The twin driveways are devoid of vehicles, while administrators inside the facility quietly wrap up the mounds of paperwork required to transfer ownership of nearly 200 vehicles.

But a mere two hours prior, the place was a buzzing beehive. Sedans, coupes, convertibles, SUVs, crossovers, pickups, minivans, sportscars and other vehicles of every make and manufacture creep slowly yet continuously along parallel driveways while about 200 potential buyers – independent and franchise dealers alike – raise a hand or give a nod and a wink to convey their bids. The din from fast-talking, sharp-eyed auctioneers is loud and urgent. Enormous wall-mounted monitors display a dizzying blur of vehicles and ever-rising numbers for all to see.

“The whole process is actually well under control,” says Kenny Parmentier, Operations Manager of Park Place Auto Auction. “But to outsiders, it tends to look like complete mayhem,” he adds with a chuckle.

Where Did It All Start?

The idea for getting into the auction business came from Park Place President Jordan Case, who wanted to create a clean, comfortable and well-kept environment where authorized dealers could find an extensive selection of both high-performance luxury cars and top-quality vehicles of all kinds, and engage in an efficient, hassle-free purchasing experience. In short, he wanted the auction business to function with the commitment to excellence that makes Park Place, well, Park Place.

More often than not, he’s on hand to savor the experience, which kicks off every Wednesday at 2 p.m. sharp. From that point, a vehicle is sold every 38 seconds. In the next 90 minutes, about 195 out of about 200 vehicles will have changed hands. And then it’s all over. Until next week, when it all starts again.

Where Do the Cars Come From?

Most of the vehicles come from Park Place pre-owned lots where they’ve been for 65 days, the result of trade-ins on something newer and shinier. Or they’re front-line vehicles that are getting long in the tooth as a new model year looms. The auction gives them all a chance to find new homes – and Park Place more room for more desirable pre-owned vehicles that will hopefully turn faster.

Celebrating its two-year anniversary in February, the Park Place Auto Auction business is run in partnership with America’s Auto Auction, a full-service company catering to dealers in 23 locations across 15 states. They handle all the day-to-day activity – checking vehicles in, taking pictures, and handling collections, payments, and titles.

Parmentier works for them, as does his five-member team.

“We’re running at a 95 percent success rate,” he says. “Once a vehicle is sold, the buyer has 48 hours to complete the sale and move the vehicle off the lot. It’s a fast-paced business and really quite exciting. It’s game day!”

In 2019, the business sold 8,647 vehicles or about 720 a month. Those that don’t sell one week – called “reruns” – go through the line again a week later for another shot at success, and are usually snapped up by eagle-eyed bargain hunters.

That certainly wasn’t the case when a 2019 Rolls-Royce and a 2018 McLaren came down the line.

“We don’t get those rarities all that often,” Parmentier grins, “but when we do, they’re show-stoppers!”