Overlanding Community Gathers at Park Place Lexus Plano

Thousands of overland enthusiasts recently gathered for the Calvary Overland Rigs & Coffee event at Park Place Lexus Plano. The free event was open to the public and featured more 500 custom off-road vehicles, making it one of the largest gatherings of its kind in the country. 

Overlanding, a self-reliant form of travel to remote locations within the U.S., continues to grow in popularity, particularly among millennials and Gen Z. These adventurers prioritize outdoor recreation and value meaningful experiences and connecting with a community where they can share stories, learn new techniques and explore the latest gear. 

Launched in 2021 with just a few dozen vehicles, Calvary Overland’s quarterly Rigs & Coffee meetup have grown into a premier event for the overlanding community, drawing enthusiasts from across the region to connect and celebrate the spirit of adventure. 

Several years ago, Park Place Lexus Plano connected with members of the Overland community to see how the Service Department could help support them.

“This initiative has been a personal passion of mine,” explained Rod Moreno, Park Place Lexus Plano Service Director. “We have several vehicles that are designed to take you off road and do it in style and comfort. The GX460 and GX550 are very popular models for overlanding. While being very comfortable to drive, it is a reliable truck with a body on frame construction and a fully solid rear axle. We can outfit them with off road wheels and tires and complete suspension. And, if we install it, we will back it with a full warranty, so our client is protected.”

Park Place Lexus Plano’s Service Department can:

·       Personalize an Off Road Lexus by adding suspension components for better ground clearance.

·       Enhance wheel and tire combination for better appearance and off-road capability

·       Add roof racks to help with storage solutions.

“We were happy to partner with Calvary Overland to host the event at our dealership,” concludes Moreno. “It was a fun family-friendly event that appealed to a wide range of our clients. We’re always happy to give back to our community.”

Moreno has been with Park Place 25 years, starting as a Sales Associate/Porter at Lexus Grapevine. He was an Assistant Service Manager in 2005 when Park Place Lexus won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the first automobile dealership to win the prestigious award.

Bee-lieve It or Not: A Swarm of Bees Finds a Temporary Home in a Lexus

At Park Place Lexus Plano, no two days are ever quite the same—but recently, one particular day definitely stood out.

When a client pulled into the service drive to report an issue with their loaner vehicle, Service Manager Bryan Martin was quick to assist. What he discovered wasn’t your typical service concern. Nestled in the tire well of the Lexus RX 350 were some very unexpected guests: a full swarm of bees.

Bryan promptly got the client into a new loaner vehicle. Then he called in an expert from his team.

Enter Nick Lindsey, a Certified Technician and Glass Specialist who’s been with Park Place since 2005. While Nick is known for his precision with luxury vehicles, he’s also an experienced beekeeper. For nearly a decade, he’s managed a small bee farm—a passion that has grown into an operation that includes the sale of queen bees, nucleus hives (“nucs”), raw honey, and even honeybee genetics research.

So when Nick took a closer look inside the fender liner, he knew exactly what he was dealing with: an early-stage colony of 10,000 to 20,000 bees.

“It’s not uncommon for a swarm to leave its original hive and find a new home within 20 minutes,” Nick explained. “That’s probably how they ended up in the Lexus. It happens fast—and once they find a spot, they hold on tight to protect the queen.”

With care and calm, Nick drove the Lexus to a remote location and safely released the bees, allowing them to relocate naturally—queen and all. No stings. No damage. No drama.

It’s safe to say that handling swarms of bees isn’t in the average technician’s toolkit, but Nick’s unique background turned a wild moment into a smooth solution.

At Park Place, going above and beyond is part of the culture—even if that means saving a Lexus-loving swarm.

Plano ISD Education Foundation Awards $150,000 in Grants with Support from Park Place Lexus Plano

In late 2024, the Plano ISD Education Foundation celebrated the kickoff of its annual Grants to Educators Grant Patrol, recognizing 100 extraordinary educators from Plano ISD. These educators went above and beyond by submitting innovative grant proposals designed to enrich the educational experience for their students.

With support from Park Place Lexus Plano, alongside dedicated partners, donors, and volunteers, the Foundation, a nonprofit organization, awarded an impressive $150,000 in grants across 57 campuses. The funds will directly enhance classrooms by providing new technology, after-school programs, educational materials, and student-focused experiences that spark creativity and engagement.

One of the most anticipated traditions of the year, the Grant Patrol, surprises grant-winning educators in their classrooms. Volunteers from Park Place Lexus Plano, Foundation partners, and district staff form the Grant Patrol team, spreading joy as they deliver grants in luxurious Lexus vehicles. Before setting out, Park Place Lexus Plano hosts a celebratory breakfast to kick off the day of giving.

Park Place Lexus Plano has supported the Plano ISD Education Foundation for more than 20 years, underscoring its commitment to education and the local community.

The Plano ISD Education Foundation has been championing quality education since 1993. Its mission is to help all Plano ISD students achieve their full potential by providing financial support to educators and academic programs. To date, the Foundation has generated over $23 million in private funding for priority projects not covered by tax dollars. Partnering with more than 40 businesses and organizations across North Texas, the Foundation continues to enhance educational opportunities and foster community involvement in support of Plano ISD schools.

Love at First Sight

It was love at first sight. Their eyes locked together.  “I didn’t go looking to adopt another dog,” said Park Place Lexus Grapevine’s GM Charles Owen. “But seeing how sweet Zeke was just made me want him!” 

A team from Park Place Dealerships recently visited the Apollo Support & Rescue in Justin to present the no-kill animal shelter with a Season of Giving grant.

While there, a man pulled up to surrender a 5-year-old Bernese Mountain dog.

“Unfortunately, this is not at all uncommon,” explained Danielle Stewart, Apollo Support & Rescue founder. “Many days we arrive to find abandoned animals tied to our fence. It’s really heartbreaking.”

A week later the Owen family went back to Apollo to adopt Zeke. Charles’ wife April had reservations at first. They already had Cona, a one-year-old black Labrador. And everyone knows how puppies can be a handful. But Zeke won April over, too.

“April has become the Dog Mom! Zeke helped with Cona’s puppy phase. And Zeke needed someone like April, who would give him around the clock love. Those two are something special. He doesn’t take his eyes off her.”

Charles says Zeke is the biggest lap dog ever! “He has to be right next to you and touching you at all times. He likes to play and run with Cona, but is also content laying on the couch right next to you. The way he looks at you is the sweetest thing it’s almost like he is smiling.”

Park Place Cares delivered $100,000 in grants to a total of 18 non-profits across DFW.

The non-profits included: Sixty & Better in Arlington; Academy 4 (Ft. Worth); Primo’s (Dallas); Vogel (Dallas); Mammogram Poster Girls (Dallas); Hope Center 4 Autism (Ft. Worth); Evan’s Avengers (Denton); Annie’s Place (Dallas); Camp Summit (Dallas); The Vitamin Bridge (Coppell); Carry the Load (Dallas); Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas (Farmers Branch); Canine Companions (Irving); Community Caring Center (Azle); Heroes For Children (Plano); Children’s Advocacy Center for North Texas (Lewisville) and Ability Connection (Irving). 

“I know it was a hard decision for Zeke’s previous owners to take him to Apollo,” said Charles. “I hope they know Zeke found his forever home and gets all the love and attention he wants!”

Park Place Dealerships was founded in 1987 and has been engaged in the community through its support of the arts, medical research, children’s advocacy, and education. 

Park Place employs more than 1,400 members and operates eight full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Acura, and Land Rover. Park Place Bodywerks Collision Centers in Fort Worth and Dallas, and the Park Place Auto Auction, round out the company’s offerings. Park Place was acquired in 2020 by Asbury Automotive Group, Inc., a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Duluth, GA. For more information, visit parkplace.com.

Black Heart Association Offering Free Screenings In Arlington And Grapevine During American Heart Month

The Black Heart Association will host free heart health screenings to the community during February’s Heart Month in Arlington and Grapevine.  

On Thursday, February 8,the Black Heart Mobile Unit will be at Park Place Lexus Grapevine located at 901 E. State Hwy 114 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and on Thursday, February 29 and Park Place Motorcars Arlington, 4201 Beltway Place from 10 a.m. –2 p.m.No appointment is needed for the screenings and is open to the public.

After suffering three heart attacks in one week, Tara Robinson, along with her husband Frederick, founded Black Heart Association in 2014 to fight for the thousands of minority men, women and children who experience the impact of heart disease or stroke each year.

In 2022, Park Place Cares, the philanthropic arm of Park Place Dealerships, recognized the work of Black Heart Association with a $5,000 Season of Giving grant to provide heart health education and screenings through its Mobile Heart Health Unit to patients who are primarily uninsured. Upon learning the organization also had maintenance needs for the Black Heart Mobile Unit, Park Place Dealerships has been providing experienced technicians to assist with keeping the mobile unit on the road serving the community.

“This is a wonderful nonprofit that provides an incredible service at no expense to the community,” said Kara Connor, Park Place Dealership’s Experiential Marketing Manager. “We are continuing our partnership with Black Heart Association by hosting the mobile unit at two of our dealerships so the community has access to free heart health screenings along with telehealth services. We hope the community will utilize this opportunity in the location that is convenient to them.”

Through Park Place Cares, the automotive company has donated $300,000 in grants during the Season of Giving program over the past three years to 65 nonprofits and finds opportunities for Park Place Members to volunteer throughout the year with the grant recipients.

Park Place Dealerships was founded in 1987 and has been engaged in the community through its support of the arts, medical research, children’s advocacy, and education. 

Park Place employs more than 1,400 members and operates eight full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Acura, and Land Rover. Park Place Bodywerks Collision Centers in Fort Worth and Dallas, and the Park Place Auto Auction, round out the company’s offerings. Park Place was acquired in 2020 by Asbury Automotive Group, Inc., a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Duluth, GA. For more information, visit parkplace.com.

Lexus Grapevine Members Spring into Action

Last summer, Micah Owens was working for another automotive company when he saw his client pull out from their service drive onto the Highway 114 service road. Suddenly, the client’s trunk flew open and papers started flying out and scattered across the road.

“Someone on the drive forgot to close her trunk. She had thousands of important documents sitting loosely in the trunk. I jumped into action to help my client. No one from my dealership came out to help. But I noticed people coming from Lexus Grapevine on foot and in golf carts, picking up pieces of paper to help. It was true compassion.”

“I knew in that moment I wanted to be a part of the team that never leaves anyone behind and is always willing to help. It reminded me of what I loved about being in the U.S. Navy: compassion, fortitude, and always helping your teammates out. That is the Park Place standard of care…for clients and each other.”

In November 2023, Micah joined Land Rover DFW as a loan car coordinator. “My first impression of Park Place was that they do things right. They don’t make things robotic. They make it personal.”

Micah says the biggest challenge since joining Park Place is learning new systems and how to streamline the process in the loan car department.  “It’s also the biggest opportunity to make things seamless for the benefit of our clients.”

“I can confidently say I have found a place where I want to be for a long time and work my way up. I’m very excited for the opportunities Park Place and Asbury have offered me. I’m excited to learn and grow with all the tools they provide. I truly have a wonderful, amazing, talented support team!”

Founded in 1987, Park Place Dealerships has been engaged in the community through its support of the arts, medical research, children’s advocacy, and education. Park Place employs more than 1,400 members and operates nine full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Land Rover, Acura, and Sprinter Vans. Park Place BodyWerks Collision Centers in Fort Worth, Dallas, and Plano and the Park Place Auto Auction, round out the company’s offerings. Park Place was acquired in 2020 by Asbury Automotive Group, Inc., a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Duluth, GA. For more information, visit parkplace.com.

Grace Christmas Cottage Toy Drive Kicks Off At Park Place Lexus Grapevine

Park Place Lexus Grapevine hosted the kickoff for the 2021 GRACE Christmas Cottage. Guests were encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the event.  By the end of the evening, a Lexus LC500 convertible and two Lexus SUVs were overflowing with toys and gifts for GRACE, an acronym for Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange.

“We’ve partnered with GRACE for more than a decade,” said Robert Hinkle, Park Place Lexus Grapevine general manager. “Now more than ever, many families in our community might not have Christmas without our help. We want to make sure every child in our community has a Christmas to remember. The GRACE Toy Drive makes it easy to give back.”

During the kickoff event, Christmas music serenaded guests as they enjoyed sweet and savory treats from Southlake Town Square’s restaurants including Brio Italian Grille’s sliced steak bruschetta, pasta, and pumpkin bread; Del Frisco’s Grille’s deviled eggs, seared tuna crisp, and lemon cake pops; and Mi Cocina’s beef, brisket and cheese quesadillas, mini chimichangas and bacon-wrapped shrimp brochettes with a poblano cream sauce. A selection of beer, wine, and cocktails set the festive mood, including the special Mistletoe Martini, made with Tito’s Vodka, Elderflower Liqueur, and cranberry juice.

Models displayed fashions from Southlake Town Square merchants, including Malouf’s, Market by Macy’s, and White House Black Market.

The GRACE Christmas Cottage provides new, unwrapped gifts to families facing financial hardship due to limited incomes or recent emergencies. Each qualified family is given a voucher with a value based on the number of children in the family, allowing the parents to “purchase” donated toys, home goods, and appliances in a private, store-like setting. This approach allows families to budget their resources to select unique presents while also preserving the family’s dignity.

The community is invited to drop off a new, unwrapped toy for the GRACE Christmas Cottage through Dec. 15 at the Lexus dealership at 901 Highway 114 East, or drop them off at GRACE Christmas Cottage at 1058 Texan Trail in Grapevine. To make a monetary donation to the GRACE Christmas Holiday Fund, go to gracegrapevine.org.


GRACE was organized in 1987 as a response to the growing need for emergency assistance services in far northeast Tarrant County. Today, GRACE continues to be a centralized, coordinated effort of churches, businesses, and individuals donating food, clothing, monetary donations, and even professional services to Grapevine, Colleyville, and Southlake residents, as well as homeless and transient families in need. Programs have grown to include low-cost medical services, transitional housing, and general emergency assistance (food, clothes, furniture, financial assistance, information, and referrals).

HIPsters Tour Park Place Lexus Plano

The term “hipster” can have many meanings these days, but for the adults who attend My Possibilities (MP) in Collin County, the term is much more than a label. For them, HIPsters stands for Hugely Important People, and they have an important role to play in society.

Recently a group of HIPsters stepped out of their comfort zone to take a tour of the Park Place Lexus Plano dealership and participate in an auto safety expo, including demonstrations on how to safely jump-start a battery and check the air pressure on a tire. The goal of the field trip was to better prepare the HIPsters to flourish in the community.

“Everyone who interacted with these amazing young people received much more than they gave,” said Chris Brunner, Park Place Lexus General Manager. “The HIPsters were attentive and witty and full of life. We were thrilled to meet them and plan to host another group soon.”

MP is a Plano-based non-profit that serves as a pioneering leader in vocational education and job placement for adults, 18 and above, with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) such as Down Syndrome, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, traumatic brain injuries, and many more diagnoses.

“We first met with Park Place Lexus in February 2019,” says Michael Thomas, Executive Director of My Possibilities. “Our Campus Life Manager Jamie Zozaya engaged Park Place, and they were eager to help. We were unable to move forward with our annual gala due to the pandemic, and some things were put on hold. As we began to reopen, Park Place was first to step in, and they made ‘Welcome Back’ signs for our HIPsters’ first day back on campus. They also joined our car parade for North Texas Giving Day last September. Through coordination with our Campus Life Manager, one of Park Place’s shop teams came out on their own time and brought supplies to trim bushes and edge the front of the MP campus. We are grateful for Park Place’s intentions and its genuine passion for giving back. They are true HIPster Heroes!”

Park Place Lexus members who set up the tour, put together swag bags, and conducted the auto safety expo included Assistant Service Manager Stephen Enloe (whose younger brother was a HIPster and now works at a restaurant in Allen); Service Warranty Administrator Romayne Brown; GM Administrative Assistant Katie Stutts; Preowned Sales Administrator Olivia White; HR Krissi Elliott; and GM Chris Brunner.

The Park Place Cares program supports more than 250 organizations around the Dallas-Fort Worth area throughout the year. Park Place’s members are also encouraged to volunteer their time to serve local communities.

Park Place Dealerships was founded in 1987. For the past 34 years, the company has been engaged in the community through its support of the arts, medical research, children’s advocacy, and education. Park Place Dealerships employs more than 1,400 members and operates two collision centers, an auto auction, and eight full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Sprinter Vans. For more info, visit parkplace.com.

The 2021 Rangers Seasons Brings a New Ballpark and New Parking Experience for Lexus Owners

Do you drive a Park Place Lexus? Do you like the Texas Rangers? Then celebrate an exciting new season at the ballpark with exclusive Lexus parking benefits! 

The new 2021 Lexus parking experience will bring you closer to the action. Lexus owners will receive complimentary self-parking in a dedicated Lexus parking lot. The Lexus lot is located directly across from the southeast entrance at globe life field and the brand-new Lexus club. Current guests of Park Place Lexus and may obtain the 2021 Lexus parking window decal beginning March 1, 2021. 

Lexus complimentary self-parking is available in the Lexus lot located at 715 Stadium Drive, just east of Globe Life Field.  Complimentary self parking will be provided exclusively for Lexus owners driving their Lexus to any home game, with the required 2020 window decal present. Once the Lexus lot reaches capacity, guests will have to pay to park in any available cash lot. 

Visit the Park Place Lexus Service Department to request your 2021-2022 season parking sticker, free of charge!

Interested in complimentary parking but don’t yet have a Lexus? Come visit us at Park Place Lexus Plano or Park Place Lexus Grapevine to check out our inventory of new and used Lexus vehicles.

For more information on Texas Ranger Lexus owner benefits, click here.

Updated Park Place Lexus ‘How-To’ Videos Released – Lexus Technology Help

We have officially begun updating our Lexus Technology How-To videos in case you need any virtual assistance troubleshooting your new Lexus. With the help of our in-house Lexus Technology Specialists, we have identified their most frequently asked questions and demoed their instructions.

Of course, if you’d rather call or visit in-person with our Lexus technology team, they are available to assist.  We have Technology Specialist at both Park Place Lexus in Plano and Park Place Lexus in Grapevine.

Below are our latest updated videos on our Kick-Sensor and how to pair your Android Phone via Bluetooth: 

Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel for any new tutorials, video updates, or give us a follow on Instagram and Facebook for more Lexus technology content.