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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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Mechanical Mindset with Park Place Porsche’s Shop Foreman

Member Spotlight: Steven Taylor, Park Place Porsche Shop Foreman

“I’ve been interested in mechanical things forever,” says Gainesville, Texas native Steven Taylor. “I knew it was my niche from day one. At 13, I started saving up money from jobs baling hay and mowing yards for an old truck to work on. And I got one! A 1978 Chevy Silverado, all primer and no motor.”

He’s still got it – both the truck and the energetic drive to keep it running.

He’s rebuilt nearly everything and replaced what can’t be rebuilt. He’s swapped out the headliner, seats and just about every knob and switch one can imagine. “I’m on great terms with the local junkyard dealers,” he says.

He’s yanked out old engines when they gave up their ghosts and installed used powerplants (at one point, he installed a used 5.7-liter, 198 hp police car engine. The current engine bay occupant is a classic Chevy LS with all the up-to-date technology.

He didn’t spray the paint, a shiny metallic blue – that was his high school graduation present. “One of the best gifts ever,” he grins. 

Country Roots

A self-described “country boy” and proud of it, he listens to Texas country music and other old-school C&W music artists, lives in Justin on a quarter-acre with his wife and three daughters (ages 14, 9 and 7), and thoroughly enjoys the peace and quiet of rural life.

His Park Place Career

Preserving that down-home feel means driving nearly 80 miles round-trip to his gig at Park Place Porsche Dallas, where he just celebrated his 10-year anniversary. It’s a price he’s happy to pay. “It’s nice to be able to watch them walk or ride their bikes to and from school with hardly any traffic,” he says

He started with the company as a technician and his skills were quickly noticed. He helped jumpstart the Park Place Motorsports program, which led to a promotion to team lead and then his current role, shop foreman, four years ago. He’s now responsible for 29 team members.

His daily duties include working with service advisors, technicians, warranty administrators, parts sales and tracking processes of every description. 

“Basically, I solve puzzles,” he says. “A lot of what we do is pretty straightforward, with all the computerized diagnostics we have today. But there’s still plenty of call for techniques that aren’t covered in manuals. That’s where I can help by guiding techs to find the right tools and information so they can succeed in helping our clients. Helping them learn how to learn, where to find information and diagnose issues, is really the best part of my day.”

Family First

When he’s not chasing solutions at work or his kids around the yard, he enjoys watching action-packed movies and participating in outdoor activities, including archery hunting and fishing. 

And the truck? It’s done now? “Oh no, not by a long shot,” he laughs. “I even bought a spare parts truck so I can keep working on it and making it better!”

Sophia, Olivia, Aleigh, Amber and Steven

 

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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!”

 

 

 

 

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Recruiting the Next Generation: Meet Park Place’s Recruiting Team

Team approach key to finding, keeping and promoting great people.

“Finding people is easy,” says Park Place Recruiting Director Matt Howe. “Finding talent is another thing entirely. That’s where our team comes in.”

Howe joined Park Place with one goal in mind – build a united team dedicated to bringing the best and brightest to Park Place.

But he’s quick to point out that it’s a job that goes well outside the hours of 9-5.

“Good recruiters are always looking for top talent, even during nights and weekends. Everyone you meet could be a candidate, or a source for other great people,” he says.

He also points out the importance of internal referrals. “If you’re a member, we’d very much like to meet your friends and family members, because if they’re like you, chances are we’ll like them, too.”

Meet the team!

Bailie Fabik

  • Three years in recruiting, the last 22 months at Park Place.
  • Graduated Texas A&M (BA in History and minor in Sociology).
  • Specializing in Fixed Ops positions: Technicians/Tech Trainees, ASM/Internal ASM/ASM Trainee, Estimators, Body Techs, Detailers, PDR Technicians.
  • The best thing to happen to me in 2019 – engaged to my boyfriend of 5 years and getting married next summer!

Josh Gonzalez

  • Five years in recruiting, joined Park Place in May 2019.
  • Previously recruited for Richardson Police Department (youth program).
  • Graduated UT Dallas (BS in Psychology and Criminology minor).
  • Responsible for Valet/Car Wash/Parts Warehouse/Parts Specialist roles and miscellaneous hourly roles.
  • Has a 2-year old Miniature Schnauzer.

Jaqueline Ramos

  • Joined Park Place in 2015 at Park Place Motorcars Arlington, joined recruiting in 2019.
  • Responsible for adding new hires to MyHR, create PAF, track background/drug test, start date.
  • UT Arlington (Bachelors in both Spanish and Psychology).
  • Fluent in English and Spanish, understand French, currently studying Russian and German.

Jerold Varghese

  • Joined Park Place in September 2017 as SEM at Lexus Grapevine. Moved to Recruiting in July 2019.
  • Responsible for Sales and Variable Operations.
  • Bachelor’s in Accounting from DeVry, MBA in Finance from Keller Graduate School.
  • Fluent in four languages (English, Hindi, Malayalam, Urdu) and lived in Saudi Arabia, India, and the U.S. before turning 21.

Steven Spiker

  • Joined Park Place in August 2018 – 19 years in the automotive industry.
  • Recruiting for all Mercedes stores, Porsche Dallas and new JLR in Austin.
  • Two great kids who are “my world,” two dogs and loves golf.

Matt Howe, Director

  • Joined Park Place in August 2018.
  • Has been an automotive industry recruiter for the last 6 years
  • Responsible for managing the overall recruiting workflow for Park Place.
  • Graduate of Georgetown Prep and Washington College with a BA in Political Science and Government.
  • Paratrooper in U.S. Army 82nd Airborne and Weapons Intelligence Sergeant in U.S. Army Reserve.

 

 

 

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Member Spotlight: Nick Carimi, Service Director at Jaguar Land Rover DFW

“It’s nonstop around here, for sure,” says Nick Carimi with a giant smile, clearly expressing that he loves every second of it.

He’s on the phone one moment, then striding to confer with a colleague the next, then out on the service drive to make sure all’s well – it is – then back to his computer to shoot email replies, file reports, follow up service requests and tend to the myriad of things that a Park Place service director does.

His story was far different in 2008, when he arrived in big-city Dallas from small-town Geneva, Ohio, fresh from Edinboro University with a degree in sports management. He had two suitcases and a referral from his half-brother Tony – currently Park Place COO, then Service Director at Motorcars Dallas – about a position with Park Place Lexus Grapevine.

“The economy was tanking, so there weren’t a lot of jobs around that fit my major,” he explains. “And frankly, I didn’t really know what Tony was doing, but he was always talking about how great Park Place was, so I thought this would be a solid opportunity.”

He got the gig as an assistant service manager (ASM) and found that the position’s constant buzz of activity suited his high-energy personality. Then, a dizzying series of transitions throughout the organization saw him in a variety of roles. In 2011, he transferred to Park Place Motorcars Dallas as a service manager, then moved to Motorcars Fort Worth in 2014 as service director, and then to Motorcars Arlington in the same role.

Then he snapped up a sales manager position in 2018, eager to experience “the other side of the house.” And when a position as service director became available at Jaguar Land Rover DFW earlier this year, he grabbed it.

“The past 12 years have just flown by,” he marvels. “With all that movement, I’ve got an extensive network of expertise that I can tap into anytime day or night. That’s a huge benefit to me and to our clients.”

A Strange Find

That network came in handy when late one night, a service tech came into his office with news of an unusual find in a demonstrator vehicle.

“Our CEO, Neil Grossman, tells this story better than me,” Nick says. “But what happened is that a tech found a bag literally stuffed with cash — $50,000. We didn’t know who it belonged to or where it came from, so we quickly put it in the safe while I called around for advice on what to do. The next morning, a gentleman called, quite frantic, explaining that he’d accidentally left an important package in one of our cars and could we help? We took all of the rights steps in confirming his identity and reunited him with his money.”

“But to me, the interesting part of this story is the integrity of our members all down the line,” Nick asserts. “Nobody thought twice about doing the right thing when it would have been easy to do a bad thing and probably get away with it. It’s all about trust and in a nutshell, that’s Park Place.”

In His Spare Time

In his rare spare time, Nick likes to play a little golf. “I have a 30 handicap,” he laughs ruefully. But with a three-year-old boy and a five-month-old girl, he says, “It’s kids, kids, kids all the time. Throw in two absolutely crazy Labradoodles and it’s constant mayhem.”

But he also says he’s incredibly grateful for his home and work life. “There’s good work-life balance and the opportunities to grow at Park Place are remarkable. There’s a great atmosphere throughout the company, and the culture challenges and inspires members to stretch out of their comfort zone, show what they’re capable of and have a lot of fun, too.”

Nick Carimi and Mason Waddell, Valet

To apply for a career at Park Place Dealerships visit our Careers page.

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Ken Schnitzer, Founder and Chairman of Park Place Dealerships, To Sell 14 Dealerships

Asbury Automotive Group to Purchase Assets

IRVING, Texas (December 12, 2019) – Ken Schnitzer, founder and chairman of Park Place Dealerships, has announced his intention to sell 14 dealerships to Asbury Automotive Group, one of the nation’s largest automotive retail and service companies with 88 dealerships and revenues of $6.9 billion. The sale is expected be finalized by March 2020.

“The decision to sell the company that I have spent the past three decades building has not been an easy one,” said Schnitzer. “But now is the time to enjoy my family and friends, as well as explore new opportunities.”

The transaction includes the Park Place brand and the following dealerships: Mercedes-Benz stores in Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington, Lexus Plano and Lexus Grapevine, Jaguar/Land Rover DFW and an Austin location currently under construction, Porsche Dallas, Volvo, Bentley Dallas, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dallas, McLaren Dallas, and Maserati Dallas. Park Place BodyWerks in Dallas and Fort Worth are also included in the sale.

“I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished and the culture we have built at Park Place,” Schnitzer remarked. “I will keep my hand in the automotive industry by retaining two dealerships and a body shop in Grapevine. DFW is one of the strongest markets in the country, and Texas is a great place to do business. The future is very bright for Park Place Dealerships and the industry.”

Schnitzer will maintain ownership of the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche dealerships in Grapevine, as well as the body shop in Grapevine. He started Park Place Dealerships in 1987 with a single Mercedes-Benz dealership on Oak Lawn Avenue. He proceeded to create one of the largest luxury dealership groups in the country by hiring and training confident, passionate people to provide an exceptional ownership experience for clients.

“In the last 32 years, there have been many challenges, opportunities, decisions, and risks,” said Schnitzer. “But when you have a great team by your side, you can accomplish anything. The members of Park Place who’ve contributed their ideas and talents to the growth of the company are the best in the industry.”

In 2005, Park Place Lexus Plano and Park Place Lexus Grapevine were awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award by the President of the United States in the small business category. Park Place was the first auto dealer to ever win the award.

For the past 10 years, the company has been named to The Dallas Morning News’ Top 100 Places to Work. Each of the individual dealerships are ranked among the best in the country with respect to sales and service.

Park Place Dealerships employs more than 2,100 members and operates 17 full-service dealerships representing luxury brands Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Karma, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, McLaren, and Maserati. For more info, visit parkplace.com.

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Member Spotlight: Shiva Olumi, Finance Director at Park Place Lexus Plano

Self-described “misfit” marks nearly 20 years of a perfect fit with Park Place Lexus Plano

Unlike most of her generation, you won’t catch Finance Director Shiva Olumi endlessly twiddling her smartphone to update her social media status.

“I just think that if you’re on your phone all the time, you’re never really present in reality,” she says. “You run the risk of missing out on real connections. Then again, I’m a bit unorthodox anyway,” she admits with a laugh.

A first-generation Iranian-American, Olumi says that curiosity led her to accept a part-time job at the dealership while she studied for a pharmacology degree. But she credits her innate ability to look at life through a different lens that led her to consider an automotive career.

“My parents were a bit concerned because this industry didn’t fit into the career boxes of medicine or law,” she states. “But the work spoke to me and I was able to rise up the ranks. Plus, I really enjoy the industry.”

From receptionist, she moved through a variety of roles at the store, including loan car admin, ARAP, inventory specialist, new car biller, preowned biller, staff accountant, accounting manager, assistant finance manager and new car sales manager to her current role.

“Guess I just can’t stay in one place,” she smiles.

She credits mentoring by both Jordan Case (Park Place President) and Chris Brunner (her hiring manager, now Lexus Plano GM) as critical to her exploration of challenging new roles. “They helped me develop and provided me with growth opportunities. Park Place is incredibly committed to inclusion and opportunity for all,” she adds.

She sees her role as a founding member of the Women in Automotive group as a way to pay back their confidence in her.  The group’s goal, she says, is to afford opportunities and exposure to others who might not have automotive industry careers on their radar.

“It’s not just a women-only thing,” she says. “It’s an open forum to support those who might not have a mentor at their store or may just need guidance or a conversation to create hope. I’d like to see it become more inclusive but we have to start somewhere.”

She’s a travel fan, as much for the nature she enjoys getting back to, as well as the differing perspectives she encounters. Favorite destinations include New Mexico, Spain, Germany and the Middle East. Even then, she often “takes the path less traveled.”

Her motto? “Write your own manifesto about what you find as your normal.”

[picture caption — (l to r) Shiva Olumi, Finance Director, and Selena Villalobos, Business Coordinator, both with Park Place Lexus Plano.

 

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Supporting Our Superheroes with Children’s Cape Day

Cue your favorite superhero ballad or theme song- because that’s what the Park Place Dealerships team has been playing on repeat for the past month.  

It’s no secret that Park Place Dealerships is committed to the community. In 2019 alone, we have supported over 300 organizations and causes through the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. But, Cape Day was a ‘first’ for us and it’s certainly one we aren’t going to quickly forget. Now that it’s over, we humbly and fondly reflect on the super-success of this year’s Cape Day Challenge and Boardwalk Bash- benefitting the patients at Children’s Health.

All Heroes Should Wear Capes

As one of eight companies that competed in a friendly battle for the best design, Park Place created a cape that allows young patients to make a powerful and personal statement by finishing the heroic statement, “I am…” with their own words. Our design received the most votes during the Phone Bank on WFAA Channel 8, and was printed on this year’s cape and delivered to the patients at Children’s Health.

What made this extra special were the stories and support the Park Place family shared. Some have a personal connection with the organization, while others deeply support medical research and children’s advocacy on their own as well. So naturally, members were eager to sport their capes. 

For one of the first times in recent years, all Park Place Dealerships participated by taking a photo with their superpower, donating themselves and encouraging donations, and spreading the message on social media with #CapeDayNtx.

“This was a fun and creative opportunity to work with Children’s Health,” said Dave Evans, Chief Marketing Officer of Park Place Dealerships. “Everyone at Park Place is excited to see the kids proudly wearing our design on their capes. We hope our small part in this event brings a lot of joy to kids who have an illness or injury.”

The initiative ended with a Boardwalk Bash in Granite Park in Frisco, Texas. And using her own super-strength, Anam Ali, Experiential Marketing Manager managed to feature a stunning Lexus LC (famously used in the Black Panther blockbuster) and the Men In Black Lexus RC-F specification at the event. 

When it comes to community initiatives, and why supporting organizations like Children’s Health and Cape Day is integral to our mission, Anam says it best:

“The Children’s Health Cape Creation Challenge is a community effort supported by our entire dealer group,” says Anam Ali, Experiential Marketing Manager for Park Place Dealerships. “While we’re happy to win the design award, the best part of the event is seeing the smiles of so many wonderful, happy children.”

 

Park Place Dealerships employs more than 2,100 people and operates 17 full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, McLaren, Maserati, and Karma. For more info, visit parkplace.com.

 

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#BalmoresPlace: Dreaming of a Brighter Future

El Salvador’s Balmore Salmeron Dreamed of a Brighter Future and Found it at Park Place.

Newest “My Place” video spotlights promote-from-within culture at Park Place Dealerships

Soft spoken, thoughtfully articulate and almost always smiling, Balmore Salmeron dismisses praise about his life’s achievements with uncharacteristic modesty.

“I’m not special,” he says. “I just did what I needed to do.”

But the facts are undeniable: When he came to this country from his native El Salvador in 2001, he had no official education degree, just some university computer science training. While he could read and write a little English, his speaking skills – and thus better job opportunities – were slim.

He was, however, eager to prove himself. And Park Place was just as eager to give the young man a leg up in his adopted country.

“My mother-in-law had a friend in the detailing department at Park Place Lexus Grapevine, so I was referred and hired,” he says. “I worked on cars during the day and on my communications skills at night.”

Three years later, his managers rewarded Balmore’s determination with a promotion to the dealership’s service drive, where a quick understanding of client needs along with a cheerful and professional demeanor are must-haves.

By this time, he was also taking accounting courses, since he’d always felt comfortable with the language of numbers and figures. And knowing that Park Place likes to promote from within, he kept his eye on potential internal opportunities.

“To be better than yesterday – that’s something we should always strive for,” he says.

Nearly two years later, he found what looked like a fit when an internal financial analyst position opened up. At each step of the interview process – and there were a lot of steps – he impressed managers with his gumption and positive attitude. But he worried that he didn’t have the necessary skills.

He didn’t need to.

“We hire for attitude and determination,” declares his manager, Park Place Controller David Orenstein. “If a great candidate has that, like Balmore, then we can provide all the training they need.”

“The Park Place philosophy is about helping members improve and move up,” confirms Balmore. 

Since then, he’s been instrumental in refining the company’s accounting processes to be faster and more accurate – always a good thing when it comes to numbers.

He became a U.S. citizen in 2010, completed his accounting degree at Richland College in 2014 and embodies the idea that, with hearty backing from your organization, you can achieve your dreams.

So all in all, it’s pretty clear why Balmore calls Park Place “My Place.”

“America is a dream of freedom, built around the idea that one person can make a difference,” he says. “For me, Park Place is my place because I’m a part of something great and they’ve helped me to achieve my dreams.”

To Apply for a Career at Park Place Dealerships, visit www.ParkPlace.com/Careers

Ken Schnitzer founded Park Place Dealerships in 1987 with a single Mercedes-Benz dealership on Oak Lawn. Today, Park Place Dealerships employs more than 2,100 people and operates 17 full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, McLaren, and Maserati. For more info, visit parkplace.com.