SAINT PAUL, Minn., May 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- White Bear Lake's
Tousley Ford is celebrating its 50th anniversary. What was originally a
dealership in downtown White Bear Lake with a one-vehicle showroom, four
service stalls and sales of approximately 6 vehicles a month is today one of
the largest automotive sales and service facilities in the United States.
Tousley Ford is one of an elite group of dealers to receive the Triple Crown
Award, which is the most prestigious honor awarded to a dealership by Ford
Motor Company. The Dealership currently occupies more than 25 acres and
employs 250 associates.
"Since 1956, Tousley Ford has been proud to offer a warm Minnesotan
welcome to all the area's automotive shoppers having sold over 225,000
vehicles over the last 50 years," said Sue Jacobson, General Manager. "Much
of our success comes from the fact that we don't go for the traditional, high-
pressure tactics that are all too common in the industry. By pioneering
innovations like our 'Low Price Philosophy,' which gives shoppers deeply
discounted pricing up front, we've been able to show customers the value and
respect they expect from a home-town business."
Tousley moved to its present site in 1964, becoming the first automotive
retailer on what is now known as the White Bear Auto Dealer Strip, a
collection of stores that runs north of I-694 along Highway 61. Today, the
area is one of the largest and most complete auto shopping centers in the
upper Midwest.
Following the move, Tousley Ford evolved and diversified to meet the
demands of a rapidly growing automotive marketplace. 1980 marked the opening
of the Tousley Collision Center, one of the largest and most modern facilities
in the nation for vehicle restoration. That same year, the company also
opened Metro Automotive, a retail vehicle preparation center for new and used
vehicles. And in 1994, Tousley Ford Parts Depot opened its new building,
which is one of the most modern facilities of its kind.
"Tousley Ford stands as a prime example of where automotive retailing,
service, parts and finance is going," said Michael Maroone, president and
Chief Operating Officer for AutoNation, Tousley's parent company. "They've
embraced the idea of innovation, because they've been willing to make bold
moves to meet the needs of their customers, they've won the trust and the
patronage of the communities they serve. In this industry, consumer
confidence is one of the most difficult things to cultivate, and Tousley Ford
sets the standard."
About AutoNation, Inc.
AutoNation, Inc., headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is America's
largest automotive retailer and a component of the Standard and Poor's 500
Index. AutoNation has approximately 27,000 full-time employees and owns and
operates 345 new vehicle franchises in 17 states. For additional information,
please visit http://corp.AutoNation.com or http://www.AutoNation.com , where
more than 100,000 vehicles are available for sale.
SOURCE AutoNation, Inc.
-0- 05/11/2006
/CONTACT: Marc Cannon, AutoNation, Inc., +1-954-769-3146, or
cannonm@autonation.com/
/Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001017/AUTONATIONLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com /
/Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/750525.html /
/Web site: http://corp.autonation.com
http://www.AutoNation.com /
(AN)
CO: AutoNation, Inc.; Tousley Ford; Ford Motor Company
ST: Florida, Minnesota
IN: AUT REA
SU: AWD
AC-DS
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3994 05/11/2006 09:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com