African-American Dealers - Ford Motor dealers

Ebony, March, 2001

Ford dealers do more than just sell cars. In many cases, they function as the heartbeat of the community. The minority dealers are diverse in background, locality and sales volume, and they are dedicated to their communities. In addition to providing a valuable service and employing hundreds of people, they also initiate or participate in numerous community-oriented charitable endeavors, ranging from donating Ford vehicles for charity raffles to mentoring local youth. Ford Motor Company understands that working with dealers involves an ongoing commitment to growth and development, which begins with an intense recruitment program that identifies highly skilled, qualified candidates to bring into the Ford family.

Elliott S. Hall, Vice President of Dealer Development, is one of the company's highest-ranking minority employees. He believes that the most effective way to reach the rapidly growing minority consumer market is through minority dealers. Hall is responsible for enhancing the focus on minority dealer operations, strengthening relationships within the company's minority dealer network, and supporting the dealer development program.

"We've made a commitment to minority dealers as a key means of reaching the minority community," he explains. Hall's loyalty to Ford is in his blood. His father was one of the company's first African-American employees, and his brother worked for the company for 35 years. "In my book, Ford is the best place for an African-American to work," he says proudly.

George J. Frame, Ford Motor Company's Director of Dealer Development, is the deal-maker who makes sure minority dealerships get up and running. Frame oversees more than 160 dealerships under the Dealer Development Program and assists candidates in finding and financing dealership investment opportunities.

"We have tremendous opportunities for African-Americans at Ford," Frame says. "We have about 380 minority dealerships, and it is our intent to increase that number substantially in the future."

Ford recognizes that independent, quality dealers--adequately capitalized and effectively managed--are essential to the successful marketing of its products. With this in mind, Ford identifies qualified individuals who want to become Ford dealers, then gives them assistance in every facet of the process.

"It is very essential that our dealer body reflect the community it serves, so we want more minorities involved in the retail distribution side, and we have several support programs in place to assist them," Frame explains. "For instance, the Dealer Development Program provides an opportunity for the dealership operator to become sole owner of a dealership corporation. We will finance up to 90 percent of the capital needed to operate their dealership. We develop a partnership with them, and then we help them to buy us out."

A constant sound that Frame encounters on the job is that of shattering glass--not a mishandled windshield, but rather a minority breaking through the corporate glass ceiling by seizing the opportunities provided by Ford.

Successful auto dealer Mel Farr not only smashed the glass ceiling, but he also has managed to set new records for African-American entrepreneurs. Farr, a former NFL Detroit Lions All-Pro running back, is now dominating a new game: selling automobiles. Last year, the Michigan-based Mel Farr Automotive Group reported annual sales of more than $400 million. Farr's business is the nation's largest African-American-owned auto dealership chain, and it is also the largest African-American-owned business of any kind. Farr owns four new-car dealerships in addition to a used-car superstore.

His business philosophy is simple: provide basic transportation to those who need it the most. "My goal is to acquire more franchises and set up my used car superstores in urban markets across the country," he says. "I want to assist financially challenged customers who need basic transportation."

Nate Conyers is another dealer who has a long-term commitment to his community. Conyers is believed to be the longest-serving African-American auto dealer in the nation. Born and reared in Detroit--the automotive capital of the world--Conyers heard the industry's call loud and clear. He felt confident about approaching Ford for a dealership opportunity after witnessing Henry Ford II's commitment to rebuilding Detroit, which was tattered after a series of race riots in the 1960s. Conyers felt Ford understood the community's racial issues and was genuinely interested in doing its part to heal the city.

With the company's assistance, Conyers opened a Ford dealership in 1970. Fast forward 30 years and you find that the Conyers Riverside Ford dealership has a lot in common with other minority-owned dealerships: It's a family affair. All five of Conyers' offspring have assumed positions at the Riverside Ford Sales dealership. General manager Steven Conyers is a recent graduate of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Dealer Candidate Academy; Nancy Conyers is the dealership's director of marketing, advertising, promotion and community relations; Susan Conyers is administrative assistant to her father; Ellen Conyers is the in-house general legal counsel; and Peter Conyers operates the body shop.