Name | Goodwin AUTO MALL | |
Gender | Male | |
HIST | New Honda, Volkswagen owner is full speed ahead in Sumter Sturdivant has 32 years' experience in industry KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM Tim Sturdivant is the new owner-operator of the Volkswagen and Honda dealership in Sumter. Posted Tuesday, January 3, 2017 6:00 am BY BRUCE MILLS BRUCE@THEITEM.COM Tim Sturdivant's life has been about serving people, and he hopes that personal passion translates into success and growth as Sumter's new Honda and Volkswagen dealership owner. While in college in North Carolina in the early 1980s, Sturdivant waited tables. He didn't know what he wanted to do for a career after college, but he liked customer service. Sturdivant then saw a local help-wanted ad for a car salesman and applied. The rest is history. "I got the job in High Point, North Carolina, and I just took it one customer at a time," Sturdivant said. "If you stay put, then people will find you." Sturdivant worked 32 years in High Point with Vann York Auto Group, starting in sales and learning all aspects of the car business. He has spent about the last 20 years in sales management, eventually becoming general manager. Vann York has four dealerships in High Point, including Vann York Honda, and represents at least 10 brands. On Dec. 1, Vann York officially took over the local dealership from Cliff Goodwin of Goodwin Auto Mall and named Sturdivant as owner/managing partner. He thinks the local dealership's sales volume is similar to when he started with Vann York in 1984. "It's in the 30s or 40s a month here for new Honda sales, which is very similar to my start," Sturdivant said. "We really grew the dealership in High Point over time to now about 110 Honda sales a month - that's 1,300 for a year." The culture of the dealership that he has come to here is similar also to his experience with Vann York, he said. "The gentleman that I partnered with at Vann York is a second-generation dealer - dad and then son - like they had here with Goodwin," Sturdivant said. He said he has kept the staff of about 30 employees intact and wants to keep the culture the same. According to Sturdivant, he chose to name the dealership Freedom Auto Group for two reasons. One, he has a son who is a naval officer and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Two, it relates well with the Shaw military community and patriotism in the local area. He attributes Vann York's growth in the High Point and neighboring Greensboro areas to offering competitive prices and treating customers well. "Our motto at Vann York is 'Building relationships that last,'" Sturdivant said. "As we did this, people came back again, again and again. I had folks I sold as many as 15 cars over a period of time. Relationships are a big focus, and we're serious about that." He considers that Goodwin Auto Mall laid a great foundation, but there are certainly some things that can be improved on. "We believe there is growth potential here in Sumter," Sturdivant said. "We feel this area deserves a great Honda store. Honda is a great product, and we believe we can grow and sell as many Hondas here as Toyota or any other brand in Sumter." [1] | |
_UID | A41E1457D0164408B8ACB8781AF87731ADB2 | |
Person ID | I312053 | Singleton and other families |
Last Modified | 27 Feb 2017 |
Family | Auto Mall GOODWIN | |
_UID | 1D4CC87E730D4757A786DEA074A16605F81C | |
Last Modified | 27 Feb 2017 | |
Family ID | F208997 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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