Checkered Blog by Checkered Flag is the automotive play place in Hampton Roads Virginia

A Special Salute to Our Veterans

Every year on the 11th day of the 11th month we celebrate Veterans Day. Today, we here at the Checkered Blog would like to send a big salute to all the men and women of the armed forces for their dedicated service to our country. We all know that Hampton Roads has a huge military presence and that the same goes for Checkered Flag.

Today I had the privilege of spending a few minutes with several of the many United States veterans at Checkered Flag. 

Honda: There are a good number of representatives from the Marine Corps present at Honda including: parts and service director Jim King who served in Vietnam; service advisor David Brown, who was in Infantry for 5 years; and Chris Jaillard, service department, who served for 4 years. Bo Wang, a sales representative, also was in the Marine Corps Infantry for 4 years. Pictured here with Bo is fellow sales representative Eugene Smith who served in the Army for exactly "9 years, 3 months, 27 days." Eugene also tells me that he was part of an airborne unit out of Fort Bragg and he was wounded in Iraq.

Toyota: At Toyota, I got the opportunity to speak with sales managers Rick Wilson and John Precise. Both Rick and John served in the Navy. Rick was an operations specialist for 4 years active and 2 years reserve. John served for 9 years as a torpedo man's mate on submarine. Also, Bill Peterson, sales representative, was a medical supply personnel in the Army. They all tell me that they sometimes miss serving, but are really enjoying what they're doing now.

Body Shop: Bill Evans, Body Shop general manager was drafted in the Army in 1969 and served in Vietnam.

BMW: At BMW every branch of the military is proudly represented. Pictured here from Parts and Service are: Terry Hylton, Coast Guard for 6 years; Robert Freeman, Army for 5 years; Dan Lilly, Air Force for 4 years; Jeff Mateo, Marine Corps for 7 1/2 years; and Tony Petinga, Navy for 22 years.

Hyundai/Volkswagen: There is also a handful of veterans on board at Hyundai/Volkswagen. Melvin Martin, sales representative tells me that he dedicated a combined 20 years of service in both the Army and the Navy. He also told me that he was on his way to grab his free meal at Applebees (FYI: Veterans and active duty personnel are welcome to a free meal at all local locations today).  Pictured with Melvin are members of HVW Parts & Service: Dusty Parson who served  20 years in Navy; Candido Amezquita who also served in the Navy for 4 years; and Ben Livingston who served in the Marine Corps for 2 years before he was injured in action while on duty in Afghanistan.

Jaguar/Porsche/Audi: I concluded my mission of finding as many Checkered Flag veterans as I could with a visit to JPA. There I learned that John Page in sales served in the Marine Corps for 4 years. Also, Mike Williams, shop manager served in the Navy for 4 years and sales consultant, Eric Davis was in the Army for 6 years.

 

Many of Checkered Flag's employees and customers have ties to the military. Again, we'd like to wish all of our service men and women a very heartfelt and appreciative thanks on Veterans Day.

Have a Frighteningly Fun Halloween!

Halloween is one of my most favorite holidays. Between all the tricking and treating, and the ghouls that come out to play, it's just a really exciting time. I was eager to check out all the spiritful fun at Checkered Flag today.

At Honda, Lorraine Wilcher, senior delivery coordinator, dressed up in an all black ensemble complete with really festive Halloween accessories. Nicely done, Lorraine!

I caught sight of a couple pink ladies at the Executive Center. Nicole Adams and Jessica Mathis, BMW/MINI service cashiers, looked straight out of Grease with their sleek pink jackets. There were no T-Birds to be found, but these ladies stayed cool on their own.

There was no shortage of spirit at the Operations Center where Gail Malla, Brandy Dillard, Michelle Leary, Susan Martin, Marie Golden, and Robin Johnson donned an array of Halloween colors. Nothing frightening anbout these gals, just a lot of smiles and fun.

We here at the Checkered Blog would like to wish all of you a very Happy Halloween!

 

 

Checkered Flag's Spirit of Giving Back

In the spirit of giving back to the community, every year a group of Checkered Flag team members participate in the United Way Day of Caring. Volunteer teams organized by local companies and organizations work together to complete various projects for local non-profit human service agencies. The Day of Caring allows participants to build stronger relationships with one another and gives them an opportunity to make a positive impact in the community.

This year Checkered Flag team participants spent the day helping out the Gresham Court House and the Supportive Living Program. The team's hard work ranged from landscaping and yard clean-up, and also somepainting.

Paige Bias, an executive administrative assistant says, "It was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun, and it was great to get a chance to give back." Jessica LoPresti, a human resources generalist at the Operations Center and Checkered Flag's Day of Caring coordinator, says the team's hard work and dedication made the day a great success.

The Checkered Blog would like to recognize the following team members for participating: Honda's Lisa Case and Maragaret Gullins; Toyota's Kelly Browne, Olivia Pinto, Pete Troia, and Phil Pugh; BMW's Colleen Gelormini, Alan Kurtz, and Michelle Bozeman; Executive Center's Tessa Schneider and Erin Burgesss; smart's Paige Bias and Stacey Taylor; Jyundai/Volkswagen's Karla Lewis and Bud Klemp; Jaguar-Porsche-Audi's Richard Hutsko, Don Paul Ivers, Christina Baumann, Darlene Epps-Minor and husband Tony Minor, and Sharon Liedl; Driver's World's Jeff Jones; and Operation Center's Jessica LoPresti, Jamie Reynolds, Evelyn Jones, and April McCutchan.

A big THANKS to all of you! Have a wonderful weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annual CF Company Picnic Serves Up Food and Fun

I received pictures last week from the Annual Checkered Flag Company Picnic, and as the pictures show, a lot of fun was had. The fun-filled Sunday afternoon was held at the Holiday Trav-L-Park in Virginia Beach. Employees and their families enjoyed lots of yummy food and drink, tons of activities and even some friendly competition. Congrats to Jaguar-Porsche-Audi, the champions of the annual Checkered Flag volleyball tournament who took home the mega trophy! Also, a raffle for a 32" HDTV was held and raised $765 for the United Way.

A great big thank you goes out to the picnic planning committee and volunteers for making this such a wonderful event. This year's committee included Tessa Schneider, Bud Klemp, Charles Russell, Heather Joyner, Kelly Browne, Lenny Limpin, Nikki Kern, Pete Troia, Paige Bias, Peggy Gilbert, and Victoria Lawrence. Awesome job!

Rave Reviews Coming In for We All Win

"It's a true American story.  I love it."

That's among the many wonderful comments we've heard since We All Win: How the company launched on a whim succeeded was published several weeks ago.  The book tells the story of Checkered Flag and a reviewer on Amazon wrote this about it: "It's the kind of book you start on a whim but then can't put down until you've finished, and then find yourself wanting more." 

We All Win is now available at Prince Books in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, as well as online here on CheckeredFlag.com (click the book icon to the left), on Amazon, and at all Checkered Flag locations.  Funds raised through the book's sale benefit United Way of South Hampton Roads. Happy reading!

The Body Shop: A Premier Collision Repair Center

Just a few weeks ago, someone in my family was in a car accident. Thankfully, no one was injured in the collision, but the aftermath has been...well, stressful.

My relative's current predicament motivated me to learn more about the auto repair process, so I headed over to Checkered Flag's Body Shop. Bill Evans, Shop Manager (pictured here with members of the Body Shop team, Rich Sproul and Lisa Pfeiffer), offered great insight into the industry and gave me a personal tour around the shop. He says, "This is the last place people want to be, simply because cars are huge investments. So it's our responsibility to be empathetic to our customers and to make the process as painless as possible by providing great service."

The Body Shop opened in 1985 and has since then prided itself in delivering a high level of quality automotive repair. Bill says his staff is composed of experienced "automotive health experts" who are trained to help customers during each step of the repair process. They offer guidance in working with insurance companies (Checkered Flag deals with all vehicle insurance providers) and assist in arranging for rental cars.

Technicians are factory trained A.S.E. and I-Car certified. They take on all types of repair damage, minor or significant. Laser Unibody & Frame straightening equipment and two high-tech downdraft painting and baking booths are used to ensure that vehicles are returned to pre-accident conditions. They're able to accommodate a high volume of vehicles (the most was 63 cars in one week). 

Typically the number one question on customers' minds is how long the repairs will take. Different variables (insurance companies, repair severity, type of vehicle,  parts availability) affect the time needed to complete repairs. It's difficult to pinpoint, but according to Bill, on average for every $1,000 worth of damage, it takes about a week of repair work. Again, this varies for every case. The Body Shop team will work with you to keep you updated during the repair process.

Bill says, "We hold ourselves to high standards here and want to deliver top quality to our customers. It's important to make sure they're satisfied and everything is repaired properly."

We here at the Checkered Blog would like to send a big thanks to all Body Shop team members. Pictured here are Tony Bosques, Lisa Fisher, and paint manager Kenny Jackson. If you're interested in finding out more about auto repair, visit the Checkered Flag Body Shop page or call (757) 490-111. Have a great weekend everyone and drive safely!

The New Checkered Flag Book: The Story Behind the Story

We All Win: How the company launched on a whim succeeded, the newly-published book about Checkered Flag, has drawn advance praise from national industry leaders, including from James D. Power, III, the founder of J.D. Power and Associates.  He says We All Win "tells a story that stands out among all dealerships across the country."  Funds raised through the sale of We All Win will benefit United Way of South Hampton Roads. You can purchase the book here on CheckeredFlag.com by clicking on the book icon on the left side of this home page or by visiting any of Checkered Flag's parts departments.

We All Win was written by award-winning former journalist Audrey Knoth, who is now a Norfolk business executive. Recently, the Checkered Blog caught up with Audrey for an interview.  We will be featuring portions of our conversation with her in coming weeks, starting today.

Checkered Blog: Whose idea was it to write a book about Checkered Flag?

Audrey: The idea was mine.  In early 2007, I helped Checkered Flag with several business projects, and as I learned more about the company, I became very intrigued by its history.  Checkered Flag was founded in 1964 by Ed Snyder, who continues to run the company today along with his son Steve Snyder.  That kind of longevity of local ownership and operations is in itself remarkable.  But as I dug into it, I found the story was even more interesting and important than just that.

Checkered Blog: In what way?

Audrey: I learned that prior to founding Checkered Flag, Ed Snyder had managed a department store called Snyder's that his grandfather had started in downtown Norfolk at the turn of the last century.  So when Ed Snyder got into the car business in the mid-1960s, he brought customer-service and marketing practices from the department store into auto retailing, and the things he did were very unusual at the time.  When you hear Ed Snyder and Steve Snyder talk about customer service being Checkered Flag's top priority, they are really talking about a philosophy that has been paramount to the Snyders for more than 100 years.

Checkered Blog: Why are funds raised from the sale of We All Win being used to benefit United Way?

Audrey:  United Way is very important to Checkered Flag and it was for Snyder's department store, too.  What has made it so important is that not only does United Way support such a variety of local organizations, it involves individual employees in the giving process.  Through the generations, the Snyders have believed that giving feels good, that the process is as beneficial to the person who is giving as it is to the recipient, and United Way encourages this.

Checkered Blog: Something that's very noticeable about We All Win is how visually appealing and colorful it is.

Audrey: Yes, the book is more than just a narrative.  We have included lots of great vintage photographs and a cartoonist even created five original cartoon strips and the book's cover.  So we hope that people really enjoy both reading the book and just leafing through it.

Checkered Blog: And all of us at the Checkered Blog hope that everyone will consider purchasing We All Win to help raise funds for United Way of South Hampton Roads.  Please click on the book icon on the left of this home page ro order in online or stop into any Checkered Flag parts department to pick it up in person.

New Book Recounts CF's Risky Rise & Success Secrets

When a 12-year old boy walked out of a Polish village in 1882 in search of a better life, it was literally the first step toward the founding of Checkered Flag.

The story of how Checkered Flag came to be, the obstacles it faced, and the customer-service philosophies that propelled it to success are told in the new book We All Win: How the company launched on a whim succeeded, written by Audrey Knoth.  We All Win has received advance praise from leading auto industry executives, who call it "a remarkable book about a remarkable business enterprise."  We All Win is now available for sale here on CheckeredFlag.com (click here) and, starting on Friday, August 8th, in all Checkered Flag parts departments.  Funds raised through its sale will benefit United Way of South Hampton Roads.

The book recounts how the near-penniless Louis Snyder arrived in America in the late 19th century and how, from a small dry goods company, he built a major Norfolk, Virginia department store operated by successive generations of the Snyder family.  His grandson Ed Snyder took over management of Snyder's department store in the early 1960s.  In 1964, Ed invested in a small British sports car dealership and, at his wife Jean's suggestion, named it Checkered Flag.

We All Win explains how Checkered Flag prevailed over challenges, failures, and risks to grow from one humble showroom to the auto retailer it is today, with 11 new-car franchises and a used-vehicle superstore in Virginia Beach and Norfolk, and selling more than 12,000 vehicles annually.  Ed Snyder continues as president 44 years after its founding; son Steve Snyder is senior vice president.

The author, Audrey Knoth, is a former broadcast and newspaper journalist who's now a Norfolk business executive.  She says she had the idea to write the book after helping Checkered Flag with several projects in early 2007.

"I became intrigued by Checkered Flag's history, which had never been researched and told," she says.  "The more I learned about Checkered Flag, the more I realized its story is a compelling one that has meaning for people both inside and outside of the car business."

Audrey spent over a year researching and writing We All Win, conducting extensive interviews, consulting with auto industry and academic experts, and poring through historical and newspaper archives.  Vintage photos, illustrations, and original cartoons accompany the book's absorbing narrative.

"I found that the principles that originated more than a hundred years ago remain at the foundation of Checkered Flag today," Audrey says.  "Among them: if you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers; nothing is more important than customer service; failure should teach you rather than frighten you; and taking risks is absolutely essential to succeeding."

All of us with the Checkered Blog are excited about the book and we hope you will consider purchasing it.  It's a great read and with the funds raised benefiting United Way, you could say We All Win!

Happy 4th of July Checkered Blog Readers!

Here is how some of the fine folks at Checkered Flag are spending the holiday.

Ramel Felton, parts associate, Checkered Flag Honda: I also work at Waterside in downtown Norfolk, so I will be working there on the 4th from 7pm to 3am. There is a lot going on there. And then on Saturday, I come in for work here. It is not too much of a holiday for me (laughs).

Freddie Edmond, rental agent, Checkered Flag Toyota/Scion Rent-A-Car: I am going to have a cookout/barbeque with everyone (smiles)! And then for the rest of the weekend I will be working here.

Kourtney Pulliam, receptionist, Checkered Flag MINI: We go over to see my grandma and we have a cookout there with all of my aunts, uncles and cousins. And after that I think we will go to Mt. Trashmore for the fireworks.

RT Ives Jr., assistant service manager, Checkered Flag Hyundai: I have the whole day planned out and I can tell you my entire schedule! Starting at 10:50, I am gonna take my daughter to see the Hulk. Then we are going shopping at Lynnhaven Mall for some shoes. After that we are picking up her boyfriend...a party here, and a party there. And then finally, I am going on a date with my wife to watch Sex and The City.

FYI: Operation hours are little different for today. Sales departments are open from 9am-6pm. Service departments are closed for the day, but it goes back to normal tomorrow. Have a great holiday. Be safe and see you on Monday!

Small-Car Demand Strongest Since 1970s Fuel Embargo

"We have not seen a situation like this since the OPEC oil embargo in the early 1970s."

That is what Checkered Flag founder and president Ed Snyder says about how surging gas prices have affected the auto business, and in particular, your experience as a car-buyer. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to talk with Ed Snyder, as well as company senior vice president Steve Snyder, about the current situation. When I call that conversation an "opportunity," I mean it. Ed Snyder, who is pictured here, founded Checkered Flag in 1964 and has been continuously at the helm ever since. Steve Snyder has long tenure with the company, too. So when you are looking for insights into the car business, you will not find any sources who are more seasoned and more candid.

Ed Snyder remembers the OPEC oil embargo very well, because it occurred soon after Checkered Flag introduced Honda cars in the Hampton Roads market in the early part of the 1970s. The Honda Civic, which you can see from the photo here was tinier then than it is now and was under import restrictions, became a highly-sought-after vehicle and very hard to get. And "Buicks, Cadillacs, all those big cars that had been so popular...well, you could not sell them at any price," Ed says.

Now, in 2008, the demand by Hampton Roads consumers for smaller cars has started to rival what Ed saw 35 years ago. Checkered Flag offers many such vehicles throughout its dealerships, but Ed and Steve say supplies are getting tight.

"We think that by the end of this month, if you want to buy one of these small vehicles, you will likely need to wait a month for it to come in," says Steve Snyder. "It is going to be a waiting list situation. Eventually, the wait could even be two months. For this reason, if you would like to have the car right now, you should visit or call us now."

Ed says: "We are seeing some very interesting things. For example, some customers are trading in vehicles that are worth more than the car they are buying; it is because they want to scale down for fuel efficiency. And the first question we are hearing now from luxury-car buyers is about gas mileage."   

Do not expect the situation to change soon. The Snyders believe it will take a year for small-car production to catch up with demand.

So, what to do? Well, while the smart fortwo, Honda Civic, and Toyota Prius are synonymous with fuel efficiency in the mind of the public, there are other fuel-friendly vehicles to be had that you may not immediately think of. Over the next few days, the Checkered Blog will be spotlighting what we call the "Unsung Heroes of Fuel Efficiency." These are vehicles in all classes that might not be on your shopping list right now, but we suggest you consider because of their fuel-friendly nature and quality. We will feature our first Unsung Hero tomorrow, so see ya then!