Driving around Houston in recent years, I've noticed a very high number of old Lexuses on the roads. When I thought about it, I realized the answer was right near me.
Sterling McCall was a good family friend of ours in Houston. He was friends growing up with my mother and uncle in Houston. Vernon recalled that Sterling always liked cars. Sterling married Marianne, a very close friend of my mother's.
In the late 1960s, Sterling followed his car dreams and started a dealership for a little known car, Toyota, the first dealership in Houston. As its fortunes rose, so did his. When in 1989, Toyota introduced Lexus, he was first on the scene there as well. So Houston was a major stepping stone in Toyota's march to number 1. Gulf States Toyota, a 5 states parts distributor, is also located in Houston.
So with their legendary reliability, of course there are a lot of Lexuses and Toyotas in Houston. And to think that our family friend was behind that is pretty cool.
He sold his dealerships to Group 1 Automotive (NYSE: GPI) a Fortune 500 company. One good business deal led to another and another. They still have 14 dealerships in Houston with the Sterling McCall name.
I talked to him before his death and even he was surprised at how it turned out. He said that it was a real kick to watch Monday Night Football and hear from the Toyota Halftime Report or to hear of a game at the Toyota Center in Houston.
No comments:
Post a Comment