What's in a Family Name...

    Once a month, a member of the Chamber of Commerce hosts our event called "Business After Hours," in which all the Chamber members are invited to meet & greet, and enjoy dinner & drinks. It's a fun way to get over hump day and meet some new faces as well as catch up with old ones. 
   I had the pleasure of talking with a fellow Statesville graduate, who moved away for college, and is back home working for our local paper, the Statesville Record & Landmark. I also had the pleasure of meeting his friend and learning that he too was added to the workforce at the Landmark, as well as another one of their friends who is also a Statesville High graduate. It's nice to see fellow Statesvillians moving back here to work and to be able to read their native voices' in the Sunday paper. 
    Now, to speak on the focus of the event, the Black Automotive Group hosted last month's Business After Hours, in their newly re-done facility. It was absolutely gorgeous inside with a new modern look to the offices and an open floor plan to the building space where the customers can comfortably sit, walk around, or look at showcased cars. 
   I had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Larry Black, the past owner of Black Automotive Group, and was able to get the inside scoop on how he has been able to keep the company running for all these years, 62 to be more exact. The business has been in the family for years, and now his son successfully runs it, furthering the legacy of the Black family and the family run nature of the company. 
   After sitting down to talk with Mr. Black, an extremely humble man, with a good-natured personality that makes you want to sit and talk to him for hours- I think the most unruly person could have a conversation with him and enjoy it, or at least come away having learning something - he let me in on a little secret. He told me his dad made their business a success by focusing on the customers. Why yes, he loved the cars and selling cars, but he made people his top priority. Larry stated that all he had to do was follow in his footsteps to keep the business on track, 

"My father was loved by everybody; 

he had no enemies, and I have tried to be just like him." 

  Mr. Black discussed the importance of client care and how he made the focus of the company on making sure the customer leaves happy and satisfied. After learning about his lovely family, one daughter being a fellow Furman Paladin, and learning that we share the same street address, he ended our conversation by sharing a small statement with a lot of meaning behind it,

 "What you give, you get."

 -Mr. Larry Black, previous owner of Black Automotive Group

   This was his business philosophy that has brought and kept Black Automotive Group, a warm friendly, small-town car dealer with big-town success, where it is today, and where it will clearly be staying in the future generations to come, with his son currently managing the business. After seeing Mr. Black share warm smiles, handshakes and meaningful conversations with friends and customers at the event, I believe his five word phrase had more meaning behind it than a simple business outlook: he shared with me a life-long lesson - his life philosophy, a good one at that. 
   

I was excited to catch some of the night on film. Here are the pictures below:

 The food and drinks were catered by 

Debbie's Heavenly Touch Catering

 

 

 

Black Automotive Group's new facility

Visit Black Automotive Group's website for more information: http://www.blackautomotivegroup.com/index.htm.

Also, check out the caterer's website at debbiesheavenlytouchcatering.com.