Late local auto pioneer recognized for his vision
12/4/2009The late Jim White, the Toledo area automotive pioneer, has been recognized as one of the 50 most visionary automotive dealers of all time by Automotive News, an auto industry trade publication.
Mr. White, who died in 1980, was recognized last month for innovations he introduced during the 1950s and 1960s in automotive marketing, finance, and insurance operations, customer service, and centralized statistical controls.
He opened his original Chevrolet dealership in Toledo in 1940 and in the next two decades acquired or opened a dozen others across Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. He also owned Toyota and Honda dealerships in the region.
The trade publication's series highlighted how individuals had transformed the way automobiles are marketed and sold to the public via dealerships.