HOUSTON, May 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Houston-based
Leslie Doggett Industries' affiliate the Doggett Auto Group has
purchased one of Houston's oldest
and largest Ford dealerships, Lone Star
Ford (8477 North Freeway, between the North Loop 610 and
Beltway 8 on I-45 North) from North
Carolina-based Sonic Automotive Inc. (NYSE: SAH) for an
undisclosed amount effective May 1,
2018. On July 31, 2018,
Doggett will move the store to 9115 North Freeway, to the lot
adjacent to Doggett's John Deere Construction and Forestry
headquarters. Tony Gracely, one of
the best known and well-respected figures in the automobile
dealership industry, is heading up the Doggett Auto Group.
Gracely said of the transaction: "Doggett's outstanding reputation
as the leader in customer service and support in the commercial
18-wheeler, industrial and construction equipment industries is
going to translate to success in the Ford business." Gracely
continued, "Doggett has a long history acquiring units of large
public companies and dramatically improving and growing those
businesses with their highly-professional and family-oriented
approach."
Doggett has become the largest dealership group in North America for three separate first-tier
original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the construction
equipment and industrial (forklift) industries. This unprecedented
success and growth has been made possible by Doggett's extreme
focus on customer experience enjoyment and satisfaction.
Doggett Ford's general sales manager, Trey Trailer, advises
customers looking for a new or used car or truck to "come see
Doggett Ford once and you'll be a
customer for life. Doggett has been the market leader selling
and servicing John Deere tractors, Toyota forklifts, Link-Belt
cranes and Freightliner trucks for decades and understands what it
means to provide world class customer service."
Doggett's used car manager, Ruben
Mendoza said "we are dedicated to having one of the best
quality and best priced used truck and car inventories in
Texas with bilingual sales people
ready to help every customer in the market, from first-time used
car buyers to commercial fleet owners. We are proud to be the home
of the Precio Perfecto".
Doggett was ranked as Houston's
10th largest private company by the Houston Chronicle in
2017 with 33 full-service heavy equipment dealerships including 4
Freightliner on-highway and vocational trucks dealerships (dump,
waste, mixer and trash bodied trucks), 17 John Deere Construction
and Forestry Equipment dealerships, 4 Link Belt Crane dealerships,
and 7 Toyota Industrial Equipment (forklifts) dealerships. With
over $1 billion in sales and 1300+
full time employees, Doggett is one of North America's largest heavy equipment
dealership groups. Doggett is family owned without private equity
or outside investment.
William Doggett (Doggett's
General Counsel) said, "Ford Motor Company and Doggett Ford are eager to return this store to
its former status as one of the United
States' largest volume Ford stores. We are committed
to achieving a customer satisfaction rating among the highest in
any major metropolitan market. We are also very proud to
represent Ford, and to have the opportunity to take over one of
Houston's oldest and best known
dealerships." Harry Krusleski, Doggett's parts and service
manager, added "we live and breathe customer support at Doggett;
our exceptional technicians are our lifeblood, they are everything
to us because, in the end, they fulfill our promise and guarantee
of a positive experience for all our customers."
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SOURCE Leslie Doggett Industries