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York Automotive, Area 30 earn Chamber awards for 2016
York Automotive’s familiar slogan may be “We’re not No. 1, you are,” but Saturday night the Greencastle auto dealer belied that sentiment and was indeed No. 1.
The Greater Greencastle Chamber of Commerce named York Automotive Business of the Year for 2016, an award announced at the Chamber’s annual meeting at the Putnam County Fairgrounds Community Building.
The car dealer was one of three finalists for the honor, joining Myers’ Market of Greencastle and Scorpion Protective Coatings of Cloverdale on the short list of businesses presented via video.
“Being chosen as one of three businesses is pretty cool, let alone winning,” Nick York, who operates the dealerships with brother Rob, said in accepting the award.
He cited York’s longtime “commitment to giving back to the community” as a big reason for the company’s success, noting the Yorks hope to teach that admirable attribute to the younger generation.
The business has been successful, Rob York noted in the video, “because of our long relationship with our customers and our employees.”
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the York Automotive empire, a business Rob and Nick’s father, Bob York, started and staked his family name and reputation upon. He may have died in March 2011, but his sons say they feel his presence every day and continue to run the business as if their father were still the chairman of York Automotive.
In 2013, the Yorks turned a 1970s automobile showroom and maintenance area into basically an all-new sales and service facility that grew by 10,000 square feet into a 30,000-square-foot complex at 1501 Indianapolis Rd. The latest 2016 addition has given the body shop its own identity by remodeling the building to the east that formerly housed the local Chrysler dealership.
The main site is the very same location where Bob York started selling cars for Jim Harris Chevrolet in 1973, and where in 1987 he opened York Pontiac-Olds-GMC.
The automobile empire has done nothing but grow since. York Automotive Group was established in 2000 with the addition of the Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep franchise in Crawfordsville. In 2005 the York Automotive Group added Chevrolet Buick and Pontiac franchises in Brazil. And in 2006 added Chevrolet to the Greencastle dealership.
Meanwhile, Area 30 Career Center captured Non-Profit of the Year honors for 2016 Saturday night.
The career center, which offers 18 programs to its students, won out over non-profit finalists that included Putnam County Comprehensive Service and The Castle.
Lora Busch accepted the award on behalf of Area 30, pledging to ”continue to work hard for our students and our adult students.”
Area 30, she said during the video presentation, now offers an early college career center where students can earn college credit before entering college.
“Our staff provides a wonderful training ground for students as they’re getting ready to enter adulthood,” Busch noted in the video.
The annual meeting audience also heard reports and comments from Amy Trusty, beginning her second term as Chamber president, and Executive Director Brian Cox.