Hendrick Motorsports is a motorsports organization that fields four full-time Chevrolet teams on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit. They include the drivers Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron and Alex Bowman. It was founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984. The beginning of the story really starts in 1976. Hendrick came from a humble beginning in the small community of Palmer Springs, Virginia on a farm. He went to North Carolina State University. While in Raleigh, North Carolina, he participated in co-op work-study program with Westinghouse Electric Company. He opened a local used car lot under an established dealer. This was the first big step in his entrepreneurial journey. At the age of 23, he earned the status of general sales manager of a new-car import operation under the dealer. According to his website, “In 1976, Hendrick sold off his assets to purchase a struggling franchise in Bennettsville, South Carolina, thus becoming, at 26, the youngest Chevrolet dealer in the United States. His influence sparked a dramatic sales increase as the once troubled location soon became the region’s most profitable.

Rick Hendrick took this small startup to more than 140 retail franchises across 14 states. He runs the largest privately held dealership group in the country, now operating collision centers and accessories distributor installers as well. According to his website, “Hendrick Automotive Group generated a company record $9 billion in revenue in 2016 after selling more than 200,000 vehicles and servicing over 2.6 million cars and trucks. Hendrick leads the organization, which employs more than 10,000 people, as its chairman.” This endeavor now employs more than 600 employees and occupies a 430,000 square foot workspace on 140 acres of land in Concord, North Carolina. Rick Hendrick is a leukemia survivor and has now engaged in philanthropy that has donated over $15 million since 1997.

http://www.hendrickmotorsports.com/

Five Young Entrepreneurs Advance in SEMA Launch Pad Competition

George Howell is a 17-year-old boy from Devon, England. He spent his teenage years around cars at a local dealer and dreamt of being a car salesman for an exotic car company such as Porsche or Ferrari. He grew up watching the legendary BBC TV show Top Gear. We have a surprisingly large amount in common. He has created a business from an experience that he and I have both been presented with many times. One day, one of George’s friends approached him asking for some advice buying his first car. This has happened to me numerous times. George contacted the seller of the car in which his friend was interested. George used his automotive knowledge and experience to find problems and favorable aspects of the car.

He haggled and negotiated a price for his friend. His friend paid him £20 to thank George for his work. I can relate to this situation very frequently. My friends and I send car listings to one another all the time. Every single day, my friend’s group chat will have a listing from Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, or Craigslist for a car, truck, or automobile parts. I have had my friends send me hundreds of car listings to ask for my opinion. That is not an exaggeration. I just never thought of a way to monetize it.

George then came up with the premise for his business. He would create a program for finding young people their first car. Reputable sellers can post listings to the marketplace and users can use search tools to find cars that match criteria they are looking for in their first car. His company is called “Ideal First Car” and he started by pitching his idea to friends, then to student representatives, and then to business leaders who took interest in George’s new idea. This boost helped George get his idea off the ground and into the market. There are now over 20,000 cars for sale through George Howell’s idea.

https://www.business-live.co.uk/professional-services/entrepreneur-set-up-first-business-16888718