In This Issue• Gillman Dependents Awarded HADA Scholarships

• Herschel Zinn Named Best New and Used Vehicle Salesperson in Rio Grande Valley

• Subaru Owners Give Wally Elostaz, Manager of Gillman Subaru, Texas-size Welcome

• Time to Build Your Foursome and Register for Gillman Companies Annual Charity

Golf Tournament

August-September 2009

Ceremony Honors 10 Gillman Professionals Who Completed Service Corp. Management Training Program!

Ten members of the Gillman management team devoted 18 months of their time and energy to graduate from the rigor-ous Service Corp. Management Training Program. This powerful course demands intense study and effort to earn a diploma. The goal is to build man-agement skills and disciplines while carrying out their normal duties. This provides an opportunity to test many of the lessons in real world conditions.

Each student has a vested financial inter-est in completing the required work. Earning the coveted Masters level delivers a substantial cash incentive.

A very sincere “Way to go!” to Hassan Alisirat, Aldo Cortes, Hugh Foreman, Salaheddine Ghazi, Georges M. Guerrier, John Hankins, Tim Jamerson, Naser Maraghi, Steve Smith, and especially to Tarique Hafeez Nizami who was awarded his Masters diploma!

Seated, L-R: Tim Jamerson, Tarique Hafeez Nizami, Salaheddine Ghazi, and Georges M. Guerrier. Standing, L-R: Hassan Alisirat, Steve Smith, Naser Maraghi, John Hankins, Aldo Cortes, and Hugh Foreman.

The one consistent force in our industry is change.

I’ve been in the retail automobile business since my teens. Through all those years, even in good economic times, brands that were household standbys have staggered and failed. Names like Studebaker, Hudson, DeSoto, Nash, Packard, Rambler, Willis, Kaiser, Plymouth, and more were all respected products with loyal owners.

So the demise of certain makes is a long standing tradition in the car business. In fact, several hundred nameplates have vanished from the streets since the early 1900s.

With the above in mind, it is fairly easy to understand that manufacturing motor vehicles has always been a difficult venture. Earning a financial profit from producing cars

and trucks is obviously many times more challenging than making them.

We now find ourselves in another period of industry strife. It is simply another time of change. We must not allow occurrences on the national level to interfere with our local busi-ness. Let’s not worry about the

changes. Let’s keep our focus on our job, which is to sell and service the excellent products we are privileged to represent. Our goal remains the same. We must satisfy every shopper and make each buyer a customer for life.

To accomplish this we need to accept change and be a constant positive force in our markets. It is impossible to accurately pre-dict economic conditions for the balance of this year. Many indicators point toward bet-ter times. In any case, there will still be car and truck buyers and people will continue to maintain the vehicles they own.

Let’s do our utmost to make sure those buyers and service customers come to a Gillman dealership to meet their automotive needs.

From the desk of Ramsay Gillman

Wally Elostaz Given Surprise Tribute by North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club, Dallas, Texas Members!

When Wally Elostaz, Gillman Subaru General Manager in Houston, went to Dallas to attend a national meeting of Subaru dealers, he had no idea of the reception he was about to receive. Word of his coming reached Dallas-area members of the North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club and they turned out en masse, setting up an impromptu car meet showing their Subaru WRX and STI models.

Wally, who has made his name synony-mous with Gillman Subaru, has been an active supporter of the various Subaru owner groups. He was taken by complete surprise when some 40 owners and 20 vehicles arrived to pay tribute.

According to Hector Flores, Subaru District Fixed Operations Manager, “They all

had wonderful things to say about Gillman Subaru and all the things Wally does for them, including Shop Days held at the Gillman Subaru dealerships.”

Way to go, Wally! Way to go, Subaru owners!

Tony Webb: Gillman Acura took the time to explain to me the services when I went there. They told me what I do or do not need. If I have a question about what I spend on my car, Finance will sit and talk with me to make sure if I am under warranty. (Satisfaction = 10.)—Another LoyAL And SAtiSfied GiLLmAn AcurA cuStomer

My name is Barbara Gilman (one “L”). My husband and I recently purchased a 2009 Honda CRV EX-L from Gillman Honda in Rosenberg, Texas. This was one of the most pleasant experiences I have ever had buying a car. All sales personnel here are top of the line when it comes to customer service. I started in the pre-owned lot looking for the perfect deal. Oscar, the pre-owned car manager, and Daniel “Papa,” one of the salesmen, were more than helpful. I drove several cars including Pilots and CRVs; I decided on a Pilot and the wheels went into motion. Both of these gentlemen went out of their way to spend a lot of time with my husband and me to get the deal I needed. We were there most of the day “dealing.” After finally reaching an acceptable price, we moved on to meet with the financial people to finalize the deal. Long story short, I did not buy the used car and was introduced by Daniel to Hazel Davis, the new car salesperson, who is a real asset to Gillman Honda. Hazel showed me all the CRVs available, was wonderful at explaining the differences in the LX/EX/EX-L, and rode with me as I drove, sat in, and started all models! She was fantastic at the figures and was very helpful in getting me the price I needed! Again after spending a lot of time, I decided on a vehicle and purchased my CRV EX-L. I was lucky to drive the car off the lot that evening but had to return the next day since I needed a class on operating my radio! Hazel took me through all the bells and whistles on the car and told me if I needed more help she was always just a phone call away. Wow, this is the best! While saying my thank-yous to Hazel, I was introduced to Chris Gillman and he congratulated me on buying a Honda. This is where my story takes a very interesting curve! I used to work at The Methodist Hospital in Houston with a lovely volunteer lady named Lou Gillman. She and I always joked and laughed about my last name/her last name; she called me her granddaughter and I called her my grandma! We had a lovely relationship and I was telling this to Chris how she always told me I needed to go see her husband Frank who had a car dealership at the corner of Bellaire Blvd./59 Freeway in Sharpstown—Gillman Pontiac. I never did buy a car there but I would have if I’d needed one at the time. So I was telling this story to Chris and found out that this lovely lady that I remembered was his grandmother. I left Methodist in 1980 so that is my story which circled around after 29 years. What a small world!— Another LoyAL And SAtiSfied GiLLmAn hondA

roSenberG cuStomer

RE: Riding With the Shuttle Bus Drivers – Susie and Sandra

Ms. Williams: It is a pleasure to ride with these ladies. They are very friendly and helpful. It should be known that you have some wonderful ladies giving your customers rides to and from their jobs or wherever. I just thought I would let you know what kind of staff you really have, and you should be really proud of them.

I love my HONDA!— Another LoyAL And SAtiSfied GiLLmAn hondA

houSton cuStomer

Donnie Hicks: You have been so nice to me and I appreci-ate everything you have done to make my car the way I want it.—A SAtiSfied GiLLmAn mitSubiShi north cuStomer

Tom Forgy: Sorry I didn’t get your call returned. I actually did get my plates last Friday. They had been sent priority.

I also wanted to thank you, Mario, Jason, and Don for everything, from waiting on me and staying late that evening to making it such a quick and easy process, all so I would be able to drive off in a new vehicle when I left. It was and is much appreciated.— Another LoyAL And SAtiSfied GiLLmAn SubAru

SAn Antonio cuStomer

Letters FromLoyal Customers

Vehicle Crashes Into Gillman Honda Houston ShowroomIt might have been over-excitement about a great Gillman Honda deal or a desire to improvise a new drive-through buying lane. Whatever the cause, the effect of motoring through the plate glass wall of the Gillman Honda Houston showroom can be seen in the images. One shows the shattered aftermath, and the other, if you look closely, indicates just

how far the vehicle came into what is nor-mally a display area.

Thankfully there were no serious inju-ries and the Gillman sales and mainte-nance teams took it all in stride. Business resumed without a hiccup. Way to handle an odd occurrence.

Special Kudos to Entire Gillman Honda Service Team in Houston!

Space limitations prevented showing the entire Gillman Honda Houston team of service profes-sionals whose award-winning performance was recognized by Honda of America. Led by Gillman Honda South Service Director Kelly Goldsberry, the staff received a trophy for the highest three-month Overall Service Experience scores

in their district and a banner (pictured last month) for having no customer complaints made to Honda for six months.

Way to go, guys and gals! These exceptional performance levels demonstrate the dedication of this fine team to the Gillman standards of consumer satisfaction.

Annually, the American Payroll Association declares a week in September to commemorate and honor those dedicated individuals who are responsible for accurate paychecks and timely reports to the U.S. government.

Our team of hardworking Gillman profes-sionals, led by Jody Valentine, Gillman Director of Human Resources, does a great job and deserves a hearty “Thanks” for a job well done.

Gillman Companies Salute Their Payroll Professionals!Front row, L-R: Liz Carrillo, Maria Lopez, Jody Valentine.Back row, L-R: Elaine Drury, Del Martin, Claire Mullins.

More than a hundred Subaru fans turned out for the Gillman Subaru San Antonio Customer Appreciation Bar-B-Que that unof-ficially unveiled the all new 2010 Subaru Legacy. Thanks to Diego Montoya, Subaru Regional

Representative, who made it possible to inspect the redesigned Legacy, and the entire Gillman Subaru staff, who answered a myriad of questions, the event was a huge success.

A strong “Way to go” to the Gillman San Antonio Subaru team.

L-R: Mario Delbosque, New Car Sales Manager, Gillman Subaru San Antonio; Diego Montoya, Subaru Regional Representative; and Jason Roe, Gillman Subaru New Car Sales Manager.

Once was not enough for Herschel Zinn. Twice was better. Three times is more like it!

For the third year in a row, the Valley Morning Star newspaper has named Herschel Zinn the “Best New and Used Car Salesperson” in the Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Herschel, who performs his magic at Gillman Chevrolet in Harlingen, Texas, has become an area-wide institution. His profes-sionalism motivates the entire Gillman organization.

Herschel Zinn Named “Best New and Used Car Salesperson” by Valley Morning Star

It just gets bigger and better every year! The 2009 Gillman Companies Charity Golf Tournament will be held on November 9 at Sweetwater Country Club in Sugar Land, Texas. A shotgun start will kick off the play at high noon.

All proceeds from this remarkable annual event support the Fort Bend County Women’s Center, a highly respected and very successful community service organization that provides a helping hand to women in need.

If you want to enjoy a great day of sport-ing fun and fellowship, you owe it to yourself and your friends to be there! Register now by calling 713-776-7005 or faxing 713-776-7057.

Time to Set Your Team for Gillman Companies Annual Charity Golf Tournament

L-R: Jason Glenn, MMNA District Parts and Service Manager; Nick Heidaker, Parts Specialist; Randy Heidaker, Parts Manager; Robert Jackson, Service Manager; Alan Scott, Service Advisor; and Kevin Brown, Service Advisor.

Mitsubishi Triple Diamond Award Triple Times to Gillman Mitsubishi South in Houston!

Gillman Mitsubishi South in Houston Spotlighted in Tech Talk!Tech Talk, a publication from Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., focused on Gillman Mitsubishi South in Houston in their feature, “Spotlight on CSI.” The article, complete with quotes from General Manager Rod Hall, Service Manager Robert Jackson, and Parts Manager Randy Heidaker, took special note of the 70-year Gillman tradition for great customer relations and satisfaction.

Gillman Subaru San Antonio Previews 2010 Legacy While Hosting Customer Appreciation Bar-B-Que

Okay, so let’s step back a little and see where we are. We have been on this HUGE down-ward spiral for, oh, about a year and a half now. (What a ride that was.) Then we started this spike way up and spike way down for a while. Now we are on the kiddie roller coaster ride–little dip up then a little dip down. I believe I much prefer the kiddie ride.

The good news about this is that we are starting a slow climb upward. And I for one think slow is good. It allows us to continue purchasing at lower costs, therefore, grossing us more shares. I like more shares at dis-counted prices.

Now is also a great time to watch which funds are growing faster than others. Depending on where you are currently invest-ing your contributions, and your individual risk tolerances, you may want to look at some of the options that are out there.

You can move your contributions wher-ever you choose. Go to the NADART.org website and sign in at “PlanWeb.” You will need your Social Security Number (that’s the User ID) and your PIN (personal ID number). If you have lost or forgotten your PIN, you can get another one mailed to you by calling the NADART Voice Response System (VRS) at 1-877-487-4015 and follow the prompts. To move funds around, click on “Request Transfers.” Once there, you have two options: “Interfund Transfer” and “Account Realignment.” Both options are explained on the screen.

If you would like more help with transfers, you can contact the VRS and speak to a customer service representa-tive or you can contact Claire Mullins, cmullins@gillmanauto.com, in Houston or me, selbel@gillmanauto.com, in San Antonio.

Stay up to date, be aware of what the market is doing, and always try to make the most informed decisions about your retirement plan. It’s your money, your retirement, and your future. Be in control of it.

401 (K)ornerBy Susan Elbel

A Very Big Gillman Welcome to Maira Shah!

Tausif Shah and wife Bushra are the proud parents of Maira, who was born July 1, 2009 and weighed 7 pounds 2 ounces. The whole Gillman family wishes Maira all the best in the years to come. Way to go, Shah family!

Gillman Acura Team Aids One of Their Own!When the father of a Gillman Acura employee died at his home in Costa Rica, his griev-ing son lacked the money to fly back for the funeral. Gillman service technicians started a collection and the entire dealership partici-pated. Needing to act fast, one employee used his own credit card to buy the plane ticket. Two other techs took the bereaved man to the airport and guided him to the security checkpoint.

This all happened in the course of a sin-gle day, due to the generosity and team spirit of a fine group of people who truly showed the great Gillman spirit.

Way to go, Gillman Acura!

Maira Shah and her brother, Saad Shah, who is five.

Kevin Wright Takes the Cake!Kevin Wright started off on the right foot as a sales representative with Gillman Honda in

Houston. One of his first customers works at a local bakery and designs custom cakes. She was so pleased with her vehicle buying experience, she created a masterpiece for Kevin and presented it to him at the dealership.

So Kevin takes the cake, literally. Good going, Kevin!

SeptemberBenavides, Francisco 09/01Ruiz, Jr., Jose 09/01Zhang, Sherman 09/01Chantaca, Daniel 09/02Kaunang, Michael 09/02Perez, Arsenio 09/03Rodriquez, Richard 09/03Jacquez, Reymundo 09/04Ruiz, Olga 09/04Jimenez, David 09/06Lopez-Quinonez,

Jesus 09/06Click, David 09/07Leon, Julio 09/07Love, Jay 09/07Waterwall, Daryl 09/07Welsh, Justin 09/07Alisirat, Hassan 09/08Nguyen, Thu 09/08Stover, Randall L. 09/08York, Patrick 09/08Flores, Joel 09/09Marcus, Paul 09/09Welch, Debbie 09/09Cao, Bao 09/10Anguiano, Ana 09/11Canfield, Ronald 09/11Jones, Efton 09/11Martinez, Sr., Robert 09/11Flores, David 09/12Guardado-Ovando,

Virginia 09/12Pham, Tuan 09/12Estrada, September 09/13Gonzalez, Jaqueline 09/13Mikels, Gregory 09/14Oneill, Stacey 09/14Rafiei, Mohammed 09/14Rangel, III, Felipe 09/14Freele, Russell 09/15Kumar, Suman 09/15Cheung, Stanley 09/16Cruz, Christopher 09/16Gallegos, Adolfo 09/16Pham, Patrick 09/16Ward, Crystal 09/16Fleming, Michael 09/17Jacal, Roberto 09/17Williams, Donald 09/17Ali, Sadiq 09/18Davis, Hazel 09/18Diaz, Salvador 09/19Kemp, David 09/19Lee, Christopher 09/19Matthews, Steven 09/20Vuong, Wa 09/20Aguirre, Adrian 09/21Parks, Cynthia 09/21Lachapel, Roberto 09/23Miller, John 09/23Salguero, Ramiro 09/24Burton, II, Thurman 09/25Foreman, III, Hubert 09/25

Anzaldua, Johnny 09/26Jackson, Jr., Allen 09/26Marshall, Latarsha 09/26Powell, Timothy 09/26Aguirre, Tony 09/27Thomas, Paul 09/27Torres, Milagro 09/27Asare, William 09/28Griffin, Wendy 09/28Montes, Miguel 09/28Won, Yeong 09/28Zepeda, Gerardo 09/28Anderson, Lisa 09/29Lopez, Miguel 09/29Benito, John 09/30Cortez-Campos, Jose 09/30Hernandez, Jessica 09/30

OctoberGoode, Jr., Levaughn 10/01Guardado, Michelle 10/01Flores, Alfonso 10/03Jaramillo,

Hermelinda C. 10/03Kapitan, Sergie 10/03Vaidyanathan,

Jaisankar 10/03Gloria, Jr., Ruben 10/04Pena, Rolando 10/04Kellogg, John R. 10/05Tims, Carey 10/06Gavarrete, Manuel 10/07Jimenez, Auncencio 10/07Wimbish, Stacey 10/07Mata, Carlos F. 10/09Ngo, Chinh 10/09Alfaro, Francisco 10/10Banegas, Luis 10/10Compean, Jr., Frank 10/10Kelso, Clara 10/11Maldonado, Enrique 10/11Turner, Al 10/11Dunn, Janice 10/12Robichau, Robin 10/12Adereti, Bolarinwa 10/13Venable, David 10/14Wordak, Mohammad 10/14Gutierrez, Jason 10/15Rodriguez, Jr., Juan 10/15Torres, Ezequiel 10/15Hernandez, Edwin 10/16Mook, Ian 10/16Absher, Charles 10/17Eliserio, Melinda 10/17Johnson, Martha 10/17Khan, Mushtaq 10/17Dill, Joseph 10/18Libertore, Katie 10/18Randolph-Smith, Jr.,

Merlin 10/18Rivera, Joe 10/18Valdez, Jaime 10/18Vukela, Barry 10/18Zarate, Deborah 10/18Claudio, Anthony R. 10/19

Broussard, Jimmy 10/20Dickerson, Sharita 10/21Borjas, Steven F. 10/23Jackson, Robert 10/24Sewell, Steven O. 10/24Stevens, John 10/25Cortez, Melissa 10/26Flores, Diana 10/26Rosales, III, Jose A. 10/26Mayshack, Serena 10/28Cooper, Kimono 10/29Archer, Valerie 10/30

NovemberHanson, Gregory 11/01Pho, Devin 11/01Castillo, Jr., Frankie 11/02Celis, II, Ted 11/02Williams, Kimberly 11/02Guerra, Sergio 11/03Kromah, Mohamed 11/03Peppercorn, John 11/03Zelaya, Jose 11/03Hughes, Brenda 11/04Schroeder, Troy 11/04Luna, Martha 11/05Aguirre, Jr., Felix 11/06Vasquez, Noelia 11/06Hoppe, Rae 11/07Caballero, Norma J. 11/08Cheng, Danny 11/08Gutierrez, Eddica L. 11/09Lawrence, Michael 11/09Garza, Daniel C. 11/10Khan, Mohammad 11/10Susen, Kayla 11/10Waterwall, II, Daryl 11/10Wiedermann, Marcus 11/10

Baradziej, Christina 11/11Belostock, Brian 11/14Golsberry, Kelly 11/14Standley, Bret 11/14Yu, Kin 11/14Walters, Dave 11/15Taylor, Jose 11/16Boykin, Harvey 11/17Daniels, Stacy 11/18Fisher, Leah 11/18Meyer, Yvonne 11/18Strawder, Randy 11/18Aouad, Khaled 11/20Gonzalez, Jr., Mario A. 11/20McQueen, Ashley 11/20Nielsen, Scott N. 11/21Earley, Peggy 11/22Leal, Liza J. 11/22Shahriari, Houshang 11/22Beaumont, Deanna 11/23Guerrero, Luis 11/23Hamilton, Venita 11/23Prado, Jr., Jose 11/25Rodriguez, Jose 11/25Cruz, Hector 11/26D’Aryani, Rocky 11/26McGinnes, Aaron 11/26Salazar, Werner 11/26Deleon, Maria E. 11/27Nasledov, Aleksey 11/27Castellon, Jose 11/29Greenfield, William 11/29Akinola, Peter 11/30Castillo, Jr., Ramon 11/30Dinsmore, Gregory 11/30Fletcher, Jim 11/30Hodge, Dreike 11/30

A Very Happy Birthday to:

Employee AnniversariesName Company Hire Date Years

Coreas, Jesus A. Subaru 11/09/1984 25Johnson, Wanda G. Honda San Antonio 10/10/1989 20Webb, Antony P. Acura 10/12/1994 15Akinola, Peter B. Gillman Imports 11/22/1994 15Diaz, Jose Gillman Imports 09/13/1999 10Kellerman, James L. Mitsubishi San Antonio 09/16/1999 10Quick, Joanne M. Honda San Antonio 10/11/1999 10Moreno, Jonathan Honda Ft. Bend 10/27/1999 10Rincones, Amy M. Honda South 11/01/1999 10Salas, Robert H. Honda San Antonio 11/16/1999 10Wehe, Christopher J. Acura 11/19/1999 10Asare, William B. Gillman Autoplex 09/10/2004 5Zamir, Asim Honda South 09/13/2004 5Cheng, Danny C. Honda South 09/21/2004 5Golsberry, Kelly J. Honda South 10/11/2004 5McIlveen, Melinda L. Honda South 10/11/2004 5Bradshaw, Walter N. Mitsubishi North 10/15/2004 5Prewett, Nan L. Honda Ft. Bend 10/22/2004 5Boone, Ronald C. Honda South 11/01/2004 5Melgar, Marvin J. Honda South 11/06/2004 5Frohlich, Michael P. Acura 11/23/2004 5

A Special Thanks for Contributing to the

Gillman Newsletter Goes to:

Elizabeth Solis Carrillo, Mario Delbosque, Scott

Dupons, Susan Elbel, Lalo Galvan, Jason Gillman,

Kelly Goldsberry, Sherri Gray, Amy Griffin, Rae Hoppe,

Robert Jackson, Issac Khalaf, Jana Kusin, Bonnie

Meyer, Dona Alexander-Rowe, Jody Valentine,

Christopher Wehe, and the great Gillman team!

Melissa Marek, Gillman Subaru in North Houston, Earns Subaru of America Summit AwardWhen it comes to outstanding Customer Service, few can compare with Melissa Marek, an outstanding service consultant at Gillman Subaru in North Houston. In recognition of being named the nation’s No. 3 Subaru Service Consultant, Melissa received the Bronze Level Summit Award.

This is a championship level performance that required dedication and a willingness to go the extra mile for Gillman customers.

Great work, Melissa!

Outstanding Achievement Earns Houston Automobile Dealers Association Educational Scholarships for Dependents of Gillman Team Members!

Five outstanding young dependents of Gillman employees were named recipients of the Houston Automobile Dealers Association (HADA) 2009-10 Educational Scholarships. The HADA-funded and managed program annually provides scholarships to employees and depen-dents of employees who work in a mem-ber dealership.

Candidates for these highly sought after awards are required to submit an origi-nal written essay on their career goals. In addition, successful applicants must hold high grade point averages and provide letters of

recommendation from employers, teachers and other key individuals.

A true Gillman “Way to go” is extended to Poria and Poneh Rafiei, son and daughter

of Mohammad Rafiei, who is with Gillman Honda in Houston; Mark Robichau, son of Robin Robichau, with Gillman Honda Houston; Barbara Edwards, daughter of Olivia Edwards, with Gillman Honda in

Houston; and Mark Slater, son of Kathy Slater, who is with Gillman Nissan in Rosenberg.

Our hats are off to both the parents and their great daughters and sons.

Barbara Edwards Mark Robichau Mark Slater

Center: Melissa Marek with award; left: Hector Flores, District 2, Subaru South Central Region Fixed Operations Manager; and right: Chris Wehe, Gillman Subaru North Service Manager.

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How? By becoming a fan of the Gillman Facebook page.

Just log on to your Facebook account and search for “Gillman Auto Group,” “Gillman Guy,” “Acura of North Houston,” or the name and location of your dealership (for example: “Gillman Mitsubishi of South Houston” or “Gillman Chevrolet of San Benito”).

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