Bill Text: VA HJR197 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Carter Myers Automotive.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 6-1)
Status: (Passed) 2024-02-29 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ197ER) [HJR197 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-HJR197-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Carter Myers Automotive, a family and employee-owned business, has served customers throughout Virginia for 100 years; and
WHEREAS, originally known as Petersburg Motor Company, Carter Myers Automotive (CMA) was incorporated in 1924 by H. Carter Myers, Sr., who previously owned a local hardware store named Stockdell-Myers; and
WHEREAS, from its original dealership, Petersburg Ford, CMA has grown to serve customers at multiple locations around the Commonwealth with numerous franchises and has been led by generations of the Myers family; and
WHEREAS, H. Carter Myers, Jr., was elected president and general manager of CMA in 1934, during which time he was a leader in the industry and served as chair of the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association, where he had the distinction of being the only dealer in the association's history to hold the office for three years; and
WHEREAS, H. Carter Myers, Jr., was named the 1972 Virginia nominee for the prestigious Time Magazine Quality Dealer of the Year award and was honored as one of 10 national finalists for the award; and
WHEREAS, H. Carter Myers III was elected president of CMA in 1974 and has also enjoyed great success as chair of the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association, the 2011 Virginia nominee for the prestigious Time Magazine Quality Dealer of the Year award, chair of the National Automobile Dealers Association, recipient of the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from The American International Automobile Dealers Association, Entrepreneur of the Year for the Richmond Metro Area, and as a member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, where he served at the request of two governors of the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, H. Carter Myers III continues to serve as CMA's executive chair and has now been with the company for more than 55 years; and
WHEREAS, Elizabeth (Liza) Myers Borches joined the company in 2003 and was elected as president of CMA in 2011 and chair in 2012, marking the first time that a fourth generation of a Virginia dealer family became the leader of a family dealership; and
WHEREAS, Liza Myers Borches also became the third generation of her family to lead the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association when her peers in the industry elected her as their leader in 2023; and
WHEREAS, Liza Myers Borches has received numerous awards as CMA's leader, including Ford's 2009 Salute to Dealers Award, the 2012 Athena Award, the 2020 Automotive News 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry, and the 2020 Barbara Cox Woman of the Year Award from Cox Automotive; and
WHEREAS, in 1979, CMA decided to share ownership with employees and became one of the only automotive groups in the country to offer an employee stock ownership plan; with a philosophy of "shared ownership means shared success," CMA associates currently own more than 26 percent of the company and continue to share in its growth to this day; and
WHEREAS, in 2024, CMA has 23 locations representing 18 new car brands and employs more than 1,100 associates in Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia; and
WHEREAS, an active and dedicated part of the auto industry, Carter Myers Automotive continues its long tradition of honesty, integrity, and customer satisfaction through a strong commitment to training and a desire to operate its businesses with the utmost professionalism; and
WHEREAS, Carter Myers Automotive has also dedicated itself to giving back to the community through philanthropy and volunteer service, adopting the mission statement, "Moving Lives Forward," to represent its commitment to its associates, customers, and communities and efforts to be more than a place to buy or service a car; and
WHEREAS, CMA encourages its associates to donate time, treasure, and talent to help their communities thrive, benefiting numerous local nonprofit organizations that better the lives of their neighbors; and
WHEREAS, Carter Myers Automotive takes great pride in its history and is very much looking towards the future; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Carter Myers Automotive on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Carter Myers Automotive as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the organization's storied history and legacy of contributions to the community in Central Virginia.
