AutoNation

Infobox_Company
company_name = AutoNation, Inc. | company_
foundation = 1996 (as Republic)
April 6, 1999 (as AutoNation)
company_type = Public (nyse|AN)
location = Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
industry = Car dealership | revenue = $Approx 18 Billion [http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2008/snapshots/10493.html Fortune 500: AutoNation] , "CNN Money/Fortune," accessed May 21, 2008.]

AutoNation is a chain of auto dealerships founded by entrepreneur H. Wayne Huizenga,Bradsher, Keith, [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F7071EF739540C758CDDAA0894DF494D81&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fH%2fHuizenga%2c%20H%2e%20Wayne "Republic's Huizenga Wants to Dominate the Market"] , "The New York Times", pp. D1, March 6, 1997.] also founder of Blockbuster and Waste Management. [cite book | last = Gallagher | first = Richard S. | title = The Soul of an Organization: Understanding the Values that Drive Successful Corporate Cultures | publisher = Kaplan Business | year = 2002 | pages = pp. 113 | id = ISBN 0-7931-5780-3] The company, founded in 1996, is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale in the Miami metropolitan area. The current Chairman and CEO is Mike Jackson, former CEO of Mercedes Benz North America

Company operations

AutoNation, Inc. is the largest automotive retailer in the United States. [White, Joseph B., [http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB114487401909024337-ouwLdesvUMPaejrsk_WhxkaZzNU_20060516.html?mod=tff_main_tff_top "One Billion Cars"] , "The Wall Street Journal", pp. R1, April 17, 2006.] AutoNation has 272 dealerships nationwide, and employs approximately 25,000 employees. AutoNation sells 37 different manufacturer brands nationwide. AutoNation outsells every other automotive retailer in the U.S. and is ranked #138 on the 2008 Fortune 500. The company has a significant internet presence, offering its entire inventory for online searching. [cite book | last = Tucci | first = Christopher L. | coauthors = and Afuah, Allan | title = Internet Business Models and Strategies: Text and Cases | publisher = McGraw-Hill | year = 2001 | pages = pp. 270 | id = ISBN 0-07-239724-1]

Total company revenue is as follows:
*59% New Vehicles ($11.5 billion in 2005)
*23% Used Vehicles ($4.4 billion in 2005)
*14% Parts and Service ($2.2 billion in 2005)
*3% Financing and Insurance ($615 million in 2005)

AutoNation brands

Instead of supporting a national mark, AutoNation has developed a unique brand name for its dealerships in each market.

These include the following:
* Appleway -- Spokane
* Autoway -- Tampa Bay
* Autowest -- Sacramento, San Francisco Bay Area
* Bankston -- Texas
*CHAMPION-- Austin, Houston, Corpus Christi
* Cook-Whitehead -- Panama City, Florida
* Courtesy -- Orlando
* Desert -- Las Vegas
* Dobbs -- Memphis
* Fox -- Baltimore
* Go -- Denver (formerly "John Elway" until 12/26/2006. [" [http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4751907 AutoNation benches Elway's name] ," "Denver Post", December 1, 2006, ] )
* Maroone -- South Florida
* Mike Shad -- Jacksonville
* Mullinax -- Cleveland
* Power -- Southern California, Phoenix
* Team -- Atlanta
* Treadwell -- Mobile, Alabama
* West -- Northwest

E-Vehicles Program

E-Vehicles Program, in partnership with Edmunds.com, identifies fuel-efficient vehicles, with 8.40 L/100km (28 miles per gallon) or deliver 10% better fuel efficiency than the average for their vehicle class.

History

From its founding in 1996 until 1999, AutoNation operated a series of used car megastores under the AutoNation USA brand, designed in the image of rival CarMax. See History attached [http://corp.autonation.com/investors/history.asp] The company was formerly known as Republic Industries, Inc., and changed its name to AutoNation in 1999. The company's first Chief Executive Officer was Steve Berrard, who resigned from the company in July 1999. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A02E7D8173DF932A35754C0A96F958260 "Autonation Chief Executive Agrees to Step Down"] , "The New York Times", July 1, 1999.]

In October 24, 2005, the AutoNation building in downtown Fort Lauderdale suffered significant damage due to Hurricane Wilma. [Hoag, Christina, and Danner, Patrick, [http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13005623.htm "Creatively coping with chaos: South Florida's hurricane-worn companies are making do to keep going despite a lack of offices"] , "The Miami Herald," October 27, 2005.]

In 2006 Mike Jackson, CEO of AutoNation announced [Chakvorti, Jui, [http://today.reuters.com/summit/summitarticle.aspx?type=summitNews&summit=AutosSummit06&storyid=2006-09-12T164844Z_01_N12228896_RTRUKOC_0_US-AUTOS-SUMMIT-AUTONATION.xml AutoNation slowed '07 model orders: CEO] , "Reuters," September 12th, 2006.] that his company would be reducing orders from General Motors, Ford and Chrysler in 2007. Jackson made the statement that the company will instead focus on selling BMW, Mercedes and Lexus vehicles due to anticipation of further market share loss by US automakers resulting in high dealer inventories.
[Bio [http://corp.autonation.com/investors/management.asp] ]

Notes

Further reading

*cite paper | author = Flynn, Michael S. | title = The Economy, Competition, and the Retail Automotive Dealer | version = Final Report | publisher = The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute | date = March 2001 | url = http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/1344/2/94313.0001.001.pdf | format = PDF | accessdate = 2006-11-28

External links

* [http://www.autonation.com AutoNation Corporate Site]
* [http://www.autonation.com/index.cfm?action=dealerlink&link=1162831 AutoNation E-Vehicles Program] .