Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
This is Chris Redgrave for Zions Bank Speaking on Business.
This is the 80th year and three generations for the Ken Garff Auto Group, and it all started in 1932 in Salt Lake City. Ken Garff owned a Shell Oil Station where he pumped gas and had a car for sale to make extra cash. This was during tough times, and folks were doing what they could just to make ends meet.
Well, one day the gas station blew up, and the place burned to the ground. Thank goodness nobody was hurt, including Ken; however, the Shell Oil Company told Ken to either sell gas or cars. So he did, and the Ken Garff Auto Group was born.
He started his car company by loading up the back of his truck with people needing work to drive from Salt Lake City to the auto auction in Chicago. The folks would get in the cars and drive them back to Utah to sell. In 1991, Ken was 91 years old and still golfing twice a week, dropping by the business to talk to people.
In meeting with the president and CEO, John Garff, he said his grandfather was raised on a ranch and grew up during the Depression, so he had a soft spot for folks in hard times. The love for people and community support is what Ken Garff Auto Group is built on. The values that drove Ken and his success has not been lost on Bob Garff or his son, who took over the business and developed it into Ken Garff, which operates in six states and is ranked among the top 12 dealers in the U.S.
With third generation John Garff, this company is keeping momentum, having "a good year with great people." Over the past five years, the company tripled in sales and employee count, bringing the total to 2,400. These guys believe in putting their employees first because, in turn, they'll put the customer first.
Don't miss Speed at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Visit speedumfa.com for more information.
For Zions Bank, I'm Chris Redgrave, speaking on business.
Ken Garff Automotive Group 405 S. Main St. Salt Lake City, UT 84111 801-438-8489 www.kengarff.com
