Glenn E. Thomas Dodge Reflects On 40 years Of Partnership With Long Beach State
6/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | General
Long Beach, Calif. - As Bob Davis sat in his office, surrounded by photos of his father Monte in Naval fighter pilot dress and other family members that have contributed to the decades of leadership at Glenn E. Thomas Dodge Chrysler Jeep in Signal Hill, he pondered the memories of the 40-plus year relationship with Long Beach State Athletics.
"For us, it's because of the relationships," said Davis, who is the current President and started working full-time for his father at the dealership in 1974. "Long Beach State is special to us and we take pride in helping to boost the profile of one of the best athletic programs in the nation within this tough market."
The dealership is no stranger to sports. The son of the original owner, Glenn E. Thomas, is featured in a hunting photo on the showroom floor. His hunting companions are none other than Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Glenn heard the Yankees were coming to town to play in an exhibition game and had extended an invitation to Babe Ruth to be his guest at his favorite duck-hunting club. The rest is history.
The formal partnership with Long Beach State was born when then-Athletics Director Perry Moore worked with Monte Davis in the early 70s during their involvement as Rotarians. The result has been 40-plus years of relationships, memories, and contributions towards growing the athletics program. Monte had become sole owner of the dealership in 1968 after working for Thomas since 1944 after World War II.
The dealership, which is currently the third largest volume Dodge dealership in California and the oldest established Charger dealer in the country, has since grown leaps and bounds with the athletic program at the Beach.
"The first coach that I worked with first was Tex (Winter). He was a class guy and was extremely humble," said Bob. "He made it easy to support, and many of the coaches since then have had the same charisma." Bob continued, "Many of the coaches at LBSU understand the power and uniqueness of this community - Tex, Harrington, Seth and now Dan (Monson). It's pretty special."
Memories, favorite teams and nostalgic LBSU names spill easily from Bob's sports mind due to his family's involvement over the years -- the Trapp brothers, Sleepy Montgomery, Tap Nixon, Pondexter, Lucious, Russell, Tyrone Mitchell, Casper Ware and the `Fab Four'. The list goes on and on.
Bob said that part of the `cool factor' is that many of the players and coaches from over the years still keep in close contact with the dealership and his family. "We've employed a few players over the years, and have developed even more personal relationships. Some of them still come back to us for vehicles now that they've started their careers. Casper (Ware) was in here recently. It's a cool dynamic."
When not following the LBSU hoops program, Bob spends his free time away from the dealership on the go. With a big family, he's active corralling 12 active grandkids (soon to be 15) spread out over Southern California and Utah, and attends BYU football games as a season ticket holder.
His sons, John and Brad, are set to be the next Davis generation to take the reins of the dealership, which now supports five major brands - Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Ram. John (started in '92) and Brad (started in '96) were both 16 years old when they were introduced to the family business. They earned their proverbial varsity letters in true Davis fashion - learning the business from the ground up by washing cars and counting parts. They both have a heavy hand and presence in the current day-to-day action, sales and activity on the showroom floor.
As the Davis family begins transitioning into the next generation of ownership, they are sure to continue the sports relationship with Long Beach State that was formed by Monte in 1974. Bob adds jokingly, "Other than having to handle a few parking tickets over the years for some coaches, this has been a fun partnership with the school. We've really seen the evolution of the program and Dan (Monson) is really representing the proud history of basketball at LBSU well."
About Glenn E. Thomas Dodge Chrysler Jeep:
The Long Beach Auto Company was founded in 1909 by Walter L. Thomas on Pacific Avenue. His son, Glenn E., became very active in the company and eventually purchased the dealership. The name was changed to Glenn E. Thomas Company, and in 1921 the company moved to a new facility in Long Beach on Anaheim Street near Long Beach Blvd. Two of its most famous guests visited shortly after its opening. One was soon to set a major league record that would stand for years, hitting 60 home runs in a single season. He brought his first baseman with him. Glenn heard the Yankees were coming to town to play in an exhibition game and had extended an invitation to Babe Ruth to be his guest at his favorite duck-hunting club. The picture of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Glenn E. Thomas still adorns our showroom wall today.
In 1934 Mr. Thomas entered into a franchise agreement with Chrysler and Glenn E. Thomas Company became a Dodge dealership.
1944 brought the paths of a young Navy fighter pilot, Monte Davis, and Mr. Thomas together. Mr. Thomas was duck hunting at the Bear River Duck Club in Brigham City, Utah. Monte served as Mr. Thomas's guide while he was home on leave, and a bond between the two men developed. He knew he would be good in business and offered him a job at his car dealership when the war ended.
Monte and his bride moved to Long Beach in 1945. He began his automotive career with Mr. Thomas, starting in the parts department and eventually working his way up to General Manager of the Dealership.
Monte Davis became the sole owner of the company in 1968. Monte became very active in the auto industry, being awarded the Time Magazine Quality Award and was finalist for the Time Magazine Dealer of the Year Award. Monte was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1996. He served as president of both the Motor Car Dealers Association of California and the Long Beach Auto Dealers Association as well as on Chrysler's Presidents Council and was chairman of the National Dodge Dealer Council.
