African American dealer principals must have “grit, persistence and tenacity,” to succeed and thrive, according to NADA’s Executive Director of External Affairs and Public Policy, Myra Dandridge.

During a special Friday session celebrating Black History Month at the NADA Show Live Stage, Dandridge was joined by two African American dealer principals who exemplify those traits and are blazing a trail for future minority dealership owners.

Jenell Ross and Nate Sutton had very different paths into the auto retail industry. Sutton, president of the Sutton Auto Group, was an engineer before he began exploring owning his own retail business. He and his wife narrowed it down to purchasing a franchise, and considered restaurants and an auto dealership. “Here we are 34 years later,” he said.

Ross, the president of the Bob Ross Auto Group, grew up in the industry but had to take over day-to-day dealership operations after her father died unexpectedly when she was just 27 years old. “I was fortunate to have the time I did to work for him but extremely fortunate for the team he had in place,” to help her when she took over, she said.

There have been obstacles to overcome and lessons learned along the way, Ross and Sutton said. For Ross, being a woman in a room full of men has added an extra layer of difficulty to her position. “There just aren’t too many people that look like me,” she said.

Capitalization was an early obstacle for Sutton. “I remember when we had a second and third mortgage on our house,” Sutton noted. Over the years, with persistence and discipline, Sutton has prioritized retaining earnings at all four of his dealerships, which has eliminated challenges in terms of capitalization.

As trailblazers in their own right, Sutton and Ross both expressed a deep sense of pride for what they’ve accomplished in the industry. Sutton is a first-generation African American dealer principal and plans to pass on ownership of his company to two of his three daughters. Ross meanwhile is the first second-generation African American woman dealer principal.

“I still do feel that I’m trying to fill the boots – not the shoes – of my parents,” Ross said.

Watch the livestream from the Live Stage all week at NADA Show 2024.