>>
>> TO
>> TO THE
>> TO THE AARON FAMILY AND THE ASSEMBLED DIGNITARIES AND
FRIENDS.
FRIENDS.
FRIENDS. BILLYE, I WANT TO THANK YOU
FOR THIS HONOR TO TALK ABOUT MY
FRIEND. 715 AND 755 ARE NUMBERS
THAT WE KNOW AND REMEMBER.
1998. I WANT TO ASK ALL OF YOU
TO THINK BACK TO THAT YEAR AND
REMEMBER ONE. IN 1999, THE
LUXURY AUTOMOBILES HAD ONE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN DEALER. WE
WERE THE FIRST LUXURY DEALERS
OF COLOR IN AMERICA.
HENRY OPENED HIS STORE AS THE
FIRST, JUST DAYS BEFORE I
OPENED MINE.
OPENED MINE. AS YOU ALL KNOW, HENRY WAS NOT
DRIVEN BY BEING FIRST. HE WAS
MOTIVATED BY THE FACT THAT HE
WANTED THE INDUSTRY TO CHANGE
ITS COMPLEXION. HE WANTED THAT
COMPLEXION TO LOOK LIKE
INDIVIDUALS LIKE THE THREE OF US
. WE MADE A PACT AND I WILL
NEVER FORGET AS HENRY SAID, I
WANT US TO HAVE GENERAL
MANAGERS IN OUR STORES THAT
LOOK LIKE US. IT TOOK US TWO
YEARS TO BUILD THOSE DEALERSHIPS
. BY THE TIME WE OPENED THOSE
DOORS, EACH ONE OF US HAD
GENERAL MANAGERS THAT LOOKS
LIKE US.
LIKE US.
LIKE US. BUT HENRY WAS NOT SATISFIED,
NOR WERE WE.
HE SAID, WE HAVE TO PUT
TECHNICIANS AND OTHER MANAGERS
IN OUR STORES. AT THAT TIME, A
TECHNICIAN COULD MAKE $150,000
PER YEAR. HENRY SAID, I HAVE A
YOUNG LADY FROM MOBILE, ALABAMA
THAT WILL BE THE FIRST
TECHNICIAN IN MY STORE. THAT
WAS WHAT HE WAS MOST PROUD OF.
BECAUSE OF THAT, HE FELT THAT
IT WAS CHANGING THE COMPLEXION
OF THE DEALERSHIPS.
THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO HENRY
AARON, THE BROTHER THAT I KNEW.
HENRY AND I BECAME INSEPARABLE.
IF YOU WOULD SEE ONE, YOU WOULD
SEE THE OTHER.
WE WOULD TALK EVERY WEEK ABOUT
CHANGING THE COMPLEXION OF THE
DEALERSHIP. I TRULY HOPE THAT
WE MADE A DIFFERENCE AND THAT
WE CHANGED THE WAY DEALERSHIPS
LOOK TODAY.
LOOK TODAY. FOR ALL OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO
NOW OWN THEIR OWN POSITIONS AND
KNOW THEM TO MY BROTHER, IT HAS
MADE A BETTER AMERICA FOR
SERVING THOSE WE CHERISH SO
MUCH IN THIS GREAT INDUSTRY OF
OURS.
OURS.
OURS. IN
OURS. IN CLOSING, I WANT TO SAY TO MY
BROTHER, THE BOOKEND THAT I HAD
IN THE FRIEND THAT I CHERISHED,
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING
THAT GLASS OF WINE FROM DUSTY
BAKER AND FROM HENRY AARON AND
FROM THE WINERY SOMEDAY.
I KNOW WE WILL BE