Leadership
Jim Shorkey Jr.
president, Courtesy Auto Group
Smart Business Pittsburgh | October 2008
Jim Shorkey Jr. is all about giving
back to and being involved with the
community. The president of
Courtesy Auto Group, which includes
the Courtesy Suzuki Isuzu and Jim
Shorkey Kia dealerships, does a lot of
things, both big and small, to stay
involved with the community.
One way is through donations, and
Shorkey donates money to various
school and community organizations.
While most are small, Shorkey says it
adds up and helps make a difference.
He also donates cars to be used in
local parades and stays involved with
the local police and volunteer fire
departments.
Even after going through several
tough years, Shorkey has placed a
value on giving back. The company
was nearly forced to close its doors in
the late 1990s and early 2000s when
General Motors discontinued the Oldsmobile brand. But in 2003,
Shorkey acquired the Suzuki brand
and business was again in full swing.
Shorkey has a vested interest in the
community and giving back to it. He
employs people from the North
Huntingdon area and purchases products from local vendors. He has put
money back into the dealership facilities — spending $2.3 million on the
Suzuki dealership and working on a
combination new and renovated facility for the Kia dealership that he purchased last November.
Staying involved in the community
can also help develop customer relationships, and Shorkey places a high
value on customers and makes sure
they are taken care of. He is also
open, honest and forthright and lets
customers know what is going on.
Shorkey says if you take care of your
customers, they will continue to do business with you.
One of the bigger company events
was this past May when employees
formed a team to participate in the
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
Shorkey donated $5 for every team
member who finished the race wearing a “What a Great Day!” T-shirt.
Shorkey says being involved, whether
through just paying taxes, giving to
local organizations or offering jobs to
residents, can have a great economic
impact on the community.
HOW TO REACH: Courtesy Auto Group, (800) 436-0788 or
www.courtesypa.com
