In This Issue• Stacey Gillman Wimbish Named Gillman Companies President

• Gillman Acura Tops the Nation in Customer Satisfaction

• Gillman Management Attends NADA

• Gillman Subaru Turbocharges Houston

February-March 2008

Gillman Companies Announce Major Expansion

The Gillman Companies have successfullycompleted the purchase of six highly success-ful automobile dealerships located in the RioGrande Valley area of south Texas. Previouslyowned and operated by the Kellogg MotorGroup, these dealerships enjoy a decades-oldreputation for quality customer care, commu-nity service, and vehicle-owner satisfaction.

The new acquisitions include a Chevroletdealership in Harlingen and a second Chevroletdealership, along with Buick, Pontiac, GMC,and Honda dealerships, in San Benito, Texas.Originally founded in 1923 as Welch Chevrolet,the San Benito location was the first Chevroletdealership in south Texas. Kellogg Motor Groupbought that facility in 1982.

Scott Dupons, long-timeGillman Companies Chief OperatingOfficer, is a partner in the newValley operations and will relocateto that area to manage this new

Gillman complex.“The way Kellogg treats their customers

and employees mirrors the Gillman philosophy.We will get to know the people and customers

in the dealerships. Our goal is to earn theirtrust and respect,” Dupons said.

Transfer of ownership will take place assoon as formal franchise approval is receivedfrom General Motors and Honda of America.This is expected to take place in 60 to 90 days.

If the fast pace of the first seven weeks of2008 is any indication, the rest of this yearis going to be very, very busy. Here is aquick recap of recent events.

First, in partnership with our friend andbusiness associate Scott Dupons, we com-pleted a very sound expansion of the GillmanCompanies retail automobile dealership hold-ings. In a purchase from the KelloggAutomotive Group, a fine Texas organizationwith a sterling reputation for customer satis-faction, we acquired six new vehicle franchises.Our acquisitions include two Chevrolet dealer-ships, a Pontiac/GMC/Buick point, and aHonda dealership. The front cover story of thisnewsletter has more details on the transaction.

Second, the move of Scott Dupons, ourChief Operating Officer, to the Rio GrandeValley necessitated several changes in theGillman Companies management structure.I will remain Chairman of the Board ofDirectors. Stacey Gillman Wimbish will bePresident. Jason Gillman and ChristopherGillman will serve as Executive VicePresidents. A new Chief Operating Officer willbe named shortly. This realignment will

From the desk ofRamsay Gillman

provide a stable managementteam for our organization and setthe stage for future expansion.

Third, our usual contin-gent of managers from theGillman Companies went to the2008 National AutomobileDealers Association (NADA)meeting in San Francisco. Some

people may be talking recession, but judgingfrom the number of exhibitors with offeringsspecifically for our industry and the enthusi-asm of those attending the meeting, the nextseveral months have great promise.

Fourth, our Subaru dealership located insouthwest Houston sponsored a one-day eventfor local Subaru fans and owners. Well over700 people came out to meet Subaru RallyTeam USA driver Travis Pastrana. They talkedabout their favorite car, purchased perform-ance parts, and viewed the ‘08 models.

And fifth, but far from least, our Acuradealership Service Department is number onein the nation in CSI for the second consecutiveyear. On top of that, the dealership alsoearned the Acura Precision Team award. Only37 dealers in the country received that distinc-tion. These are outstanding achievements anddeserve a true “way to go” to the entire staff.

As we progress through the year, weanticipate several more major developments.Naturally, we will keep you informed. It is anexciting time for our organization. As long aswe continue to do our best to please everycustomer, our future growth is assured.

In 2007,CesarCarrillo ranthe HoustonMarathon 5Kand caughtthe distancerunning bug.This year, he

entered the full 26.2-mile Chevron Houston

Marathon and stormed home 903rd out of afield of almost 6,000 runners with a time of 3hours 42 minutes.

Cesar is the Director of InformationTechnology for the Gillman Companies and hismarathon adventure was a lot more than avirtual reality event. It was the next step in a pro-gram that will take him to the famous Ironmancompetition on the island of Kona in 2010.

A speedy “way to go” to a great guy!

Cesar Carrillo, Gillman Companies IT Director, a Marathon Natural

Randy: I have procrastinated in responding to your letterand e-mail as a Gillman customer. I could not let the oppor-tunity go by without complimenting you. Rarely in today’sworld have I experienced your effort to regain my business.

For the record, your sales staff is truly professional.I first experienced your staff at Gillman North in purchas-ing a vehicle for my daughter. Within six months, Ipurchased another vehicle for my wife at Gillman South.Not to end the experience, I purchased a vehicle for myselfa year later from Gillman Austin. I am a devout shopperto the point I can be a pain in the rear to a sales staff.However, the dealings with your various sales staff loca-tions were exceptional! Whatever sales training programyou employ, keep it up.—ANOTHER SATISFIED AND LOYAL GILLMAN ACURA HOUSTON

NORTH, GILLMAN SOUTH, AND GILLMAN AUSTIN CUSTOMER

Hello, Ms. Williams! I am sending this e-mail in regardsto several of your employees that have managed to makemy experience at Gillman extraordinarily amazing.

First of all, Jerry Baker. From the first day that Ibrought my Honda Accord into your Service Department,Jerry has taken care of me 100 percent! Everything isalways done quickly, and communication about necessaryrepairs, etc., is always on point! He is always friendlyand quick to solve all of my issues with my car.Previously, the car wash had scratched my hubcaps.Without any hesitation, Mr. Baker had a new set put onand I was out of the parking lot in just a few minutes.This amazed me! One of the most important things aboutJerry is that he never gives me the feeling that I am tak-ing up too much of his time. He is patient (I am a femaletrying to describe car issues...) and I truly appreciate it!

Secondly, there is another constantly smiling facein the Service Department. His name is Shane. The otherday when I took my car in, Shane was out at my car andgreeting me before I could even set foot on the pavement!He was quick to help, get in touch with Jerry Baker, andget the process of checking my car in going as quickly aspossible. This was not the first time that I had talkedwith Shane. Previous conversations have been just as pro-fessional and helpful.

Last but not least is Luiz. I requested that my carbe detailed when I dropped it off for some minor repairsthe other day. When Luiz (I was told by the lady on thephone that this was his name, although I don’t recall see-ing it in person) drove up in my car, I almost fell over.My car was CLEAN! I asked him if they had washed theoutside (because I only requested an interior detail andthought maybe I needed to pay a different amountbecause of the extra work), and he said that they haddone that before they cleaned the inside. When I openedmy car doors to check out the cleaning, I was ecstatic! Mycarpets were tan again! I have two children that give mycar a run for its money and couldn’t believe how awesomemy car looked. It well exceeded my expectations. I askedthe gentleman if he was the one that had done it and hesaid, “My guys in the back did this.” Whoever these“guys” are, I would like to thank them. I never imaginedmy car would look this good! In conclusion, your ServiceDepartment never ceases to amaze me. I, without hesita-tion, tell all of my fellow Honda owners to have their carserviced at Gillman because of the professionalism,

quickness of work, QUALITY OF WORK, and INCREDIBLEcustomer service!—ANOTHER SATISFIED AND LOYAL GILLMAN HONDA HOUSTON

SOUTH CUSTOMER

Donnie Hicks: Just wanted to say thanks so much for thecustomer service and special help when needed. You savedme a lot. While asking God for a miracle to happen, youcalled with a final quote that was a true blessing. You savedme a lot and I can only say I appreciate it to the fullest.Thanks a million. Keep up the wonderful customer service!—ANOTHER SATISFIED AND LOYAL GILLMAN MITSUBISHI

HOUSTON NORTH CUSTOMER

Mike Bachari: Got your phone message. Thanks for call-ing. I really have enjoyed my Pathfinder SE. The rearviewcamera has already saved a child’s life. It was a pleasuremeeting you and doing business with you. Would love totalk about world events with you again. You are a greatAmerican. I will recommend you to anyone interested inbuying a new vehicle.—ANOTHER SATISFIED AND LOYAL GILLMAN NISSAN FORT BEND

INTERNET CUSTOMER

Mr. Gillman: I just did my 60,000-mile service last monthand no one else services my Subaru but Gillman Subaru,not even for an oil change.

As we all know, getting to be number one is easy,staying number one is another story. In my book, you areand have been my one and only service center for thepast year.

Mr. David Di is in great measure responsible for this.As I have stated before, I am extremely happy with his serviceand professionalism, and he has been very consistent at that.—ANOTHER SATISFIED AND LOYAL GILLMAN SUBARU HOUSTON

SOUTH CUSTOMER

Letters from Loyal Customers

Who Are the Ladies With the Red Dresses On?Actually, there were nine ladies all dressed inred when the Gillman Rosenberg Accountingteam decided to support the February 1stNational Awareness of Women’s Heart DiseaseDay. They turned out in fine style, and theirwearing of the red served as a reminder to allof the importance of women’s heart health.

Gillman Acura #1 in America for CustomerSatisfaction for Second Straight Year!

Which Acura dealer is the only one in Houstonto earn the coveted Precision Team Award?

It’s gotta be Gillman Acura, one of only37 dealers in the entire United States to begiven that distinction.

The Acura Precision Team Awardrequires total dealership commitment to meet-ing and exceeding the expectations of everycustomer. That lofty goal can only be attained

by generating a team spirit in every employeeand instilling a sense of pride in a job well done.

Randy Khalaf, Gillman Acura GeneralManager, summed up this achievement by say-ing, “Our people are first class. They have acan-do attitude and are always willing to gothat extra mile to get the job done right.”

A most respectful “way to go” to a greatteam effort!

Being tops in America for Acura customer sat-isfaction is no easy job. Being tops in thenation two years in a row is even harder. Butthe Gillman Acura Service team did it using acombination of commitment to excellence,experience, and the desire to excel.

Being number one required focusing onmaking sure every customer was completelysatisfied with every transaction. And monthafter month, year after year, the dedicatedservice advisors, technicians, cashiers,porters, Excel Facilitator, and dealershipmanagement worked in a coordinated effort

to earn the most outstanding CSI scoresin America.

According to Gillman Acura ServiceManager Tony Webb, “Everyone in every posi-tion did their very best.”

The group earned several 100-percentmonths in the “Fix It Right the First Time” cat-egory and functions as a well disciplined unit.

Randy Khalaf, Gillman Acura GeneralManager, also noted the high scores made by themarketing staff and said, “Ranking on top in CSIrequires commitment to each customer’s needs.”

Way to go, Gillman Acura!

But Wait! There’s More! Gillman Acura Earns theCoveted Precision Team Award!

Gillman Companies Management TeamAttends 2009 National AutomobileDealers Association MeetingFrom February 9-12, the Gillman managementteam attended the 2009 meeting of theNational Automobile Dealers Association(NADA) at the Moscone Center in SanFrancisco, California.The weather wasbeautiful, after aweek of rain prior tothe event, and theturnout was enor-mous. Dealers and dealership managers fromall 50 states were joined by counterpartsfrom Japan, Europe, other Pacific Rimnations, and experts in every aspect of deal-ership operations.

The need for vendor display space wasfar too large to be accommodated by any oneof the Moscone Center’s huge exhibition halls.So every building in the complex was utilizedin an effort to meet demand.

Exhibits ranged from innovative conceptsfor improving customer satisfaction to cus-tomer retention programs, the latest shopequipment, improved accounting systems, andeven a modern single-engine four-passengerprivate aircraft for transportation.

Away from the exhibition floors, semi-nars on more than 40 dealership-related topicswere offered to attendees. Important national

leaders spoke toshare their views ofthe coming year andto motivate mem-bers. Majormanufacturers held

sessions with dealer franchise holders andmanagers. And regional groups, like the TexasAutomobile Dealers Association, sponsoredgatherings to discuss current issues.

The NADA meeting grows in importanceeach year as a place to gain information forfuture planning, be exposed to new ideas,exchange thoughts, and develop useful relation-ships with leaders in the retail automobile industry.

Gillman CompaniesAnnounce Major

Management Appointments

Due to the acquisition of six new automobile dealer-ships, the Gillman Companies have announced amajor realignment of senior management.

Ramsay Gillman will remain Chairman ofthe Board.

Former Vice President Stacey GillmanWimbish will become President of the organization.

Jason Gillman and Christopher Gillman havebeen named Executive Vice Presidents.

Scott Dupons, Gillman Companies ChiefOperating Officer, will be a partner in the newly pur-chased Honda, Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, and GMCdealerships which are located in the Rio GrandeValley of Texas. As soon as franchise agreementshave been approved by General Motors and Hondaof America, Dupons will manage those operations.He will relocate to the Harlingen-San Benito area. Anationwide executive search is being conducted tohire his replacement as COO.

Ramsay Gillman has served in a number ofvital governmental, charitable, and industry posi-tions. He is a past president of the NationalAutomobile Dealers Association and remains activein that organization.

Stacey Gillman Wimbish has held severalimportant appointments in local and state auto-mobile dealer groups. Wimbish was the first womanto be named President of the Houston AutomobileDealers Association and has over 20 years of deal-ership managerial experience.

Jason Gillman and Christopher Gillman havebeen active in managing the company and willassume their increased responsibilities in the nextfew weeks.

The Gillman Companies will own and operatea total of 20 franchised dealerships in Texas. Thefirm was founded in 1938 and has played an impor-tant role in the development of the retail automobilebusiness in the state. The company, which willemploy more than 1,000, remains headquartered inHouston, Texas.

Top, left to right: Stacey Gillman Wimbish,Christopher Gillman, Jason Gillman.Seated, Ramsay Gillman.

401(K)ornerBy Susan Elbel

Well, well, well! What has happened to thestock market? As with any good roller-coasterride, there have to be big dips in order to havebig climbs. The same is true for the market.We like the ride when it is going up but thatcoming down just does something to ourstomachs. We must hold on and stay firmlyseated. No one truly knows if the next day themarket will take that upward climb or if theday is going to be that downward spiral. (Ifsomeone did they would already be filthy richand out of the market). So I believe the bestway to look at the whole situation is toremember that we are in this for the longterm. And think of the market as having a

The Gillman Companies are a proud sponsorof the twice MLS Cup champion HoustonDynamo soccer team. Throughout last season,Gillman employees received tickets to thegames and enthusiasm ran high. Some of theDynamo players and team staff are Gillmancustomers and there is always a flurry ofexcitement when Dynamo personnel visit oneof the dealerships to buy a car or have a vehi-cle serviced.

Houston Dynamo and a Gillman Valentine’s Present

clearance sale—with now being the best timeto be investing (buying) as much as possiblebecause we are purchasing today at a 5-10percent discount.

Trying to outguess market trends is nextto impossible. We must be realistic in ourexpectations and ride out the storm. Stay thecourse and we shall come out just fine on theother side.

Increase your contribution percentagetoday and enjoy the sale.

And don’t forget to update your benefici-ary list, especially if there have been changesto your family situation.

Invest today for your future tomorrow.As always, if you have any questions

about your 401(k), please contact me atselbel@gillmanauto.com orcmullins@gillmanauto.com.

Liz Solis, Gillman Companies PersonnelAdministrator, shared her love of the gamewith fellow fan Leslie Ingram, GillmanRosenberg Accounting Assistant, through aspecial Valentine’s Day surprise. Diesel,Dynamo team mascot, delivered flowers anda poster to a very surprised and happy Leslie.

Way to go Liz, Leslie, and the Dynamo.Let’s have a championship three-peat!

MarchCessna, Simeon 03/01Nguyen, Phuong 03/01Mullins, Glenda 03/02Akunna, Bridget 03/03Amadi, Eze 03/03Kirk, Toby 03/03Lerma, Jr., Antonio 03/03Tejeda, Ronny 03/03Varghese, Rini 03/03Wade, Jenny 03/03Cuellar, Carmen 03/04Hernandez, Griselda 03/04Vu, Khanh 03/04Diaz, Jose 03/05Hernandez, Sugey 03/05Ruthstrom, Ricky 03/05Taha, Emad 03/05Deleon, Roland 03/06Trevino, Jr., Omero 03/06Baerwald, Vincent 03/07Bui, Phong 03/07Franklin, Edward 03/07Graves, Samuel 03/07Nevin, Paul 03/07Schunemann, Mitchell 03/07Ghoreishi, Amir 03/08Koenig, Brent 03/08Marsh, III, Ralph 03/08Meadors, Bobbye 03/08Tran, Danny 03/08Lapidos, Matthew 03/09Mayshack, Mysti 03/10Siddiqui, Khaja 03/10Thomas, Patrick 03/10Tran, Hoai 03/11Alvarenga, Juan 03/12Pryor, Craig 03/12Rideaux, Jr., David 03/12Walker, Edward 03/12Elissa, Saleh 03/13Hernandez, Vincente 03/13Alfaro, Roger 03/14Bennett, Rex 03/14Fojtik, Kathy 03/14Goodwyn, Jr., Lloyd 03/14Harris, Vincent 03/14Waterwall, Daniel 03/14Cosme, Jason 03/15

Esquivel, Juan 03/15Medellin, Roy 03/15Hoech, Julie 03/16Man, David 03/16Clausen, Patrick 03/17Johnson, Thomas 03/17Krummel, Patricia 03/17Lakhdar, Samad 03/17Taylor, Keelie 03/17Curry, Kirk 03/18Loewe, Jason 03/18Alvarado, Cayetano 03/19Herrera, Charles 03/20Lopez, Maria 03/20Miles, Jr., James 03/20Awan, Mohammad 03/21Bijarro, Christopher 03/23Spillers, Jr., Larry 03/24Nieto, Jr., Jose 03/25Harstlman, Bryan 03/27Haynes, Stella 03/27McKinney, Latonya 03/27Campos, Anthony 03/28Carrasquillo-Santos,

Jennifer 03/29Flores, Elvira 03/29Sells, Jr., Willie 03/29Spillers, Patrick 03/29Galeana, Miguel 03/30Millsap, Scott 03/30Moore, Danny 03/30Yee, Michael 03/30McQueen, Roger 03/31

AprilBemis, Jr., Thomas 04/01Tran, Chuong 04/01Burgeson, Patrick 04/02Carrillo, Jason 04/02Griffin, Amy 04/02Henslee, Noble 04/02Mendez, III,

Guadalupe 04/02Garcia, Yolanda 04/03Palos, Shawn 04/03Gonzalez, Maria 04/04Marek, Mark 04/07Aguillon, Roel 04/08Costanzo, III, Anthony 04/09Hoang, Binh 04/09

Paterson, Pat 04/09Cruz, Darwin 04/10Mascardo Ronaldo 04/10Rodriguez, Manuel 04/10Varela, Jr., Nicanor 04/10Aweh, Philip 04/11Edwards, Olivia 04/11Maldonado, Jr., Luis 04/12Medellin, Vanessa 04/12Charles, Rodney 04/13Garcia, Armando 04/13Guerra, Samantha 04/13Hernandez, Jr.,

Augustine 04/14Donaldson, Gerrin 04/15Heidrick, Travis 04/15Smith, Kelly 04/15Faber, Jerrod 04/16Fischer, David 04/16Frohlich, Michael 04/17Burright, III, Hal 04/18Lahoud, Youssef 04/18Lewis, III, Raymond 04/18Dominguez, Jr., Ray 04/19Savatdy, Meeta 04/19Carter, Leonard 04/20Gerdes, Jr., Larry 04/20Cepeda, Raul 04/21Pham, Thanh 04/22Voris, Bradley 04/22Delacruz, Ray 04/23Nielsen, Chris 04/23Chatoor, Sacha 04/24Carrillo, Jose 04/26Glass, Darnell 04/26Patel, Usman 04/26Tamez, Jose 04/26Dixson, Marcus 04/27Maraghi, Naser 04/27Burt, Ayinde 04/28Elbel, Susan 04/28Morris, Lisa 04/28Bergeron, Jr., Larry 04/29Frankian, Ohannes 04/29Nguyen, Thao 04/29Millikan, Clifton 04/30

MayFaili, Akbar 05/01Machado, Luis 05/02

Nava-Urbano, Aldo 05/02

Reyes, Aurora 05/03Robbins, Cynthia 05/03Shelnutt, Jason 05/03Smith, Stephen 05/04Pham, Hung 05/05Ekane, Nico 05/06Gonzalez, Cruz 05/06Ihe, Gibson 05/06Szog, Christian 05/06Ly, Pros 05/08Torres, Diego 05/09Villarreal, Jason 05/09Eiler, Phillip 05/10Kusin, Jana 05/10Flores, Rene 05/11Lopez, Denise 05/11Prewett, Nan 05/11Smith, Jocelyn 05/11Fox, Misty 05/12Mullins, Claire 05/13Hellenschmidt, Dave 05/14Ybarra, Stacy 05/14Fontenot, Jon 05/15Chau, Cuong 05/16Gornall, Mathew 05/16Gray, Sherri 05/16Leal, Sandra 05/16Patterson, Roderick 05/17Canales, Jr., Antonio 05/18Fotopoulos, II, John 05/18Odat, Mahd 05/18Ford, Billy 05/19Villalta, Ana 05/19Linares, Francisco 05/20Saucedo, Gianfranco 05/20Le, Dung Q. 05/21Cisneros, Evelyn 05/22Elostaz, Waleed 05/22Perez, Javier 05/24Assed, Jihad 05/27Keoviva, Keooudone 05/27Le, Dung 05/27Solis, Liz 05/27Guerrier, Georges 05/28Hicks, Donald 05/28Solomon, Blessing 05/28Abdel-Razek Tarek 05/31Sheikh, Sylvia 05/31

A Very Happy Birthday to:

Name Company Hire Date Years

Williams, Kimberly Honda South 04/07/1988 20Wimbish, Stacey Gillman Gillman Services 05/16/1988 20Rafiei, Mohammed R. Honda South 05/27/1993 15Stuart, Thomas O. Mitsubishi North 04/08/1998 10Koenig, Brent Gillman Autoplex 04/29/1998 10Chavez, Eulalio G. Acura 05/12/1998 10Vu, Khanh D. Honda South 03/01/2003 5Voris, Brad Mazda Rosenberg 03/03/2003 5Cockerell, William H. Honda Ft. Bend 03/17/2003 5Dorty, Joe L. Gillman Imports 04/17/2003 5Eiler, Gregg Gillman Services 04/21/2003 5Tran, Thanh T. Honda South 04/22/2003 5Alisirat, Hassan Honda Ft. Bend 05/16/2003 5Johnson, Brenda G. Mitsubishi North 05/20/2003 5

Employee AnniversariesLeila Arrives on Super Bowl SundayTasha Thomas, Gillman Billing Clerk in SanAntonio, had a super Super-Bowl happening.She and her husband, J.R., welcomed LeilaEvanescence, 7 pounds 13 ounces, at 11:30 AM.They say Leila cheered for New York.

A Big Gillman Welcome to IsabellaVanessa Medellin, Service Assistant in theGillman Austin dealerships, welcomed a babygirl, Isabella, on January 13. Way to go, momand daughter.

Gillman Subaru in Southwest Houston tur-bocharged Subaru fans’ enthusiasm onSaturday, February 2, during their spectacularSubaru Excitement Rally!

More than 700 people turned out to greetand meet Subaru Rally Team driver TravisPastrana. Pastrana, noted for his X Games andmotocross skills, won the Rally AmericaNational Championship in 2006 and 2007. Heis the youngest driver to gain that honor.Travis signed posters while talking with fansand posing for pictures with attendees.

Meanwhile, over 30 owners had their

vehicles in the Gillman service stalls, wherefactory-trained Gillman technicians assistedthem with maintenance as well as other tasks.The Parts Department was also open andenjoyed brisk sales of Subaru performanceequipment.

Center point of the display area, wheremore than 50 cars participated in what hasbeen called the largest Subaru show in Texas,was the new 2009 Subaru Impreza STI.

A great time was had by everyone andthe Subaru image has never shown brighterin Houston.

Gillman Houston Rallies Subaru Excitement!

A Special Thanks for Contributing to This

Issue of the Gillman Newsletter Goes to:

Carmen Cuellar, Susan Elbel, Julie Hoech,

Jana Kusin, Carol Lee, Mike Lee, Lisa Morris,

Elizabeth Solis, Jody Valentine, Kevin Vernon,

and the great Gillman team!