12 Classic Chevrolet

Tom Durant, owner of Classic Chevrolet in Grapevine, doesn’t bat an eyelash at slipping behind in the Top 100 race. He’s confident. He knows his standings will surge ahead next year.“He’s a very passionate person,” said Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate. “He’s a strong presence in our community not only in sales of vehicles, but also in service.”Durant is driven to compete and win, and that drive, coupled with his confidence, is what sets him apart from other automobile dealers. He’s consistently the No. 1 volume Chevy dealership in the Metroplex, year after year. He recently was named GM Dealer of the Year, one of six area retailers among 110 nationwide, honored for giving customers the complete package of customer service and satisfaction. His top salesman, fleet manager Ken Thompson, has won GM’s Mark of Excellence award the past 25 years.And last year, Durant was the No. 2 top-selling Chevy dealer in the country. In second place so far in 2006, he’s quickly closing in on the leader. Durant’s stable of dealerships extends from its headquarters in Grapevine (Classic Chevrolet and Classic Hummer), to Arlington (Classic Buick Pontiac GMC), north to Denton (Classic Lincoln Mercury Mazda Isuzu), and southwest to his home in Granbury (Durant Autoplex, Durant Chevrolet, Mike Brown Ford and Mike Brown Chrysler Dodge Jeep). And the family name is a 40-year fixture in Weatherford, where brother/competitor Jerry Durant is proprietor of top-selling and award-winning Jerry’s of Weatherford.Both brothers grew up in the car business, and as Tom said, “I can’t imagine being in any other business now.”Their father, Julian Durant, started the Durant Automobile Business in 1956, from a small wrecking yard enterprise behind the family home in Granbury. In 1960, Julian bought the town’s Chevrolet store, and the young brothers immediately went to work. Tom was 10 years old.“I started out where everybody starts out,” Durant said. “I washed cars. And was happy to do it.” Both brothers learned all aspects of the dealership, from washing cars to changing oil and checking fluids, to rotating tires and ordering parts. Their mother pitched in and kept the books and the front office humming.Durant continued to work for his father throughout high school, and after graduating from Texas Tech University, he returned home to work full time in the family business. Within a few months of his homecoming, Tom bought the Durant Chevrolet business from his father. “Dad always said that if you treat your customers the way you would want to be treated, they’ll come back again and again and will tell others about you,” he said. “Just be fair and honest and they’ll stay with you. Eighty percent of our business is repeat customers and referrals.”Contact Dillard at bdillard@bizpress.net.