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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCarMax co-founder: "I didn't do it alone"
August 29, 2012
Nineteen years ago, Austin Ligon and his partners had a simple idea: make buying a used car a transparent, easy process. Today, CarMax, the business he co-founded and served as CEO, is America's largest auto retailera public company that sells more than 750,000 used cars a year, employs nearly 17,000 people in 30 states, and has been named one of Fortune's Top 100 companies to work for for eight consecutive years.
But Ligon didn't get here on his owna fact he readily acknowledges.
"I worked really hard to conceive and build the CarMax business. But as President Obama has said, I didn't do it alone. I succeeded because we had a committed team of CarMax associates working round the clock to build our business. We found ready capital from healthy and flexible capital markets that allowed us to grow. We benefited form an effective national transportation infrastructure that let us move products from one market to another, and we had cooperation and assistance from federal, state, and local governments in providing clear rules of the road that let us plan and grow our business."
And this year, the choice in this election is clear for Ligon, who says, "I know President Obama understands what it takes to spark economic growth."
"When he took office in January 2009, he inherited a massive structural deficit from his Republican predecessor, an economy in free-fall, and most important for me personally, an American auto industry on the verge of collapse. The President took decisive action
and in the process, averted over a million potential job losses. I think the President gets a lot less credit than he deserves."
Mitt Romney, on the other hand, "has said nothing that gives a businessman like me confidence that he knows how to move the economy forward," says Ligon. He is skeptical of Romney's plan to cut our way to prosperity, slashing investments in infrastructure and economic growth.
"Romney economics look like fantasy economics to me," says Ligon. "President Obama has shown he has the vision to support businesses and allow them to grow. He has shown he understands the need to invest to make this happen.
"Mitt Romney hasn't."
read: http://www.barackobama.com/romney-convention/entry/carmax-co-founder-i-didnt-do-it-alone
Fawke Em
(11,366 posts)at CarMax!
uponit7771
(90,359 posts)...saying they did it all by themselves is fucking stupid and deserves to have the equities shorted until they're outed from position
jillan
(39,451 posts)HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts)"ASSHOLE! If these untermensch knew the bullshit we're selling them is exactly THAT, THERE goes our way of life!! Now pay attention to your narrative and DON'T go off script again!!!"
progressivebydesign
(19,458 posts)Paladin
(28,271 posts)I know this because he's an old friend of mine from our days together at the University of Texas at Austin.
I just figured that you DU Texas haters ought to be aware of this.......
redwitch
(14,946 posts)I also have friends and family there. While they have a lot of nutty people there I know they have sane ones too.
I'm from New Jersey. I feel your pain.
AnneD
(15,774 posts)Democrats from Texas, esp real Texans, not faux. They are tough because they have to be, but they never forget were they came from, who helped them get there, and try to give a helping hand to as many as they can.
OriginalGeek
(12,132 posts)<--
Plus, I bought my last 2 cars from Carmax. This was before I knew anything about the founder but after shopping around for several weeks, we decided on Carmax simply because they felt the most honest. I don't regret for a second buying from them and this article just makes it better.
bullwinkle428
(20,630 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(49,033 posts)Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)I'll stick with after all.
Cheap_Trick
(3,918 posts)xtraxritical
(3,576 posts)NikolaC
(1,276 posts)that I purchased my car back in April from CarMax. Given the stance of the company's CEO, it's looking like we will be making any future car purchases through CarMax. He spoke a truth that you rarely hear today from individuals in his position and I hope that more voices join his (but I'm not holding my breath).
LeftofObama
(4,243 posts)I've been thinking about a new/used pickup truck. Looks like Car Max is the place for me!
mnhtnbb
(31,401 posts)Guy Whitey Corngood
(26,502 posts)Ikonoklast
(23,973 posts)Ligon is an actual Job Creator, as opposed to Romney who was born into wealth and destroys companies, livelihoods, and people in order to make himself even wealthier.
Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)rather than pulling the arrogant, sellf involved, self possessed, selfish stand that he doesn't need roads, PD, fire dept, and customers etc.
spooky3
(34,467 posts)bigtree
(86,005 posts)pstokely
(10,530 posts)you might be able to haggle a better deal someplace else