Bold City Best 2017

20 THE TIMES-UNION · Sunday, September 24, 2017
Photo by Bruce Lipsky/Florida Times-Union
The Tom Bush Family of Dealerships is truly a family affair. John Bush (right) is President and CEO, and his children, Brian Bush and Megan Bush Del Pizzo, work as
E-Commerce Manger and Business Development Manager, respectively. The dealership group won Best New Car Dealership and Best Used Car Dealership for the third year in
a row in Jacksonville.com’s Bold City Best competition.
A family
winner Tom
Bush driven to be Bold
traditionThree-time
City Best dealership group
By Jacqueline Persandi
jacqueline.persandi@jacksonville.com
There’s no denying the Jacksonville
community loves the Tom Bush Family
of Dealerships. For the third year in a
row, the locally-owned and -operated
family business won Best New Car
Dealership and Best Used Car Dealership
in Jacksonville.com’s 2017 Bold
City Best competition.
While many know President and
CEO John Bush and his children, E-
Commerce Manager Brian Bush and
Business Development Manager Megan
Bush Del Pizzo, as the face of the Tom
Bush Family of Dealerships, selling cars
has been in the Bush family for generations.
Family history
The first Tom Bush dealership in
Jacksonville opened on Atlantic Boulevard
in 1970 by the Family of Dealership’s
namesake, Tom Bush Jr. He
entered the car business after serving
in World War II, taking after his father
Thomas Marvin Bush Sr., who began
selling cars door-to-door before the
dealership model gained popularity.
“He was knocking on people’s doors,
asking them if they want to buy a car,”
Megan said of her great-grandfather.
“He had dealerships in southern United
States, and ultimately ended up in New
Mexico.”
While Tom Bush Jr.’s first dealership
was in New Mexico as well, located
across the street and in direct competition
with his father’s dealership, his
excitement for Volkswagen brought him
to Jacksonville, where he began growing
what is now the Tom Bush Family of
Dealerships.
Today, those dealerships include
Volkswagen, Mazda, BMW, MINI, preowned
vehicles and a Certified Collision
Center, with locations on Atlantic
Boulevard and Blanding Boulevard.
A growing family
Although the late Tom Bush Jr.’s son,
John, has been with the company for
decades, he was not always destined
to be part of the family business. After
obtaining his degree in computer sci-