Sample book with community resources insert

Above: Arrow has always had an “I can” attitude and has promoted that
attitude through several success programs like Heart to Heart, Teacher
Tribute, and Mission Thanksgiving.
Right: Trennon Cauthen and Shanna Kevil, the next generation of Arrow
Ford leadership.
and models, and a new Quick Lane tire and lube company,
to compete in an ever changing world.
The great recession of 2009 hit everyone hard, but Arrow
took an extra blow, which came in June of 2009, when
Chrysler declared bankruptcy, and terminated without cause
more than 800 dealers, one of which was Arrow. Although it
was able to meet its thirty-day liquidation deadlines, Arrow
still had to pay off the franchise it no longer owned.
Before the recession of 2009 wreaked its devastation,
Arrow employed more than 175 people, and sold 350 vehicles
per month. By December of 2010, sales had been cut in
half, and sixty employees had been lost.
Yet, Arrow Ford Mitsubishi survived and continues to
thrive. Looking back on those darkest of days, Seaton credits
several factors.
First, and most importantly his employees—who took a
cut in pay, and rededicated themselves to working harder and
longer, and to identify completely with their customers’ wants
and needs, working to create “raving fans,” and promoting a
philosophy of “no excuses.” Second, to Arrow’s customers and
the Abilene community, with whom they continue to grow
and strengthen the bond of trust and commitment, as they
stood “tall in the face of adversity” together.
Arrow weathered the storms of 9/11 and the Great
Recession thanks to its solid foundation, strong leadership, and
deep ties to the Abilene community, and in 2013, it was time
to invest the new generation of leadership. Seaton’s daughter,
Shanna Kevil, was named general manager, and Trennon
Cauthen, Vinson’s son-in-law, became comptroller. Both have
been steeped in the “Arrow culture,” and are poised to fulfill
Arrow’s mission—to its legacy, its partners, and its community.
Well over fifty years into its history, Arrow Ford Mitsubishi
now is a premier business in Abilene, employing 141 men and
women (fourteen of whom are veterans.) It encompasses more
than ten companies under the same roof—new car dealerships,
used car operation, service center, parts, body shop, accessories,
rentals, accounting, financing, note lot, and tire and lube facility,
providing not only jobs but careers for its employees. Arrow
is proud of the loyalty and longevity of its employees, with several
staff members having served for more than thirty years.
The legacy of community service continues, as Shanna
serves as a board member for Ford Dealer Advertising, advisory
board member for Prosperity Bank, Chairman of the
Board of Habitat for Humanity, and is active in organizations
that impact the foster care system. Trennon focuses on
leadership in the Abilene Chamber of Commerce’s R.I.S.E.
program (Relationship, Insight, Service, Engagement).
Seaton has embraced his new role as mentor, which has
allowed him to stay involved in civic initiatives crucial to the
community, and is slated to become the Chairman of the
Abilene Chamber of Commerce. Indeed, if there is a
local organization focusing on education, employment, or
ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY
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