Local Officials and Manufacturer Representatives Join Fitzgerald for Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Participating in the ribbon cutting were (From left to right): Matthew Henderson, District Manager Central Atlantic Toyota; Pat Laing, Toyota Market Representation Manager Central Atlantic Toyota; Tiger Feng, Assistant General Manager Central Atlantic Toyota; Dottie Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald Auto Malls; Rob Smith, President Fitzgerald Auto Malls; Emily Moore, General Manager Fitzgerald Chambersburg; Jocelyn Cruz, Dealer Operations Manager Midwest Region Nissan North America; and Rafik Abdullahi, Senior Fixed Operations Midwest Region Nissan North America.

Chambersburg, PA – Fitzgerald Auto Malls, one of the region’s leaders in automotive sales and service, celebrated the official opening of their new dealership in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania with speeches, ribbon cutting and luncheon. The event commemorated the completion of the approx 15,000 square foot dealership and 5,500 sq. ft parts department.

The event was attended by representatives of Toyota and Nissan as well as local and state dignitaries, business leaders, and customers and showcased the rebuilt facility’s new service areas, customers lounges, and showrooms for Nissan and Toyota. The new facility includes a customer lounge featuring an Internet Café and a training room for the dealership’s 101 employees. The dealership’s new enclosed service lane features service write-up and loaner car areas to allow customers to get in and out quickly when dropping off their vehicles for service.

Rob Smith, President of Fitzgerald Auto Malls, stated in his welcome speech how proud the Fitzgerald Auto Mall company is to have completed the total redevelopment of the original dealership to provide Fitzgerald customers with a “truly upgraded service and buying experience”. Local dignitaries including Chambersburg Mayor Kenneth "Hockey" Hockey, Borough Council President Alan Kaufman, and State Representative Rob Kaufman attended the event and were on hand to celebrate the occasion.

The Chambersburg location of Fitzgerald Auto Mall was originally acquired in 1989 from local operator Dean Hebb. The existing building, demolished to make room for the new structure, was approximately 4,000 sq. ft. and had a parts department of 1,700 sq. ft. The evolution of the new Chambersburg dealership began in early April 2023, with the arrival of temporary mobile offices. Demolition of the existing dealership building began on May 9, 2023. By the end of July 2023, footers and the footprint of the new showrooms were defined, concrete pad was poured, and the first block wall started taking shape. In August/September 2023, the steel structure came to life and in the Fall of 2023, the dealership was officially under roof. By early March 2024, the trailers were removed and Fitzgerald Associates moved into the new facility.

About Fitzgerald Auto Malls

In 1966 Jack Fitzgerald founded Fitzgerald's Colonial Dodge in North Bethesda, Maryland. From the beginning his guiding principle for his new dealership was to provide exceptional value in the most comfortable, customer-friendly sales and service environment possible. Today, that unique consumer-focused approach to auto sales and service has been branded the “FitzWay” and has become the hallmark for which the Fitzgerald Automobile organization is known. Fitzgerald Auto Malls, headquartered in Kensington, MD, represents over twenty brands at twelve Auto Mall locations.

The Fitzgerald Automotive organization, one of the largest in the Washington, DC metropolitan area is very involved in community programs including the popular child safety seat program and a community program promoting child identification. Mr. Fitzgerald is the recipient of major industry awards including the Auto E-tailer of the Year Award from AIADA/Microsoft, The Public Service Award from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Outstanding Public Service Award from AAA, and the 2005 National Capital Business Ethics Awards, which recognizes companies that demonstrate the highest standards of civic and social responsibility, integrity and ethical conduct.

Media Contact: Mariana Roig, C. 240.413.6936, marianabroig@roigcommunications.com

Dealership Contact: Rob Smith, 301-252-7268, rob.smith@fitzgeraldautomall.com

Categories

• Announcement

Rockville, MD July 24, 2023 - Fitzgerald Subaru dealerships from Rockville and Gaithersburg, the leading automotive dealership group known for their commitment to community engagement, have announced the continuation of their partnership with Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) with a substantial donation of $60,000 as part of the Subaru Hometown Charities program. This generous contribution is made possible by Subaru of America and aims to support the HRA’s crucial efforts in animal rescue, fostering, adoption, and welfare.

The Humane Rescue Alliance is a well-established nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and advocating for animals in need. HRA provides a wide range of services, including sheltering, fostering, adoption, and animal control. The alliance's unwavering commitment to advocating for positive change and creating a compassionate community for animals aligns perfectly with Fitzgerald Auto Mall's core values and vision.

The longstanding partnership between HRA and Fitzgerald Subaru exemplifies Fitzgerald’s commitment to animal welfare. This commitment extends beyond just this recent donation, as Fitzgerald actively encourages employees and customers to consider pet adoption, contribute to supplies needed at the shelter, and host multiple pet adoption events at their dealerships throughout the year. "Dottie Fitzgerald and her team at Fitzgerald Subaru passionately promote positive change in our community for both people and animals," said Andrea Messina, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer at HRA. "By selecting the Humane Rescue Alliance as its hometown charity, Fitzgerald strengthens its enduring legacy of championing animal welfare in our region and helping more animals find loving homes. We are immensely grateful for this generous donation. It is through partnerships like this that we persist in fulfilling our mission."

Through their partnership with the HRA, Fitzgerald Auto Mall aims to raise awareness about the importance of animal rescue and adoption while promoting a compassionate society that values the well-being of all creatures. It's estimated that 78 million dogs and 85.8 million cats are owned in the United States. Approximately 44% of all households in the United States have a dog, and 35% have a cat. (Source: American Pet Products Association 2015-2016 (APPA)). Subaru owners lead the nation where nearly 70% of Subaru owners have a pet. Approximately 6.3 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.1 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats. According to the ASPCA.

Dottie Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Auto Mall, expressed her enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, "We are proud to support the Humane Rescue Alliance in their mission to save and improve the lives of animals in our community. When you act with kindness towards our fury friends, it makes a better world for all involved."

The $60,000 contribution from Subaru of America and Fitzgerald Auto Mall will directly benefit the Humane Rescue Alliance's programs and initiatives, enabling the organization to continue their vital work. The funds will support animal rescue operations, medical care, spaying and neutering programs, behavioral rehabilitation, and the facilitation of loving adoptions.

For more information about Fitzgerald Auto Mall and their philanthropic initiatives, please visit www.FitzMall.com.

About Fitzgerald Auto Mall

Fitzgerald Auto Mall is a leading automotive dealership group known for its exceptional customer service and extensive selection of vehicles. With multiple locations, Fitzgerald Auto Mall offers a wide range of new and used cars, trucks, and SUVs to cater to diverse customer needs. Committed to community engagement and philanthropy, Fitzgerald Auto Mall actively supports various charitable organizations and initiatives. Fitzgerald was family founded and is employee owned.

About the Humane Rescue Alliance

The Humane Rescue Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and advocating for animals in need. Their comprehensive services include sheltering, adoption, animal control, and humane law enforcement. The Humane Rescue Alliance strives to create a compassionate community where animals are valued and treated with care and respect.

Categories

• Announcement

May 2, 2023 (North Bethesda M.D.) Fitzgerald Auto Malls is proud to support Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in honoring and recognizing Ms. Shannon McKenzie as the Teacher of the Year for Montgomery County. McKenzie is a child development teacher at Clarksburg High School.

The school district says McKenzie has rapidly grown the Child Development program in her second year at Clarksburg. Forty-one students were enrolled in Child Development courses in the first year, and by the next year, 95 students were enrolled. Her peers praise her for creating a welcoming and inclusive classroom. She arranges mentorships to encourage homegrown high school students to become teachers themselves.

McKenzie was one of three finalists for teacher of the Year, along with Megan Anderson, fifth grade teacher at Chevy Chase Elementary School. And Eunju (April) Moon, sixth grade English teacher at Ridgeview Middle School. McKenzie won the title during a ceremony Monday April 22 at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, and she will go on to compete for Maryland Teacher of the Year.

For more than twenty years Fitzgerald Auto Mall has been part of recognizing the MCPS Teacher of the Year. “We are honored to support the Teacher of the year once again” said Rob Smith, Executive Vice President of Fitzgerald Auto Mall. “So many of our employees are MCPS graduates, we’re fortunate to have some of the best teachers in the state.” McKenzie will also receive a cash prize from the MCPS Educational Foundation and a one-year auto lease of a new Hyundai from Fitzgerald Auto Malls.

About Fitzgerald Auto Mall

In 1966, Jack Fitzgerald founded Fitzgerald's Colonial Dodge in Bethesda, Maryland. From the beginning, the guiding principle of this new dealership was to provide exceptional value in the most comfortable, customer friendly sales and service environment possible. Today, Fitzgerald Auto Mall represents over twenty brands in 26 showrooms in three states. In 2023 Fitzgerald became the largest dealer group in the country to become employee owned. Family founded; Employee owned. That’s the #FitzWay, there’s just no better way to go! www.FitzMall.com

Categories

This post has no categories

Fitzgerald Auto Mall’s operating energy was offset by the solar canopy with savings against average of $184,000 this past year.

NORTH BETHESDA, MD, UNITED STATES, April 20, 2023

/EINPresswire.com/ -- This Earth Day, Fitzgerald Auto Mall reinforces its commitment to eco-friendly practices with their 2022 energy offset report from their solar canopy. For the sixth year in a row, Fitzgerald Auto Mall’s solid waste recycling percentage increased to 87.3%, which is more than twice the national average for businesses.

Fitzgerald is thrilled to report that in 2022, 83% of Fitzgerald Auto Mall’s operating energy was offset by the solar canopy with savings against average of $184,000 this past year. Fitzgerald’s solar canopy was installed in May 2019 and has 2,435 panels covering approximately 45,168 square feet. It is the largest of any car dealer in the DMV and it is believed to be the largest solar canopy east of the Mississippi River. FitzMall maintains an
Environmental Management System that goes above and beyond simply meeting environmental laws and regulations—it extends into everyday practices and business decisions. All electricity at Fitzgerald facilities is purchased from renewable energy sources, using 100 percent wind power at all its dealerships in Maryland. It is the first automotive dealership group in North America to become ISO 14001 certified, the highest recognition available for quality management, with a focus on the environment. They were also the first dealership group to
become an EPA Green Power Partner Member of the EPA Green Power Leadership Club and a long-standing member of the Clean Energy Partnership in Maryland. “Fitzgerald is committed to sustainability and supporting the community by reducing its environmental footprint. Increasing investments in clean energy also makes perfect business sense,” said Jack Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald Auto Mall, an employee-owned company continues its commitment to implementing eco-friendly initiatives and has an environmental team that works to evaluate the company’s
environmental policy, objectives, and ongoing progress on a regular basis.

About Fitzgerald Auto Mall
In 1966, Jack Fitzgerald founded Fitzgerald's Colonial Dodge in Bethesda, Maryland. From the
beginning, the guiding principle of this new dealership was to provide exceptional value in the most comfortable, customer friendly sales and service environment possible. Today, Fitzgerald Auto Mall represents over twenty brands in 26 showrooms in three states. The #FitzWay, there’s just no better way to go! www.FitzMall.com

Satara Wedge
ROIG Communications
+1 202-629-2306

This press release can be viewed online at: https://www.einpresswire.com/article/627576722
EIN Presswire's priority is source transparency. We do not allow opaque clients, and our editors try to be careful about weeding out false and misleading content. As a user, if you see something we have missed, please do bring it to our attention. Your help is welcome. EIN Presswire, Everyone's Internet News Presswire™, tries to define some of the boundaries that are reasonable in today's world. Please see our Editorial Guidelines

Categories

• Announcement

March 17, 2023 (North Bethesda, MD) – Fitzgerald Auto Malls sets another standard in the industry by becoming the largest dealership group in the country to become a 100% Employee-Owned Company known as an ESOP.

Jack Fitzgerald, recently named a Visionary Dealer by Automotive News, announced the transition to an ESOP effective February 1st, 2023. The purpose of the ESOP is to provide a future retirement benefit for Fitzgerald’s employees and to ensure that the FitzWay philosophy continues well into the future. Mr. Fitzgerald built his company on the principles of honesty, hard work and excellence in customer service. All Fitzgerald dealerships operate with a no haggle, no hassle posted price for new and used cars. Transparency is part of their process-based management system that is ISO9001 Quality Certified. In the many years in business, the Fitzgerald Automotive Family has established a reputation of providing complete customer satisfaction based on honest business practices and upholding an atmosphere of respect and dignity for its employees.

An ESOP is a way to provide workforce security, that will help employees plan for retirement by receiving stock in the company as an additional Employee benefit. From now on, Fitzgerald’s employees will directly benefit from the success of the company and have a sense of ownership. “This was not an easy path because there were many obstacles that had to be overcome” said Jack Fitzgerald. “Nothing is going to change from a day-to-day standpoint. Our employees will participate directly in the growth of the company, and continue to focus on taking care of our customers.” There are more than 7,000 ESOP companies in the United States. With this major milestone, Fitzgerald will continue to provide the best customer experience for years to come.

Each Fitzgerald employee participated in one of the 35 roll out meetings that included a personal message from Jack Fitzgerald and an overview of what this company sponsored employee benefit will mean to them in the future. The legacy of the FitzWay is now in the hands of employee owners to carry on the mission of great customer service and fair dealing.

About Fitzgerald Auto Mall

In 1966, Jack Fitzgerald founded Fitzgerald's Colonial Dodge in Bethesda, Maryland. From the beginning, the guiding principle of this new dealership was to provide exceptional value in the most comfortable, customer friendly sales and service environment possible. Today, Fitzgerald Auto Mall represents over twenty brands in 26 showrooms in three states. The #FitzWay, there’s just no better way to go! www.FitzMall.com

Categories

This post has no categories