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“In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23

Labor is not necessarily fun and sometimes places us not where we expected to end. However lack of action and lack of belief gets us nowhere. Greg did not take the “lacking” path and while success was not immediate, the road sometimes difficult, and many events were not planned, faith, diligence and patience paid off.

Greg did not grow up in the automobile business. His mom worked as a secretary and his dad was a door-to-door milk salesman. Born in Houston in the early sixties and until his marriage, Greg lived in the Norhill Heights area all his life. He became an altar boy while attending a catholic elementary school and played little league baseball. He first got the fishing bug as a teenager casting a line at little ponds near Sheppard Texas and his first car was left to him by an Aunt in her will; a Chrysler Volaré. Like all teenagers (and a lot of our customers), Greg immediately placed new wheels and a better stereo on his ride.

While attending John H Reagan High School his future began to be mapped out as he took a part-time job at Northwest Bank through the school’s community work program. In the fall of 1980 Greg enrolled at the University of Houston part-time while working full-time at the bank. In the mid 80’s a beautiful and vivacious young lady caught his attention. This was a risky move since she also worked at the bank and her dad was on the bank’s board. However the chance paid off and in May 1986 he married Melone Richards. Oh by the way it is six years later and he’s still taking night classes at U of H.

He continued to advance in the banking business specifically concentrating on short and long term lending and trade finance areas. In 1988 a son [Christopher] was born and in 1990 a daughter [Emily] came along. Greg continued to work full-time during the day and attending classes at night. By the time he graduated in 1993 with a BBA in Accounting and a BBA in Finance, he was the Senior Credit Officer for Northwest Bank.

In the mid 90’s as the banking business was taking a turn for the worse, Greg joined Eurocapital Ltd as Vice President of Finance. This Texas based corporation was in the process of establishing banking and lending relations with Russia and Eastern Europe countries.

Unsure of Eurocapital’s future, winter trips to Siberia, and now three kids at home [Jessica comes along in 1995], Greg left the company to join an automotive loan financing business called Parrcar Capital. Parrcar specialized in lending funds to buy here pay here dealers in Houston and southeast Texas and Greg using his banking lending experience was called upon to evaluate lending risks. With repos piling up and outgoing exceeding incoming, Greg recommended that Parrcar take over a dealership located on the Eastex Freeway named Dixon Motors. Established in 1963 the dealership had changed hands and could no longer pay Parrcar. So in 1998 Parrcar agreed and Greg the banker now became Greg the used car salesman trying to earn his way out of debt.

Leaning on both veteran wholesale personnel and veteran car dealers, asking a lot of questions, becoming a quick learner, and understanding that cash was king, Greg bought, sold, assessed customer risk, and learned to get bigger down payments out of customers. This helped him to pull the business out of the red and expanded to three locations.

Not satisfied with the results and again asking questions and listening to others including Twenty Groups members, in 2007 Greg consolidated the three locations to the present North Freeway location and in doing so grew the business in terms of units, accounts, and net profits.

Greg’s not resting on his laurels and has a two-fold desire to educate peers and not let government steal his joy; consequently he is highly involved as a Board Member with HIADA, serves as a Vice President at Large with TIADA, and was recently elected President of the newly formed Community Auto Finance Association [CAFA].