Gary Gilchrist is known for being a lot of things-an energetic businessman, an advocate on behalf of the auto-retail industry, a guardian angel through donations to the local school district and for cancer research, and now 2024 NADA chairman.
But he is best known among his colleagues, employees and friends as a dedicated family man. "What I like to do for fun is play with my four grandkids," says Gilchrist, president of Gilchrist Chevrolet Buick GMC Inc., in Tacoma, Wash.
"Gary is a very good family man. He puts his family first," says niece Stephanie Gilchrist-Legary, who-along with her cousin and Gary's son Nick Gilchrist are the fourth-generation owner-operators of the three Gilchrist dealerships.
BUILDING A BUSINESS
Gary Gilchrist was raised in University Place, a Tacoma suburb, where the Gilchrist family was already deeply ingrained in the community and local auto industry. Gilchrist's grandfather, James M.H. Gilchrist, emigrated from Scotland in 1927 and sold trucks and buses until he purchased his own dealership in the 1940s, selling Studebakers and Plymouths.
In 1977, a newly married Gary Gilchrist joined the family business after graduating with a bachelor of science degree from Washington State University. Gary and his brother, John Gilchrist Jr., added a Chevrolet dealership to the family holdings in 1988 and
a GMC franchise in 2009.
"My brother was my business partner for 44 years," Gilchrist says of John Jr., who passed away from non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2020. "He was the best gift my parents ever gave me."
Five years ago, Gilchrist handed off the day-to-day operations of his dealerships to his son, Nick, and his niece, Stephanie. "I decided to let them run the store, to be the next generation to run the business, and it turned out to be a really good move," Gilchrist says.
WORKING WITH NADA
While looking for a way to give back to the industry, Gilchrist became involved with the Washington State Auto Dealers Association, where he served as president in 2014-2015. In addition, Gilchrist was chairperson of the Seattle International Auto Show in 2015 and 2016, and still serves on the Washington State Auto Dealers Executive Committee.
For the past six years, Gilchrist has been actively involved with NADA. He represents Washington state's new-car dealers on NADA's board of directors, serves as vice chairman of NADA Foundation and was chairman of NADA's Dealership Operations Committee. "Dealership operations is such a critical thing," he says. "Training and growing the industry, and helping people understand the value of it, is one of the highlights for me."
Gilchrist has joined in several initiatives aimed at hiring and training employees and dealership leaders, including NextGen, 20 Groups and the new Engage Groups, which started as a pilot program in Washington state.
NEXT UP
For 2024, Gilchrist wants to continue his focus on dealership operations. "Workforce is always top of mind and how we can attract the next generations to this profession," he says. "It has to do with attitude, passion and engagement. If you have that, there's a place in this industry for everyone."
That includes hiring, retaining and promoting more women and more minorities in dealerships. "It shouldn't make a difference what your gender is; it's all about the customer experience," Gilchrist says, while noting that his parts manager is female. "It's interesting when you take a parts department and you now have a female in there, that attracts more women. It's now a safe area. It's all about how you set the culture up."
Gilchrist also wants to build engagement among dealers, OEMs and ATAEs through collaboration over confrontation. "I want to enhance OEM relationships and franchise agreements. We need to build that relationship because they are our partners. I want to enhance dealer engagement and involvement, and strengthen our relationships with ATAEs across the country," he says. "Everyone wants to focus on threats and challenges, but if we can't come to consensus, the one who loses are the customers."
Overall, 2024 is shaping up to be a productive year for Gilchrist and NADA. "The auto industry has been really good for me, and I've been honored to serve on the NADA board. Now, I want to give back," Gilchrist says. "I've got a lot of energy and a lot of passion for this business, and I want to work on the things that matter to dealers."
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