WALKER #21 ON WARDS LIST FOR USED CARS

Every year “Wards Dealer Business” magazine publishes a list of the 150 most successful used vehicle dealerships in the country. The annual list, published each September, ranks dealerships according to total revenue. This year, Walker Automotive ranks #21 nationwide on the list. No other dealer in Louisiana made the list. This distinction comes two months after Walker was named #64 on the Ward’s annual list of the nation’s largest dealerships.

Foster Walker, III, President of Walker Automotive, said he is pleased with the ranking and that the people in the organization are the ones deserving praise. “This ranking marks a significant achievement for our business. In a year when the industry is showing signs of slowing, Walker Automotive continues to excel in all of our operations. This is a real testament to the people in our organization. We are fortunate to have a great sales and management team. They work hard each day and are passionate about their profession. Their enthusiasm shows through our continued growth in a time when the industry as a whole is struggling,” Walker said.

Ray Leggio, Used Car Manager at Walker’s Big Lot Used Cars on MacArthur Drive (one of Walker’s three used car locations), said that the key to success is the right product mix and a number of financing options. “We try to have the vehicles in stock that people want. With the right inventory, we are able to offer competitive financing options through local banks, national lending institutions, credit unions and alternative lending for those customers who may have a negative credit history,” Leggio said.

Wards Dealer Business is an automotive trade publication distributed monthly to more than 25,000 automotive dealers. The annual used vehicle rankings are issued each September with an analysis of the top performing used vehicle retailers based on total used vehicle revenue. In 2008, Walker automotive retailed more than 2,100 used units with a total used revenue in excess of $40 million.

Walker Automotive is a fourth generation family company with more than 180 employees. Walker was founded in 1919 as Alexandria Auto Company, Inc., by Foster Walker, Sr. After returning from World War I, Foster Walker, Sr., began selling Durant, Reo and Star automobiles from a gas station in downtown Alexandria. That business eventually became Walker Oldsmobile Company and is now run by Foster Walker, III. Ninety years after its inception, the dealership has expanded from its meager origins to three new and used vehicle locations, eight manufacturers, three service departments and a collision center. Over the last nine decades, Walker has won numerous national and factory awards for all aspects of its business and offers new and pre-owned vehicles ranging from quality entry level models to German luxury vehicles.