Nelson Mazda, Tulsa, Okla.
Automotive News -- October 18, 2012 - 12:01 am ET |
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Ten percent of monthly net profit at Bob Nelson's stores is donated to charity. |
Giving makes Nelson Mazda a better place to work.
That's the simple assessment of General Manager Brandon Murphy, who owns a piece of the store, which is majority owned by Bob Nelson, 60.
Ten percent of monthly net profit is donated to charity, a practice that Murphy calls tithing. The same goes for Nelson's two Mazda stores in Nashville and its Nissan store in suburban Tulsa.
"Bob runs the stores on biblical values," Murphy said.
Nelson Mazda's 56 employees see the charity playing out daily outside and inside the dealership, Murphy said.
Recently, employees donated money, and the company matched it to raise $4,600 for a co-worker who had expenses related to the death of his adult daughter.
On another occasion, a technician who provided an alignment for a struggling single mom noticed the wear on her car's tires. The dealership put on $800 worth of new tires for free.
Those acts of kindness are a regular occurrence at Nelson Mazda, Nelson said. "Our employees are looking for those opportunities," he said.
The store previously donated mostly to Christian outreach programs internationally, Nelson said. But, increasingly, it is seeking out needs in its own service bays and in the community.
That's Nelson's favorite part of working. He said: "I ask what our tithe is going to be each month, not how much money we made."
-- David Barkholz
