Texas dealer Ramsay Gillman dead at 67

Texas auto dealer Ramsay Gillman, who built his family business into one of the state's largest dealership groups, died Friday at his home in Houston. He was 67.

Gillman was a second-generation owner of the Gillman Cos. In early 2010, he sold 99 percent of the company to his three children -- daughter Stacey Gillman Wimbish and sons Jason and Christopher. In an interview with Automotive News in 2010, Gillman described how the generational succession plan worked for the family company.

"I hit the trifecta," Ramsay said. "All three of my kids love the car business."

Ramsay's father, Frank, started the business when he opened a Pontiac dealership in 1938. Ramsay started his career working in the parts department of his father's dealership. Ramsay and his brother Martin later took over the business. In 1998, the same year he was president of the National Automobile Dealers Association, Ramsay bought out Martin.

Ramsay Gillman participated in numerous professional and charitable organizations, both on state and national levels. According to his biography, he received the 1996 Sports Illustrated All-Star Dealer Award, presented by the American International Automobile Dealers Association, "for his lifelong contribution to the automotive business and commitment to numerous charitable organizations."

Gillman Cos. now controls 14 dealerships in Texas. They include three clusters of eight franchises in metropolitan Houston; Honda, Subaru and Mitsubishi stores in San Antonio; and Chevy, Honda and Chevrolet-Buick-GMC stores in Harlingen and nearby San Benito, south of Corpus Christi near the Mexican border.

The dealership group, which generated $497 million in revenue in 2010, ranked No. 45 on the Automotive News list of the top 125 dealership groups in the United States with new vehicle sales of 10,727 units last year.

A celebration of Ramsay Gillman's life will be held Tuesday, June 7, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. CDT at the George H. Lewis Funeral home, 1010 Bering Drive, in Houston. A memorial service is scheduled at St. Luke's United Methodist Church on Wednesday, June 8,at 11 a.m.

The family asks that any donations be directed to the Fort Bend Women's Center (P.O. Box 183, Richmond, TX 77406), Houston Automobile Dealers Association Scholarship Fund (P.O. Box 16550, Sugar Land, TX 77496-6550), or National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation (P.O. Box 9133, Tacoma, WA 98490-0133).

Ramsay Gillman has served as Owner/President and Chief Executive Officer of The Gillman Companies and was the Chairman of the Board of the Gillman Companies.

The son of a pioneer automobile dealer, he began his automotive career working in the parts department of his father's Pontiac dealership in downtown Houston. After attending the General Motors Dealer Management Institute and other specialized schools, he became an authorized dealer in 1967.

Gillman served as the Director of South Texas for the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) from 1989 through 1999 and was elected as President of NADA in 1997. During his years as a Director, Gillman was a member of the NADA Industry Relations Committee, the NADA Regulatory Affairs Committee and was Chairman of the NADA Government Relations Committee in 1993 and in 1999. Currently, Gillman serves as a Trustee for the NADA Charitable Foundation and for the NADA Dealers Election Action Committee.

He has also served as President of the Houston Automobile Dealers Association, Vice President of the Texas Automobile Dealers Association, and was appointed Vice Chairman of the Texas Motor Vehicle Commission from 1984 through 1987 by the Governor of Texas. He was currently serving as a director of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles as appointed by the Governor of Texas and serves though February of 2013.

Ramsay received the 1996 Sports Illustrated All-Star Dealer Award, presented by the American International Automobile Dealers Association, for his lifelong contribution to the automotive business and commitment to numerous charitable organizations.

In 1997, the State of Texas House of Representatives passed House Resolution No. 350, officially commending Gillman for his "outstanding achievements" and years of dedication to the State of Texas, the automobile industry, his community, and charitable organizations.