2019 40 Under 40

Perry Max Webb II went from pulling weeds at his family’s dealerships as a child to growing the stores’ profits and sales as a fourth-generation operator.

He’s done so by paying attention to the details and evolving operations to address a changing sales landscape at the family’s Toyota and Chevrolet-Cadillac stores in Farmington, N.M. He has improved monitoring of communication between salespeople and customers and created a business development center that contributes to 35 percent of the group’s sales.

“Our managers and our employees have really jumped on it,” Webb said. “When we said, ‘Hey, let’s grow and take charge of our market,’ they jumped right on board to come up with ideas and implement strategies, and they’re the ones really making a big difference.”

Since he began to take over the day-to-day operations of the dealerships from his father four years ago, sales have increased 10 percent, and the group now has one of the top-ranked Chevy dealerships in the region, Webb said.

Looking to the future, Webb said he would like to continue growing business operations, including adding brands and locations in preparation for the fifth generation to potentially take over.

“Being part of this family legacy has just been wonderful,” he said, adding that one of his four children already is showing interest in following in his footsteps. “My 9-year-old has every vehicle memorized, every engine in every vehicle, and loves them. He asks every day if he can come to work after school.”

Webb, whose great-grandfather started with a Chevy store in 1927, serves on the board of directors of the New Mexico Chevrolet Dealers Local Marketing Association, GM Financial Denver Zone dealer board and New Mexico Automotive Dealers Association board. He also has been asked to participate in the National Automobile Dealers Association Political Action Committee this fall to represent New Mexico.

— Michael Wayland