For many years now Preston Automotive Group as well as Dave Wilson have been huge advocates for the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes was originally established by Franklin Roosevelt to fight polio, later the mission focus was shifted to premature birth and birth defects. Research breakthroughs have helped save thousands of babies. Since 2003 the March of Dimes fight has been to save babies strongly characterized by the Premature Campaign. The rising amount of babies born prematurely has demanded action and the March of Dimes has responded by initiating a multi-year campaign to raise awareness and find the causes of prematurity. The March of Dimes mission is to “help moms have full term pregnancies and research the problems that threaten the health of babies”. In local communities across the country the March of Dimes is helping moms take charge of their health and support families when something goes wrong. They also act globally by sharing the best practices in perinatal health and helping improve birth outcomes where the needs are most urgent.
On May 4th, 2014 Preston Automotive Group will be hosting their own March of Dimes event. At the Autoplex there will be a 3 mile walk beginning at 12:00 p.m. The walk will go through the town of Preston and continue back to the Autoplex. Not only is there a walk for healthier babies but there will also be entertainment for the whole family. Mike Hines and the Look will be performing and Sherman the Shorebird will also be here to greet everyone! There will be plenty of food which is being donated by local sponsors. Activities for the children include a jumbo slide and spin art. There will also be fireworks at dusk on Saturday May 3rd to kick off the March of Dimes event. The fireworks are sponsored by Preston Automotive Group and will be put on by Zambelli Fireworks.
Preston Automotive Group is sponsoring the 3rd Annual Dance & Silent Auction where all proceeds will benefit the March of Dimes. This is taking place on May 30th beginning at 8:00 p.m. and ending around midnight. The event will be held at The Milestone in Easton. Music will be provided by the award winning DJ, Steve Moody. There will also be over 50 silent auction items, cash bar, light refreshments, door prizes, a 50/50 raffle and a fun photo booth! This is a casual attire event. Tickets are $20 per person in advance and $25 per person at the door.
For the fifth consecutive year, Ford Motor Company has been recognized as one of the world’s most ethical companies by Ethisphere Institute. Ford is among 144 companies selected from thousands around the world. It is the only automaker to receive this honor for the year 2014. It is also one of the few companies that has been recognized five different times. Ford was selected for its corporate responsibility efforts, governance and business practices.
The World’s Most Ethical Companies designation recognizes companies that truly go beyond making statements about doing business “ethicially” and translate these words into action. The award recipients not only promote ethical business standards and practices internally, they exceed legal compliance minimums and shape future industry standards by introducing best practices today.
To determine who makes the cut researchers and analysts look into the following things:
- A review of each companies codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories
- An evaluation of investment in innovation and sustainable business practices
- A look into activities designed to improve corporate citizenship
- Input through nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers.
The framework consists of five core categories; ethics and compliance, reputations, leadership and innovation, governance, corporate citizenship and responsibility, and culture of ethics. The ethics and compliance program is used for 25% of the rating system and criteria used for this category are aligned to the corporates best practices, relevant case law and the hallmarks of an effective compliance and ethics program. Reputation, leadership and innovation measures a company’s legal compliance, litigation, and ethical track record along with the strength of the company’s reputation. Governance takes up 10% of the rating and this category looks at the availability and quality of systems designed to ensure strong corporate governance. Corporate citizenship and responsibility makes up 25% and reviews a wide range of a company’s performance indicators associated with sustainability, citizenship and social responsibility. Culture of ethics makes up 20% and looks at the culture of ethics at the organization concerning widely accepted or unaccepted norms as it pertains to ethical conduct.
April 22nd- Earth Day
Earth Day was founded in 1970 as a day of education about environmental issues and has now turned into a globally celebrated holiday that some even extend in to Earth Week. Earth Week is a full seven days of events focused on green awareness.
By the early 1960s Americans started to become aware of the effects of pollution on the environment. Rachel Carson published a bestselling book in 1962 titles “Silent Spring” which raised awareness of the dangerous effects of pesticides on America’s countryside. Senator Gaylord Nelson was determined to convince the federal government that the planet was at risk. He is the one who founded Earth Day after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. As a result 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast to coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment.
Since 1970 Earth Day celebrations have grown. In 1990, Earth Day went global when 200 million people in over 140 nations participated! In 2000, Earth Day focused on clean energy and involved hundreds of millions of people in 184 countries and 5,000 environmental groups.
Many people are starting to consider the environment even when buying their vehicles. J.D. Power recently compiled a list of the top 30 environmentally friendly vehicles. Making the top 30 were the Ford Focus, Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3, Mazda Miata, and the Nissan Sentra. All of these vehicles are available with the Preston Automotive Group.
Buying a greener vehicle is the first step in reducing the environmental impacts of a vehicle. How you drive also makes a difference. Think ahead and try to anticipate stops to let your vehicle coast down as much as possible. Plan trips to avoid rush hour, stop and go driving burns gas and emissions of smog forming pollutants. Make sure you unload your cargo, carrying around an extra 100 pounds reduces fuel economy by around 1%. Try using vents and opening the windows to cool off before turning on the air conditioning in your car. It increases fuel consumption, NOx emissions and involves environmentally damaging fluids. You should also try to follow the speed limit! Driving 75 mph instead of 65 mph will lower your fuel economy by about 10 percent and can dramatically increase tailpipe pollution in many vehicles. You should also try to combine trips. Instead of running and errand one day and also the next day you should combine the two trips. Combining two short trips can make a big difference.
It has been 50 years since the Ford Mustang was first introduced to the world and placed high on top of the Empire State Building. To celebrate 50 years Ford has again placed the brand new 2015 Ford Mustang on top of the Empire State Building. In order to do this they had to essentially cut the Mustang into five different pieces so that it could fit in the elevator to take them to the top of the building.
The Ford Mustang made its debut in the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City. The following year in 1965 engineers took apart one of the Mustangs and took it to the top of the Empire State Building where it was then reassembled! When the Mustang was first debuted it sold for around $2,300! The Mustang’s sales blew away expectations, Ford expected to sell 100,000 the first year and they sold 100,000 in the first three months. The observation deck where the Mustang was placed is open to the public from 8 a.m until 2 a.m. This gave the team of six only six hours to get the car on the observation deck and reassembled. Before all the parts were shipped to New York City, the six man crew practiced a number of times reassembling the car to time everything out and make sure they had enough time to complete it.
The 2015 Mustang looks brand new but still hold the soul of the Mustang. The cockpit of the Mustang strike a balance between analog dials and digital feedback. The shifter is optimally placed and the steering wheel feels just right creating the very best driving experience! Under the hood of the Mustang is a 3.7 liter V6, and there is an available 5.0 liter V8 which for this year, benefits from increased power. The biggest news regarding the engine is that Ford has paired Mustang performance with the EcoBoost engine! The technology in the Mustang enhances the driving experience. Advanced sensors can detect cars in your blind spots or the advanced communications system. The Mustang will also be available in convertible.
Susan G. Komen Ocean City Race for the Cure
The 3rd Annual Susan G. Komen Ocean City Race for the Cure took place on April 13, 2014 and was a huge success! Ocean City was “painted pink”, as many businesses entered into the contest for the best pink decorations. There were many fun events all weekend! Seacrets held a celebration party on Friday, Skate for the Cure took place at The Carousel on Saturday and Planet Maze was only $15 for two hours of unlimited fun! The event also included a timed 5k with awards for top finishers and a 1-mile family walk. One of our very own employees Elaine Zongker had a team and they participated in the event! The Pink Drive to Inspire Truck was also at the Susan G. Komen Ocean City Race! Many signed the truck to support the fight against breast cancer!
Susan G Komen has a vision of a world without breast cancer. Their promise is to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find cures. Susan G. Komen was established in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor the memory of her sister Susan G. Komen who died from breast cancer at the age of 36. For the past 25 years the Susan G. Komen foundation has played a critical role in every major advance in the fight against breast cancer. They have transformed the way the world talks about and treats this disease. Their contributions include; more early detection, more hope, more research, and more survivors. Nearly 75 percent of women over 40 years old now receive regular mammograms, the single most effective tool for detecting breast cancer early. The federal government now devotes more than $900 million each year to breast cancer research, treatment, and prevention, compared to $30 million in 1982! America’s 2.3 million breast cancer survivors, the largest group of cancer survivors in the U.S. are a living testament to the power of society and science to save lives.
Without a cure for breast cancer 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will continue to be diagnosed with breast cancer. Also an estimated 5 million Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 1 million could die over the next 25 years. An estimated 25 million women around the world will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 10 million could die over the next 25 years.
The Black Frog Operations Truck is here!
Preston Ford has designed a very special truck that is now available for purchase. The truck is called the Black Frog Operations Truck and it has custom logos on it that cannot be found anywhere else! The logo is a frog with muscles that was made just for this truck. The truck is a black 2014 F-150. This has been up-fitted with special accessories.
The tires are Nitto Terra Gripller tires with 20” Ford rims and the truck is also equipped with a 6” lift. It has also been upgraded with new headlights and new taillights. The interior has received a black leather which is Katzkin leather. Preston is going to continue doing custom trucks much like the Black Frog Operations truck so be on the lookout!
This truck is now available for purchase and is one of a kind!
Fun and Interesting Facts about Hyundai
We are going over some fun and interesting facts you might not have known about Hyundai! We found some of these to be very interesting!
- The first fact about Hyundai is that the company was established in 1967 by Chung Ju-yung, its headquarters are located in Seoul, South Korea! This means that Hyundai is 47 years old!
- Hyundai is a brand to reckon with! They hire more than 75,000 people worldwide!
- Vehicles under the brand Hyundai are sold to a total of 193 nations and it is the fourth biggest automobile manufacturer in the world!
- The Ulsan car production plant which is operated by Hyundai is the largest worldwide! They have a potential to manufacture around 1.6 million cars every year!
- Hyundai was ranked second-best by J.D. Power and Associates in a survey on initial quality in 2004!
- Not only is Hyundai an overall great brand but they are also one of the most noticeable brands worldwide. Not with just automobiles.
- Hyundai also is one of the primary sponsors of the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro, the Korea Football Association and also the Olympique Olyonnais!
- The Swedish Rally in 2000 marked the entrance of the Hyundai World Rally Team. This team had its first top ten finish at the Rally Argentina.
- The North American International Road Show named the Hyundai Elantra as the car of the year in 2012!
- Hyundai opened its first Canadian factory in Bromon, Quebec and was named as Hyundai Auto Canada Inc.
- Hyundai had a commercial in New Zealand that promoted the Santa Fe in 2006 promoting the car of the future. The ad was so popular in New Zealand that is was voted as New Zealand’s favorite TV ad!
- The Korean word “Hyundai” signifies “modern” and reflects Hyundai’s commitment to produce innovative, high quality vehicles at affordable prices.
- The company’s first assembly and manufacturing plant in the United States is in Montgomery, Alabama. It started production in March of 2005 and rolled out the 2006 Sonata!
Preston Ford receives President’s Award
Preston Ford of the Preston Automotive Group in Delaware and Maryland has won the Ford President’s Award. The President’s Award comes to Preston Ford during a year of record breaking sales, especially in December 2013 when the Ford dealership became 3rd in the nation in Ford sales and became the 90th Ford Dealer in the Nation overall for 2013. Preston Ford is a unique Ford dealership in that it sits outside of Preston, MD with a population of an estimated 707. In December 2013 they sold 515 new Ford cars, trucks, and SUVs; proving that great customer service and satisfaction are key components to gaining customers.
In order to achieve the President’s Award, dealers must exceed customer expectations every day in every department. The pursuit of excellence is not for the faint of heart – it requires passion, tenacity and, of course, hard work. This prestigious award salutes those top-performing Ford and Lincoln dealerships that embrace these philosophies, achieving among the highest levels of customer satisfaction – in both sales and service – in automotive retailing.
“We are really honored and excited to receive Ford’s President’s Award,” says David Wilson Jr., Vice President of Preston Automotive Group, “It really is a part of our core mission to make sure that every customer is satisfied. The President’s Award is unique in that the award is given by customer feedback. There is no other way to receive the award unless customers are 100% satisfied.
Top sellers at Preston Ford include the Ford F-150, Ford Fusion, and Ford Escape. Current focus at the dealership are the Ford 2013 models that have a large discount and the Ford Fusion Energi, which currently has an amazing leasing option. For more information on Preston Ford give them a call or visit their website.
Best Vehicles for Family Road Trips
When planning family road trips it is very important to have the proper vehicle that fits the whole family as well as all the cargo that comes along with taking a road trip! All of that luggage has to go somewhere! Most families need a lot of space not only for kids but also for their cargo.
The first car on the list is the Ford Flex! The Flex has three rows of seating and plenty of room for cargo. The second row seats can be ordered with a center-console refrigerator-freezer. It has the best in class second and third row leg room. With additional amenities like the PowerFold third row seat with tailgate feature and a refrigerated second row console the Flex is an ideal crossover for tailgating. Not only is the Flex spacious but it is also comfortable. There are available features such as heated and cooled front seats, dual-zone automatic temperature control, power adjustable pedals, power-tilt steering column and available power, folding heated mirrors.
The Lincoln MKT can carry up to seven passengers and features an optional over the top surround sound and video entertainment system with 14 speakers. There is an option package which includes navigation, panoramic sunroof and a blind spot monitoring system. The entertainment upgrade includes video screens behind each of the front headrests that can show two different movies or video games at the same time! While the kids are in the back occupied the adults in the front to listen to something else! This system is also said to greatly improve music played from MP3 players.
Another car that made the list is the Ford Fusion. The Hybrid models gets a remarkable 47 miles to the gallon. The Fusion receives high marks for its roomy, comfortable seats and useful trunk space that expands cargo space with a folding rear seat. The interior design is also very attractive and upscale. The notable features include dual-zone automatic climate control, auxiliary jack, satellite radio, Bluetooth, voice controlled Synce with MyFord infotainment system. It can also be equipped with features such as lane departure warning with lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, active park assist, navigation and a rearview camera with back up sensors.
The Hyundai Santa Fe is also on our list of the best vehicles for family road trips. It features rear seats that are split into three sections which are able to fold down for clever use of space. Standard features include a 17 inch alloy wheels, power accessories, Bluetooth technology, six speaker audio systel and the Hyundai Blue Link telematics system. The Santa Fe is a 2013 IIHS Top Safety pick and has dual front side mounted air bags as well as child seat anchors and emergency braking assist. Hyundai vehicles also come with the Hyundai powertrain warranty which covers up to 10 years or 100,000 miles. Hyundai also has a basic warranty to cover items such as brake pads and linings, belts and radio and audio systems for five years of 60,000 miles.
Cars that Won’t Bust your Budget
Consumer Reports has put together a list of cars that won’t bust your budget. Preston Automotive has three of these cars available on their lot! The list consists of the Ford Mustang, Hyundai Elantra and the Mazda5. One is a sports car, one a sedan and one a minivan!
The Ford Mustang delivers a satisfying and fun ride with its 420 horsepower V8. The 2014 Mustang impressed everyone with both its interior and exterior updates, making the Ford a more-refined muscle car. The 2014 Mustang features an aggressive look, from its bold front end to its attention getting body accents. The Mustang features and impressive list of high tech features. The available Track Apps gives performance metrics from acceleration times to g-force measurements. There are also features like the available Sync which allows you to activate your phone, music and much more. The navigation system with integrated SiriusXM Traffic provides directions, traffic alerts and gas prices. For the interior you can choose racing inspired Recaro cloth or leather trimmed seats with integrated airbags. The available Shaker Audio System with HD Radio Technology delivers and impressive audio performance that is bound to please!
Also on the list is the Hyundai Elantra. The newly designed 2014Hyundai Elantra has fluidic sculpture and bucks conventional styles. The car offers fashion forward features like its wraparound projector headlights with LED accents, front fog lights, and LED rear tail lights. The wheelbase also gives it a lower sportier profile. The interior of the Hyundai Elantra is designed for a class above. This means fitting it with the interior space and standard amenities you would come to expect from a much more expensive vehicle. One inside the customer will notice the difference. The interior also features dual zone climate control for extra added comfort. The driver and passenger can both be comfortable even as the conditions outside of the vehicle change. The seats take a stand for the environment. They are built with environmentally friendly soy based foam. These seats are an example of Hyundai’s commitment to making vehicles in ways that have less impact on the environment. The seat foam is made from renewable resources and lowers carbon emissions. The Elantra sedan was the first compact car to have heated seats for both front and rear passengers.
The 2014 Mazda5 has fun driving dynamics and a low price which make it a great choice when buying a minivan. U.S. News has named the 2014 Mazda5 the best minivan for the money. The Mazda5 has a four-cylinder engine and a six speed transmission there is also the optional five speed automatic. It gets an EPA estimated 22/28 mpg city/highway which is exceptional for its class. The Maza5 is also easy to park and maneuver. The electronic brake force distribution and brake assist help determine how much force to apply to the front and rear brakes while the anti-lock brake system helps prevent wheel lock for more controlled stops. It has easy third row access and plenty of cargo space for its size. Every Mazda5 is powered by a 2.5 liter four-cylinder engine that produces 157 horsepower and 163 pound feet of torque.
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Recent Blog Entries
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