EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL EVENT HONORS PEOPLE AND
VEHICLES INCLUDING BRAND NEW PEOPLE’S PICK
DECISIVE AUTO LATINO
wrapup
MANUAL GONZALEZ OF STERLING AUTOMOTIVE WITH HIS FAMILY.
UWA HOSTS MORRIS CHESTNUT AND MARIA COSTA
FRANK VENEGAS OF THE IDEAL GROUP.
Celebrating diversity in the auto industry, the Urban Wheel Awards set a new precedent this year with the first annual People’s Pick Urban Vehicle of the Year, the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe.
Selected by a jury of automotive writers and experts, the award for
Urban Vehicle of the Year went to the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA. Urban
Truck of the Year is the 2014 Chevy Silverado, trumping the announcement the following day at the North American International Auto Show
that the Silverado had also been selected as North American Truck of the
Year. Continuing to support green initiatives, the Urban Green Vehicle of
the Year was given to the 2014 BMW i3.
Recognizing its marketing and product effectiveness as the topselling brand to African Americans and Latinos, Toyota Motor America
received the Company of the Year Award and José Muñoz, executive vice
president and chairman, North America Region at Nissan received the
Executive of the Year honors.
Among his many achievements in the automotive industry, Muñoz
managed to grow Nissan’s market share in Mexico to 26 percent, overtaking GM as the top-selling brand, just before moving to the U.S. this
year to accept his current position.
“In order to expect a similar share in the U.S. Latino market as
we did in Mexico, we need to do a better job providing Latino consumers what they need for family, jobs, and customer satisfaction,
and work closely with dealers, who are treating consumers,” he told
Decisive Latino.
Because the dealership experience can be the gateway to a long-term
relationship with a particular brand, the Urban Wheel Awards recognize
the top minority dealerships in the country. Manuel A. Gonzalez, owner
of Sterling Automotive Group based in Bryan, Texas, accepted the
Hispanic Dealer of the Year award.
A Cuban émigré, Gonzalez opened his first dealership in 1992. Today,
his Sterling Auto Group dealerships are known for delivering quality
products and unmatched customer service.
Finally, no industry can be truly diverse without an aggressive
supplier program. Frank Venegas, founder of the IDEAL group based
in Detroit, received the Hispanic Supplier of the Year Award. Today, the
IDEAL Group boasts more than $200 million in annual revenue and
employs some 250 people.
Hosted this year by actor Morris Chestnut and comedienne Maria Costa, the event took place at the Marriott Renaissance in Detroit. Ending
on a high note, the evening closed with the announcement of the winner
of a 2014 Hyundai Sonata to an UWA Facebook fan in Arizona. dD
SUMMER 2014 | WWW.DECISIVELATINO.COM
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