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2012 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 180
Commending Mercedes-Benz of Arlington on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of its founding.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 20, 20112
Agreed to by the Senate, January 26, 2012

 

WHEREAS, in 2012 Mercedes-Benz of Arlington, formerly American Service Center located in Arlington, Virginia, one of the oldest and largest auto retailers in the metropolitan Washington area, celebrates the 75th anniversary of its founding; and

WHEREAS, in 1937 two brothers-in-law, Saul Brooks and Saul Gordon, decided to open an Amoco gas station on Rural Route 120, now known as North Glebe Road; and

WHEREAS, named American Service Center (ASC) because of the American Oil connection, both the name and the location have remained the same as they were over 75 years ago; and

WHEREAS, shortly after the gas station opened, a Studebaker franchise was added; after World War II and the Korean War, Studebaker offered some of its retailers the Mercedes-Benz franchise; and

WHEREAS, on June 20, 1957, ASC took this opportunity to grow with this German, quality-built car, well-known at that time only to returning servicemen and diplomats, by being appointed a franchised Mercedes-Benz dealer by Mercedes-Benz (MB) Sales, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, soon thereafter, Daimler-Benz bought back the distributorship from MB Sales and ASC made a very strong commitment to Mercedes-Benz of North America (MBNA) to remain a MB retailer, and was refranchised by MBNA on May 25, 1965; and

WHEREAS, over time, ASC acquired several acres of land and expanded its services to customers; it was awarded the Arlington County Beautification Award from both Arlington County and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce; and

WHEREAS, ASC has seen its Mercedes sales grow from 440 in 1992 to thousands of new and pre-owned Mercedes annually; and

WHEREAS, ASC has received many honors, including the Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award, the Sports Illustrated Dealer of Distinction Award, Arlington’s Best Business Award, the Northwood Institute Dealer Education Award, and the Sports Illustrated All-Star Dealer Award; and

WHEREAS, the Family Business Institute in cooperation with American University has twice named ASC a Family Business of the Year; and

WHEREAS, ASC is a good public citizen, having been recognized for its contributions to many worthy causes, including the Leukemia Society, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Holocaust Museum, Super-Leaders Foundation, and Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington; and

WHEREAS, in 2007 ASC was recognized as one of only seven of the original 35 Mercedes-Benz dealers still in business with the same ownership, and was given the prestigious Fifty Year Award; and

WHEREAS, according to Mercedes-Benz USA, ASC is ranked number one of all the Mercedes-Benz dealers in Virginia and sells more certified pre-owned Mercedes-Benz Cars and Mercedes-Benz Parts than any other dealer in the Northeast Region; and

WHEREAS, ASC was renamed Mercedes-Benz of Arlington in October 2011; and

WHEREAS, managing members of the company Morton J. Zetlin (son-in-law of co-founder Saul Brooks) and Alvin J. Brooks (son of co-founder Saul Brooks), who have been at Mercedes-Benz of Arlington for nearly 55 years, credit their success to their longtime employees and their commitment to client relations; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend American Service Center of Arlington, Virginia, for 75 years of high-quality service to the Commonwealth and the nation, and for American Service Center’s numerous contributions to the community for 75 years; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to dealer operators Alvin J. Brooks and Morton J. Zetlin as an expression of the General Assembly’s gratitude for the company’s commitment to high-quality service and giving back to the community.