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2015 SESSION

15104843D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 847
Offered February 16, 2015
Commending Marshall Ford.
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Patrons-- Webert, Cole and Lingamfelter; Senator: Vogel
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WHEREAS, Marshall Ford celebrates its 100th anniversary of selling automobiles and trucks in 2015; it is the oldest Ford dealer in the nation still operating in the same location and building; and

WHEREAS, the Fauquier County dealership opened for business on November 23, 1915, as H. L. Lee Sub-Limited Ford Agency on West Main Street in Marshall; the first vehicle to arrive at the dealership was a Model T Ford; and

WHEREAS, during the first years, vehicles were shipped in sections by train from the manufacturing plant; employees of Marshall Ford would pick up the crates from the depot and perform the final assembly at the showroom, using wood from the shipping crates for a car’s floorboards; and

WHEREAS, the residents of Fauquier County and the small town of Marshall initially were apprehensive about the coming of the automobile age; the area consisted of agricultural and forested land, and residents were slow to embrace a new form of transportation, but the dealership’s employees persisted and worked hard; and

WHEREAS, when Ford Motor Company introduced trucks in 1917, they quickly became the company’s top seller; the same was true at Marshall Ford, and a century later, trucks still are the dealership’s best-selling model; and

WHEREAS, today’s customers of Marshall Ford can choose from iconic sports cars such as the Mustang, top-selling Fusion and Taurus sedans, rugged sports utility vehicles like the Expedition and Escape, the fuel-efficient C-Max hybrid, and the ever-popular Ford F-150 pickup—long America’s best-selling truck; and

WHEREAS, in 2015, Marshall Ford also serves the communities of Winchester, Warrenton, Haymarket, and Prince William County; owners David Baird and Thomas O’Brien are grateful for the support of their customers and the community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Marshall Ford on the occasion of its 100th anniversary and for being the oldest Ford dealer in the nation still operating in the same location and building; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to David Baird and Thomas O’Brien, owners of Marshall Ford, as an expression of the General Assembly’s congratulations and admiration for its many years as a successful small business and best wishes for the future.