Obsessed With Service Since 1911.
Mission
We will provide the best vehicle sales and service experience for our customers. We will do this in a way that will foster the continuous improvement of our people and our company. We will be a top-performing thoroughly professional and genuinely caring organization in all that we do.
ABOUT SEWELL
Relationships First
Building relationships, not selling cars and trucks, is our first priority, and it has been for more than a century. "Customers for Life" - that is our aim. Generations of customers have bought their vehicles from our dealerships. The secret is in how we treat others, and each other. Sewell is still the family-owned business it always has been. You never get the feeling that "it's just business"; a sense of family and the importance of long-term relationships always come through. You can experience our service at 14 dealerships in Dallas, Fort Worth, Grapevine, Houston, Plano, and San Antonio.
Facts
Established 1911 | Number of Dealerships 14 | Number of Franchises 15 | Annual Revenue $1.59B | Annual Vehicle Sales 31,000+ | Number of Associates 2,000+
Cities Dallas, TX | Fort Worth, TX | Grapevine, TX | Houston, TX | Plano, TX | San Antonio, TX
Values
- We will be at the top when measured against appropriate business standards of performance in every function, in every department, in every dealership.
- We will pursue quality and profitability with the aim to stay in business and provide jobs for our people.
- The development of our people is essential to our growth and future success.
- We will provide training and education to encourage the long-term employment and professional advancement of all our associates.
- We will strive for constant improvement and innovation in all that we do.
- We will earn and re-earn the goodwill, trust and confidence of our customers and colleagues every day.
- The highest ethical standards will guide everything we do.
- Our suppliers are important to our success. We will establish long-term relationships with suppliers whose values and quality are consistent with ours.
History
Click through the dates below to read our story.
1911
Sewell begins life as a car dealership, hardware store and movie theater. (Nobody is sure yet whether cars will catch on.)
1929
The Great Depression hits. The three banks in which Carl Sewell Sr. has cautiously placed his money all close on the same day. Rather than give up, he heads to the tiny town of Crane in the newly discovered West Texas oilfields. The move pays off - he starts a successful car business and meets his future wife, Louise.
1941
Despite the nation's hard times, the Sewell business thrives in West Texas, thanks to Carl Sr.'s philosophy of service. But Dallas is calling, and Carl and Louise decide to bring the Sewell way of serving customers back to the area where it all started.
1980
Sewell is on the move, opening a Cadillac dealership in San Antonio, and, in Dallas, heading for bigger quarters: 8.6 acres on Lemmon Avenue across from Love Field. Sewell's unique brand of obsessive service remains consistent throughout. Customers love it.
1990
Carl Sewell shares his service secrets and creates an international bestseller, Customers for Life. Carl's book sells over 1 Million copies and is still in print (and as an e-book) today.
2004
The Sewell service philosophy expands to Grapevine, Texas, with the opening of Sewell Cadillac of Grapevine near DFW International Airport.
2011
Sewell celebrates its 100 years in business by, among other things, unveiling its latest Cadillac dealership - in West Houston. Corks and confetti fly, while Caddies fly off the lot.
FUTURE
At Sewell, we are continually striving to bring our customers inspired service for the next 100 years. Thank you for allowing us to serve you.
IMAGINE
A Company ...
- with a reputation of being top in its field
- that puts service above all else (including the way its associates serve each other)
- with over $1.8 billion in annual sales
- a staff of more than 1900
- that pays well and has generous benefits
- that invests in the education, training, and credentialing of its associates
- that has been growing steadily for decades
- where opportunities for promotion are frequent
- that has been owned and run by the same family for over a century
Work in the Car Business? Really?
We say it often: We are in the relationship business - a world-class service organization that just happens to sell cars. From that thought, it is a pretty short hop to this one: When you put extraordinary care into looking after customers and your colleagues - working in the service of relationships - you will do extraordinarily well.
Excellence Never Takes a Day Off
We win a lot of awards. In fact, when it comes to the most prestigious awards, we're not sure any dealership in history has won more. Not that we get to rest on our laurels by any means. No matter how great the customer's experience is today, that will become their minimum expectation tomorrow. The better we do, the harder it gets to delight our customers. That is why our biggest award is seeing our customers again and again.
OBSESSED WITH SERVICE
WHAT "OBSESSED WITH SERVICE" LOOKS LIKE ...
A smiling associate opening the door for you and greeting you by name. Fresh flowers in the showroom. Original art on the walls. A complimentary car wash for any customer, any time. Sharp-looking associates with a spring in their step. A shop floor so clean, it looks worthy of "the 10-second rule." Shelves loaded with prestigious awards. Delegations of visitors from other companies coming to learn how we do it. And the clearest evidence of inspired service? Customers who return again and again and who spread the word about Sewell to their families and friends.
Incomparable Service? Depends on What You Compare It With
We like to say we are a world-class service organization that just happens to sell cars. Think of the world's most respected hotel brands; think of luxury department stores at their holiday-season best, or of a top financial advisory practice entrusted with a family's well-being. Those are the standards by which we judge our service. We invite you to compare our service with the very best you have ever received, anywhere. Let us know how we are doing.
We're Happy to Share Our Service Secrets
Carl Sewell Sr. may have written the book on service, figuratively speaking, back in the early 1900s, but it took his son, Carl Sewell, decades later, to write the book on service literally. He did it in response to the untold hundreds of visitors, callers, and correspondents who asked how a car dealership, of all things, could be one of the most effective service companies in the world. The principles work in any industry - a fact that made Customers for Life an international bestseller. It is in 19 languages so far.
OUR FACILITIES
We build exceptionally nice facilities because we judge ourselves not against other car dealerships but against all the other fine retail and service organizations that serve our customers. It is important to us that you enjoy your experience and feel the respect and appreciation you deserve. In addition, we place a premium on providing an efficient and comfortable workplace for the associates who are the lifeblood of our service.
Nicer for a Reason
We build exceptionally nice facilities because we judge ourselves not against other car dealerships but against all the other fine retail and service organizations that serve our customers. It is important to us that you enjoy your experience and feel the respect and appreciation you deserve. In addition, we place a premium on providing an efficient and comfortable workplace for the associates who are the lifeblood of our service.
Notice the Details
When you drop off your car for service, you pull in to a service drive that is tile, not concrete. Tile is not only durable, it also looks better for longer than concrete, making it a good financial as well as aesthetic choice. Look up as you step out of your car, and you will see not the raw ceiling joists of a typical service drive but dropped ceilings. These help make the service drive quieter as well as more attractive. Step inside, and you will find fresh flowers and original artwork in the showroom and waiting areas, along with a hundred other little touches intended to help you feel like the honored guest you are.
First-Rate Partners
Many top-tier companies have a hand in creating the atmosphere of a Sewell dealership. We are meticulous in our selection of architects, contractors, interior designers, landscape firms, and lighting consultants. We do it, of course, for our customers. But we also find that being around the work of firms who are tops in their fields inspires us in our own work.
TECHNOLOGY
Enjoy Every Feature
From entertainment and navigation systems to comfort controls, safety systems, and performance features, your vehicle puts an amazing amount of advanced technology at your service. At Sewell, we consider it an important part of our own service to help you take full advantage of everything all that technology has to offer.
In-House Know-How
Have a question about any of your vehicle's digital or mechanical features? For answers, look no further than the dedicated technology specialist at your Sewell dealership. A true enthusiast and a clear communicator, he or she is expert in every feature, large and small, of the brand of vehicle you drive. Call or come by anytime.
Hands-On Demonstrations
Whether your vehicle is brand-new or one that you have been driving for years, make the most of its capabilities by attending one of our regular technology clinics. Hosted by your dealership's technology specialist, these hands-on sessions are held monthly or, at some locations, even more often. Topics include Bluetooth, satellite radio, memory seats, voice-activated navigation, sound system, automatic crash response systems, and more.
Performance Enthusiasts Unite
Sewell Performance is an organization with the purpose of fostering fellowship among performance vehicle enthusiasts.
Througout the year, Sewell Performance participates in multiple events including Cars & Coffee, the Texas Mile, and the Texas ½ Mile Shootout.
We are pleased to make your Sewell ownership experience truly unique with special access to the power of Hennessey Performance, whose passion for speed and racing is equaled only by our obsession with service.