David Wilson Jr. grew up in the car business

David Wilson Jr., president of Preston Automotive Group, literally grew up in the car business.

“Besides playing sports, being around people and cars was what I felt most comfortable doing growing up,” he said.

Some of David’s first jobs included pulling the plastic off new cars when they arrived, and doing cleaning and detailing work. One of the things David most appreciates about Preston is the number of associates who were there when he was 6 or 7 years old who are still there today.

“We want people working at Preston who believe working here can be more than a job. We want people who are looking to make a career with our company,” he said.

David attended Northwood University, which is the only four-year college in the country dedicated to the automotive business. The school runs the largest outdoor car show in the country, and the whole show is managed and run by students. After graduating in 2008, David headed back to Preston Automotive Group, where he held at least a dozen different roles within the business before assuming the position of president and CEO in 2020. 

Playing sports growing up taught David several lessons that he believes are applicable to running a business. First is the competition. Selling cars is a very competitive business, and some of the same lessons he learned from sports have helped him be a successful businessman today.

Second is teamwork. David distinctly remembers when he was 9 years old, hearing his father use the acronym T.E.A.M. – Together Everyone Achieves More. He applied that concept in sports and in his role as head of Preston Automotive.

“Being on a team pushes you to work harder, and when everyone on the team does that, you have the key ingredient for success,” he said.

Looking back on his growth within the company, David valued the time he spent in service and parts.

“You really get to know the customer in that role, and you learn some invaluable lessons about people,” he said.

He recognizes that every customer is different, and besides getting quality and timely work on their car, they really want to be valued and appreciated by the dealership. Once someone buys a car, they can go anywhere for service, but having a good experience is what keeps people coming back. In fact, people travel from all over the region to buy a car at Preston, because they know their business is valued.

As the population on the Eastern Shore and Delaware has grown over the years, Preston has worked hard to gain additional customers. David recognizes that convenience is high on the customer’s list of expectations, and with their growth in Sussex County, they recently added 25 service bays in Lewes, and they will be adding 50 service bays in Millsboro where they recently added the Hyundai brand.

Many people may not realize it, but Midway Tire in Lewes is a Preston company. They kept the former name to honor the family that ran that business for many years.

Today, Preston Automotive has 20 different car dealerships across their system in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. 

What’s the connection between Preston and a frog? According to David, it came from his father’s goal to be the lowest-priced car dealer on the shore – “Cars cost less in Preston.” While other dealers would advertise giveaways like vacations, Preston couldn’t afford to give away other perks because of their already low prices. But his dad felt they needed to be able to give something away, so they started giving away stuffed-animal frogs. The frog represented the idea of leaping forward, which was always his dad’s vision for the organization. 

While Preston continues to grow and be successful, David feels strongly about sharing that success with the communities the business serves. Each year, Preston Automotive gives away more than $1 million to local charities and those in need. And some of those dollars go to Preston associates who may have fallen on hard times. Preston has a program where team members (there are more than 750 across all the businesses) can nominate other employees who are in financial straits, and Preston will make a donation to them on behalf of an anonymous employee. It’s all part of the culture at Preston to support each other as well as the community. 

As David looks to the future, he wants to ensure Preston remains in a position to be able to change people’s lives. That means supporting Preston associates and their families. It also means helping community organizations that support breast cancer patients or ensure children in struggling families get the meals they need every weekend. David will continue to strive to sell cars for less. But he’ll work just as hard to ensure Preston is there to support local communities and families.