about sewell
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 16 dealerships in Dallas, Fort Worth, Grapevine, Houston, and San Antonio.
OBSESSED WITH SERVICE SINCE 1911.
AT A GLANCE
Established: 1911
Number of Stores: 17
Number of Franchises: 19
Annual Vehicle Sales: 45,000+
Number of Associates: 2,700+
CITIES
Austin, TX
Dallas, TX
Fort Worth, TX
Grapevine, TX
Houston, TX
McKinney,TX
San Antonio, TX
Sugar Land, TX
Brands
Audi
BMW
Buick
Cadillac
GMC
INFINITI
Jaguar
Land Rover
Lexus
Mercedes-Benz
Subaru
mission & values
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.
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.
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.
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
1911
Sewell begins life as a car dealership. And general store. And movie theater. And livery stable (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.
1957
Through the 40's and 50's, Sewell builds a loyal following with its existing dealerships. Then the Sewell Village Cadillac sign is installed at Mockingbird Lane and Preston Road. The dealership that defines service and the Marque that defines luxury are together at last.
1972
On May 5, Carl Sewell Sr. dies - but not before selling a Cadillac earlier that day. His legacy of leadership passes to his cousin, John, and his son, Carl Sewell Jr. Carl Sr.'s principles of service live on. Customers become repeat customers. They send their friends. Soon, Sewell Village Cadillac is outgrowing its home.
1979
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.
1989
By decade's end, a new luxury marque is born. Sewell is selected as one of North America's charter Lexus dealers. Dallas' first Lexus dealership opens on Lemmon Avenue, and north Texas streets and highways are filled with new cars bearing twin badges, "Lexus" and "Sewell."
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.
1994
The Sewell family welcomes three new additions: GMC, Pontiac and Oldsmobile. Lemmon Avenue has never looked better.
1998
Sewell expands into Cowtown with the acquisition of Hillard Lexus in Fort Worth. Meanwhile, back in Dallas, Sewell acquires the Rodger Meier dealerships, bringing INFINITI and another Cadillac location into the family.
2002
Sewell INFINITI, a member of the family since 1998, is ready for more room and a more prominent place at the corner of Lemmon and University in Dallas.
2004
The Sewell service philosophy expands to Grapevine, Texas, with the opening of Sewell Cadillac of Grapevine near DFW International Airport.
2009
Inspired service meets high-performance luxury in Houston. Sewell INFINITI of North Houston opens in a newly acquired showroom on I-45.
2010
Sewell expands in Houston by acquiring Audi North Houston, bringing sophisticated service to a sophisticated brand. In Dallas, Sewell opens its first Subaru dealership at Lemmon and Lovers next to Love field.
2011
Sewell celebrates 100 years in business by unveiling its latest Cadillac dealership in West Houston.
2016
An era of unprecedented growth begins with the opening of the first of four new stores. Sewell opens a second Houston-area Audi dealership southwest of Houston in Sugar Land and the first Sewell Mercedes-Benz dealership in the energy corridor in West Houston.
2017
Sewell opens two new stores in Dallas-Fort Worth. The first Sewell BMW dealership opens in the growing community of Grapevine just west of DFW airport, and a new Audi dealership opens in McKinney by year's end.
2020
In July of 2020, Sewell expands into Austin and acquires Jaguar Land Rover North Austin. Located at Highway 45 and Parmer Lane, the dealership had been newly constructed in February the same year.
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. See how we are expanding the Sewell experience while maintaining the same value for outstanding facilities.
ASSOCIATES & CAREERS
The Right Kind of Competitive Atmosphere
As Sewell grows, we look for leaders. The formula is pretty simple. When we do a good job with our customers and associates, we grow. When we grow, there is more opportunity for advancement. That is how we have been building our business for over 100 years. We hire the best and the brightest, so it only makes sense that we would listen to what they have to say and learn from what they do. We invite you to learn more about opportunities at Sewell.
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.
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.
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.
CUSTOMERS FOR LIFE
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 has been translated into 19 languages and has sold over 1 million copies. Want to read it for yourself?
