CENTERVILLE — Bob Ross Auto Group is breaking barriers in car sales, becoming the first African-American-owned Mercedes-Benz dealership in the nation.
This is just one of the many obstacles the company has broken as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
“Who doesn’t want to get in and out of their car as a kid?” said Genell Ross, president of Bob Ross Auto Group.
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Ross has been roaming the halls and talking about cars since she was 4. Today, she’s president of Bob Ross Auto Group, the dealership her father started 50 years ago.
“I can’t believe we’ve reached this milestone, but I want to give all the credit and praise to my parents,” Ross said.
In 1974, Bob Ross became the first African American to own a Buick dealership in Indiana, and in 1979 he became the first to own a Buick dealership in Ohio and the first to own a Mercedes-Benz dealership in the country.
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“He worked extremely hard and sacrificed a lot,” Ross said, “and he paved the way for the minority dealers who are still in business today and so that we can keep our history alive.”
Ross continues that history today as the only African-American woman to own a Buick-GMC dealership and a Mercedes-Benz dealership.
“We’ve made progress but we definitely need to go further and that’s through our involvement and community work to provide opportunities for people to see that they can be like me. They can be like me,” Ross said.
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That focus on community comes from another pillar of the Bob Ross Auto Group: Bob’s wife and Ross’ mother, Norma. After Bob’s sudden death in 1997, she and their two children took over the dealership.
“That’s where my mom stepped up to the plate. My mom was a former teacher so it was really special working with both my parents, but I was really lucky to have had the opportunity,” Ross said.
A lot has changed in 50 years, but one thing remains the same: the Ross family is still at the helm.
“I’ve always just tried to jump in and make sure what he’s worked for isn’t lost, and I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of great people to help me along the way,” Ross said.
As her parents taught her, she knows that she is nothing without the people around her.
