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Irma B. Elder2OO3 Michiganians of the Year
Irma B. Elder: As this major auto dealer races ahead, she finds time to stop and help others
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Her diminutive stature notwithstanding, Irma Elder is a giant.
As chief executive officer of the Elder Automotive Group, she has racked up some impressive accomplishments. Her Jaguar dealership in Troy is the brand’s No. 1 store in the world, ranked by sales volume. Inspired by her tenacity and integrity, even the most powerful industry executives look up to her.
“It’s exhilarating,” Elder said. “But the feeling that you get when you’re helping someone else, it’s much more personal.”
The mother of three has devoted herself to causes that benefit those members of society who are often the most vulnerable — children, Hispanics and senior citizens.
One of the institutions dearest to her is La Sed, which serves southwest Detroit’s Mexicantown neighborhood. A prominent benefactor of the social service agency, she is a regular sponsor of its senior citizen luncheons.
La Sed allows seniors “to enjoy each other’s company,” Elder said. “This place reminds me of something that, in a different way, my mom might have enjoyed.”
Elder has also given generously of her time to Oakland Family Services, serving on its board since 1996 and guiding an endowment campaign that raised $4 million.
A lifetime of perseverance is the backdrop to Elder’s compassion.
As a teen, she left her native Mexico, moving with her family to Florida, where they opened a convenience store. She learned and mastered English, graduated from high school and eventually landed a secretarial job at a Miami-area dealership.
The experience, combined with an inner confidence instilled by her parents, served Elder well.
She married James Elder in 1963 and moved to Michigan. They established a Ford dealership in Troy in 1967. James ran the company while Irma stayed home to raise the couple’s daughter and two sons.
But their idyllic American success story took a tragic turn in 1983 when James died suddenly. Against the advice of some, Irma Elder took charge of the business, becoming the first woman to own a Ford dealership in Metro Detroit. The business thrived and grew under her guidance.
Today, Elder Automotive Group employs more than 350 people at six dealerships — five in Michigan, one in Florida. They sell Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Jeep, Saab, Jaguar and Aston Martin brands. The company’s Saab store is the brand’s top-producing outlet in North America.
“Irma Elder is, I think, one of the finest people I have ever met,” said Debra Kelly-Ennis, president of Saab Cars USA. “She’s an incredible businesswoman.”
With annual sales approaching $700 million, Elder Automotive Group ranks among the top Hispanic-owned businesses in the nation.
“Just look at where she’s come from,” said Mark Fields, chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Co.’s Premier Automotive Group. “She’s a great motivator of people and I know she gives a lot back to the community. You know, there’s that saying that you can’t have it all. She’s proven that you can have it all.”
Copyright © 2004
The Detroit News.
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