[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 114 (Wednesday, July 10, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E713]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CONGRATULATING THE BOB ROSS AUTO GROUP ON ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL R. TURNER

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 10, 2024

  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Bob Ross Auto 
Group, located in my congressional district in Centerville, Ohio, as 
they celebrate a half-century of service to its customers and the 
Greater Dayton community.
  The Bob Ross Auto Group, which consists of three franchises, Buick, 
GMC and Mercedes-Benz, commemorated its 50th anniversary on February 
22, 2024. Over the past five decades, this family-owned dealership has 
become a pillar of the community and earned the trust of thousands of 
customers for their automotive and service needs.
  The dealership contributes to a variety of charitable causes and 
community events, and to the Nation as a whole, through its support of 
the American Cancer Society's efforts to raise awareness and find a 
cure for breast cancer.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On July 10, 2024, on page E713, in the second column, the 
following appeared: of the American Cancer Society's efforts to 
raise awareness and a cure for breast cancer.
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: of the American 
Cancer Society's efforts to raise awareness and find a cure for 
breast cancer.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


  Robert P. Ross, Sr. started his successful entrepreneurial journey in 
Richmond, Indiana in February 1974. He became the first African 
American Buick dealer in the state of Indiana, where he continued to 
work and serve his community until he moved his business to 
Centerville, Ohio in 1982.
  It took no time for his business to become a symbol of change in the 
Dayton community, as it was here where Bob Ross became the first 
African American Buick Dealer in the state of Ohio and the first 
African American Mercedes-Benz dealer in the United States.
  Bob Ross would continue to be a trailblazer for civil rights in the 
automobile industry. He would help establish the National Association 
of Minority Automobile Dealers, as well as supporting numerous 
charities.
  After Bob's death in 1997, his wife Norma J. Ross, assumed the 
presidency of the company, and his daughter Jenell Ross became vice-
president and principal dealer at the age of 27. These two remarkable 
women would become the first female African Americans to be at the helm 
of an automobile dealership.
  They would continue to grow the business together, earning numerous 
accolades, including recognition as one of the ``Top 100 Companies in 
Dayton.'' In 2011, Black Enterprise Magazine named the Bob Ross Auto 
Group ``Automobile Dealer of the Year.''
  When Norma passed away from breast cancer in 2010, Jenell took over 
the business as its president. In memory of her mother, Jenell 
established the Norma J. Ross Memorial Foundation, which has raised 
thousands of dollars for breast cancer research. The foundation hosts a 
number of events, proudly branded as ``Pink Ribbon Driven,'' to raise 
awareness about breast cancer prevention.
  Jenell Ross is the only second-generation African American female 
automobile dealer in the United States, and she is the first-ever 
African American Chair of the American International Automobile Dealers 
Association.
  Mr. Speaker, I have known Jenell Ross and her family for 30 years. I 
have seen firsthand how she has sustained and grown Bob Ross Auto Group 
into a thriving small business that her father would be proud of.
  The Ross family's commitment to the traditional values of hard work, 
quality products, and customer service represents the very best of the 
American entrepreneurial spirit, and serves as a model for all small 
businesses.
  I congratulate Jenell Ross, her family, and her employees on this 
great milestone in their company's history. I wish them many more years 
of continued success and leadership in the community.

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