Roy O'Brien Ford

Roy O'Brien Ford. Northwest corner of Nine Mile Road and Mack Avenue. , Roy Edwin O'Brien was born in Lisbon, Arkansas on August 8, 1895. On February 8, 1919, Roy married Clara Estelle Leslie, born on April 8, 1897, from Alpena, Michigan. They had three children , Mary, Gloria and Roy Jr. , , In 1945, Roy O'Brien purchased a house in St. Clair Shores and began working as a regional sales manager for the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, MI. Roy wasn't happy that the extent of his travels was taking him away from his young family, so when the company offered him the opportunity to open his own dealership, he accepted it. , , On March 14, 1946, Roy Edwin O'Brien, Sr., opened the Ford dealership in an existing building on the northwest corner of Nine Mile and Mack with a $50,000 investment, ten employees and no new cars for sale due to the shift from automotive to wartime production. The building had previously housed the police and fire stations in the early 1930s. , , Ten days after the dealership opened, Mr. O'Brien was disheartened. It was raining outside his newly established business and the gloomy weather added to his doubts about taking the boldest step of his life. When the first customer came into the sparkling clean service department, Mr. O'Brien rushed over to greet him and everyone in the building applauded as if they were greeting Lindbergh after he landed. , , Mark O'Brien, chairman of Roy O'Brien Ford, states that they are in the fourth generation of operation as Macomb County's oldest dealership. His dad, Roy O'Brien, Jr., had a favorite saying, "Make sure you have a great product to sell, fantastic people to help sell it and a great community in which to do it. We hit the jackpot. We have all three." , , In 1955, Roy O'Brien enjoyed the title of "The largest Ford dealer in Michigan." At that time, the Gaylords recorded the famous ad, "Get On the Right Track to 9 Mile and Mack." , , The first major expansion came in 1960. , , The showrooms were remodeled in the early 1990s. In 2010, the decision to implement green technology was reached. In 2016, the Roy O'Brien family celebrated its 70th anniversary. They also began the largest facility renovation in the company's history. Plans included expanding the service department, relocating the parts department, and constructing a new vehicle showroom. Roy Patrick O'Brien was instrumental in the design and execution of the plans. He emphasized, "We need to grow the business to better serve our guests." , , In 2017, the Roy O'Brien Family maintains the thriving business with over one hundred employees and a large inventory of new and used vehicles. The family credits its success to the support of their surrounding community. , , Top left image caption: Showroom , 1940s , , Top right image caption: Body shop , 1946 , , Middle left image caption: Norm Grub and Tom Sulliven , 1949 , , Middle right image caption: Mechanics , 1960 , , Bottom left image caption: Service Department , 1966 , , Bottom right image caption: Nine Mile and Mack , 1968