What is the secret to Bill Abbott’s success? “Work hard and hire good people” | People

One thing Monticello-Rick Ridings remembers about his fellow car dealer, Bill Abbott.

“Bill was a car man. He loved the car business. And you have to love being around people,” said Ridings, who bought a Monticello car dealer last year. rice field.

Abbott, who owned a Bill Abbott car dealership in Monticello for 53 years before the sale in 2020, died last week at the Kirby Medical Center. He was 84 years old.

In addition to his business and community services, a 1955 graduate of Mansfield High School was a veteran of the US Army.

In addition to being the common name for Piatt County, he is the national name for the automotive industry and was nominated for Time Magazine’s Dealer of the Year Award in 2016. He was also the former president of the National Automobile Dealers Association.

Ridings praised Mr. Abbott for his business insight and ability to withstand the challenges. This included an oil embargo over 50 years, a 20% interest rate and the 2008 recession that hit many car dealers.

“He was a survivor,” Ridings said. “They were difficult times, and Bill not only survived them, but continued to work for years to come.”

There is no doubt that Mr. Abbott was a respected business leader, but Sherry Crawford Stock, director of the Monticello Chamber of Commerce, remembers most of his compassion and friendship.

“Bill’s warmth, humor, and ability to talk to anyone are the things I remember best about him,” Crawfordstock said. “You always knew where you were, and he would tell you if he thought your point of view needed some adjustment. Above all, he loves his family. I did. “

Among the surviving families is his wife, Tam, whom Mr. Abbott called “the best thing that has ever happened.”

He began his long career in the automotive business in 1958 as a parts and service manager for Buckbucanan in Monticello. He bought a dealer in 1967, owned it for over 50 years, and Rick Ridings Inc at the end of last year. Sold to.

In an interview last December after announcing the sale of the dealer, Mr. Abbott confirmed his long tenure to employees.

“Work hard and hire good people. I’ve been blessed with good people,” he told the Piatt County Journal-Republican.

He worked hard on everything he did, whether he was the longtime president of the Rotary Club of Monticello or the elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Monticello, where he had attended for nearly 40 years. I did.

“He has faithfully served here in the church for decades,” said Rev. Paul Spangler of the present church.

Mr. Abbott was also a board member of the First State Bank and First State Bank Corp. of Monticello, the Board of Directors of the Piatt County Agricultural Service, the President’s Council of the University of Illinois and the Alumni Association.

He was a strong supporter of the local school, and his business donated more than $ 85,000 throughout the year, funding most of the scoreboards in Monticello’s gym. He typically sponsored recreational baseball teams and also supported the Piatt County Trail Blazer Rodeo.

“I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend much of my life with Bill, as a family friend and as someone I respected,” Crawfordstock said. “I was fortunate enough to be a tablemate with him for many years at Rotary.

“He will be missed, but his legacy remains in his family, which he loved so much.”

Steve Hoffman is the editor of the Piat County Journal-Republic, a community media group newspaper. For more information Journal-republican.com..

What is the secret to Bill Abbott’s success? “Work hard and hire good people” | People

Source link What is the secret to Bill Abbott’s success? “Work hard and hire good people” | People

The post What is the secret to Bill Abbott’s success? “Work hard and hire good people” | People appeared first on Illinois News Today.