Chief Executive Officer, Jim Koons Automotive Companies, Inc.
With precision and a focus on the Northwood Idea, Chief Executive Officer Jim Koons generates sales of over 1.4 billion dollars annually while overseeing 1700 employees at 26 franchises and 19 Jim Koons Automotive Company locations. Having spent the past 39 years building one of the largest dealership groups in the nation, the Northwood University alumnus and 2011 Honorary Doctorate has won virtually every major award in the automotive industry for sales performance, customer satisfaction and operational excellence. He credits his Northwood University education for directly preparing him for his career. “Entrepreneurship and the free enterprise system still provide the greatest opportunity to improve people’s lives. Every day I apply what I learned to what I must do to lead my organization,” he said. Together with his wife Cece, the 1973 Northwood alumnus has led this family-owned business to retail over 2 million vehicles and to rank as one of the top 20 largest dealership groups in the nation ranking as the ‘Best Place to Work in the Washington Area’ by the Washington Business Journal. As the owner of the largest locally headquartered automotive group with locations in Delaware and the Washington, DC metro area including Virginia and Maryland, Mr. Koons has received a variety of awards and his community service and charitable efforts are numerous. In addition to founding the Koons for Cause team which supports a variety of fundraisers, he served as lead sponsor of a new youth center for Easton Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and has held leadership positions in the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Learning Resource Center at Northwood University, TAPS, Wounded Warriors, Habitat for Humanity, and more. The sharing of his time, talent and treasure has garnered many honors including the Northwood University Dealer Education Award, the Baltimore Area Employer of the Year Award in recognition of his commitment to hiring employees with disabilities, and The NFL Player Association Annual Service Award. Koons proudly represents Toyota, Scion, Lexus, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Nissan, Ford, Volvo, Mazda, Lincoln, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Smart and Sprinter brands.
