By Matt Showalter
We believe in the age-old verbiage of, “change is the only constant in life.” The Showalter Family is deep-rooted in the automotive industry so much so that it’s currently the oldest same-family Ford Franchise in the State of Utah. C.W. Showalter, the company founder, headed west to the Vernal area from Iowa in the mid-1930s for the promise of abundant land and desirable country for his large sheep herd to flourish. C.W.’s time at the dealership was limited before Gary’s father, Don, assumed full control of the dealership in 1939. When C.W. Showalter first purchased the Ford dealership, it was located on the east side of Vernal Avenue, just south of the present Quarry Restaurant on South Vernal Avenue.
The building expanded numerous times before Showalter Ford moved into its state-of-the-art facilities at 333 W. Main in 1997. No matter the amount of growth or changes in how business is conducted we’ve always stood by the philosophy of, “Bring the highest level of customer service to the industry and do the right thing every time.” Said Gary. In Gary’s time he served for his Country in the United States Army, Vernal City Mayor (2010-2014), Rotary Club President, Ford Advertising Board President, Honorary Colonel Utah Highway Patrol, and many more. Gary’s sons Mark and Matt grew up in an automotive household and lived and breathed every aspect of the stresses, joys and true dedication it takes to keep 25+ full-time employees employed, often sacrificing precious father-son time as the operation called attention. Gary notes, “I’m proud to say that during the recent downslide in Vernal’s economy in 2014, we never laid a single employee off.”
Gary’s oldest son, Mark, joined the business full-time in 2009 at Downtown Dodge and assumed many roles throughout his time there as a salesperson, service manager, and general manager. When a different opportunity presented itself in 2017, Mark was able to see it better aligned with his skill set and incredible mechanical ability; he was able to better serve in a field that is tailormade for him. Today, Mark is the Owner/Operator of Advanced Towing and Automotive, LLC a Full-Service Towing and Automotive Shop located in Vernal, Utah.
Gary’s youngest son, Matt, joined the automotive business in 2012 working for Hinckley Automotive in Salt Lake City, Utah as a client advisor and undergoing an ownership transition to Salt Lake Valley Automotive during his time. At that point, Matt approached his father for a position at Showalter Motor Company in 2013 and entered as a salesman, eventually assuming all marketing efforts and ultimately ending up as general manager. “As I came into this business, I realized I have big shoes to fill. However, I’m proud to look at the accomplishments I’ve made professionally, and personally and grateful for all of those who’ve helped me achieve them along the way.” Matt Said.
As the Showalter Family transitions away from the automotive industry to pursue other interests’ they’d like to give our deepest appreciation to the great community of Vernal and the surrounding counties. “Speaking for the staff and management, we appreciate the residents of Vernal and the surrounding area for allowing the dealership to serve their automotive needs for the last 83 years,” Gary said.
