Puget Sound Business Journal Ranks Top 20 Largest LGBTQ+ Owned Companies in the Region for 2024

RENTON, WA – July 16, 2024 – Car Pros Automotive Group, one of the fastest growing automotive groups in the United States, today announced that it ranked #1 on the list of Top 20 largest LGBTQ+ owned companies by the Puget Sound Business Journal for 2024. The list ranks companies with at least 51% LGBTQ+ ownership by 2023 revenue, with headquarters in the Puget Sound region, defined as King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties in Washington State.

Car Pros ranked 48th in the 2024 Automotive News List of Top 150 Dealer Groups,* marking the second consecutive year the company ranked in the Top 50. Earlier this year, Car Pros announced that its Kia Glendale dealership finished #1 in the nation in new Kias sold, and Car Pros Kia Glendale also took the top spot for Kia EV sales in the U.S. Car Pros, which operates three dealerships in Western Washington, reported revenue of $344.52 million for 2023 in the region, which was more than all other companies on the list combined. Car Pros is 100% LGBTQ+ owned and employs 234 in Puget Sound. Car Pros as a whole achieved record sales of more than $1 billion in 2023.

“We are truly humbled to be recognized by Puget Sound Business Journal as the largest LGBTQ+ owned business in the region,” said Matthew Phillips, CEO and owner of Car Pros Automotive Group. “My family and I started Car Pros in Tacoma, WA  in 1993, and more than 30 years later, I am proud that Car Pros continues to be an integral part of the Puget Sound community, contributing to the growth of Washington state’s leading economic region. Many thanks to the Puget Sound Business Journal for this honor.”

As one of the few openly LGBTQ+ dealers in the U.S., Phillips has broken multiple molds in a tradition-bound industry through his leadership, and by empowering people – specifically under-represented groups – to succeed in a workplace where respect, equity and inclusivity are pillars of the company’s culture. In 2023, he was recognized as one of Automotive News’ Notable Champions of Diversity, awarded the Silver Stevie® Award for Maverick of the Year in the American Business Awards®, and named one of Puget Sound Business Journal’s 11 Business of Pride Outstanding Voices.

Car Pros continues to receive accolades for its sales and customer service, including: the 2023 Kia President’s Club Award for Exceptional Customer Service and Sales Success; the 2023 Honda Masters Circle award recognizing the nation's top 50 Honda dealerships; 2024 J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence for Customer Sales Experience; and named among “The Best CPO Dealers in the USA” by Auto Remarketing Magazine.

“This recognition, among others, is made possible by our outstanding Car Pros team who are dedicated to our mission of changing lives through high-performance and values-led dealerships, and committed to creating opportunity through excellence,” concluded Phillips.

Car Pros began as a small used car lot with just two employees. Together with his family, Phillips built Car Pros into a leading automotive sales and service group with more than 700 employees and nine dealerships in Western Washington and Southern California, selling over 2,400 cars per month. Car Pros serves customers in the communities of Renton, Tacoma, Glendale, Los Angeles, Huntington Beach, and Moreno Valley.

About Car Pros Automotive Group
Car Pros Automotive Group is a leading automotive sales and service group, with dealerships representing Kia, Hyundai, Honda, BMW and MINI. Founded in 1993 by Ken Phillips, Car Pros currently has annual sales of more than $1 billion and is the top selling Kia retailer in the nation, having retailed over 175,000 new Kia models. The retailer is committed to changing lives through high-performance and values-led dealerships. Led by CEO Matthew Phillips, Car Pros is shaping the future of automotive retail: Franchise, professional, tech-savvy, values driven, and people focused. Visit https://www.carpros.com to learn more.

Media Contacts:
Angela Jacobson, mWEBB Communications, angela@mwebbcom.com, (714) 454-8776
Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie@mwebbcom.com, (949) 307-1723

* https://www.autonews.com/data-center/automotive-news-top-150-dealer...