Abilene Influencer: Gary Grubbs

Scan a list of nonprofits and agencies in Abilene and it’s a safe bet that Gary Grubbs has served on the board of directors.

His interests range from the Military Affairs Committee to Crimestoppers, to St. John’s Episcopal School, and the American Cancer Society, plus many more.

His service, of course, is in addition to his job of 23 years as manager of marketing and advertising at Lawrence Hall in Abilene.

Grubbs proudly notes that the automobile dealers in town, no just Lawrence Hall, are quick to jump in whenever a nonprofit needs a sponsorship or volunteers to help with an event.

“Larry Hall was a major reason why we support Abilene because that was his heart for Abilene, too,” Grubbs said. “The one thing I know is that the auto industry will always have change,” he said, “but the one constant, in our community, is that our local dealers will always support our community as much as possible.”

Grubbs grew up in Washington, D.C., and Abilene, graduating from Cooper High School in 1971. He attended Texas Tech University from 1971-1976. Grubbs joined the staff of Lawrence Hall 23 years ago and is well known for his business smarts and his belief that everyone should lend a hand to strengthen the city.

“Abilene is known for being a very caring community,” he said, “and one with ample opportunities for those who want to serve.”

WHAT MAKES ABILENE UNIQUE?
Abilene is unique because of the spirit of serving others and a strong sense of community and family. When we moved back to Abilene in 1990, we did so wanting to continue to raise our family in an atmosphere that was strong on family values, had environment for us to grow and opportunities to engage in what was happening in our city.

YOU ARE NOTED FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BOARDS YOU SERVE ON OR HAVE IN THE PAST?
I have served on the boards of the Abilene Industrial Foundation, Abilene Chamber of Commerce, Abilene Military Affairs Committee, Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau, Abilene Sports Alliance, Crimestoppers, Better Business Bureau, St. John’s Episcopal School, American Cancer Society Finish the Fight Golf Tournament and various church committees.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO ENCOURAGE SOMEONE TO VOLUNTEER?
I would say that anyone wanting to make Abilene an even better place to live, work and raise families should not wait on someone else to do something for the community, but be willing to offer their talents and gifts to something they have a passion for. Your passions are not the same as other people’s passions, but it takes everyone sharing their talents and gifts and pursuing their passion. That fosters new ideas to help deal with issues and ways to better serve. other people. New ideas to apply to older or newer issues are always needed. But most importantly, seeing the needs and getting involved is what matters, and not just saying, “someone else will do it” or saying, “I just don’t have time.” That just leaves a void that YOU might fill. Your gifts may just be working side-by-side with others, but that is very important, as well. Abilene needs people that will help “push the rock” toward a better goal and a better community.

WHAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT ABILENE IS FACING?
I think we face similar challenges as other “peer” cities. We have a reasonably stable economy here and we’ve enjoyed recent growth. The challenges that come with that are taking care of our citizens, safety and security, infrastructure and education. As far as a specific challenge, I think growing our workforce through education and training is very important. A growing and strong workforce benefits our entire community and region. People with good jobs help all of us to create a strong economy for ALL businesses, large and small. It helps Abilene to maintain a solid tax base so that we have the city services and infrastructure that we need, and not at a BIG CITY cost to taxpayers. We also have a strong population that is willing to give of their time and resources to charitable needs and services within the community.

WHAT COULD THE AVERAGE PERSON DO ABOUT THAT?
There’s a great number of areas the average person can get involved in. But getting involved is the first step. Finding something that strikes a nerve to serve just takes someone being willing to invest their time or resources. Not everyone has the same interest for the same causes. That’s why taking a step toward involvement is so important. The key is to find that cause. Some people will try more than one cause just to see what they feel interested in. At least they are exploring opportunities. I believe that exploring and initiative is where it begins. Ask other friends and acquaintances what they are doing and see if that’s a similar interest…hospitals, nonprofits, schools, elder care or something else. But I encourage people to “get involved” and not wait for someone else to do it. Abilene is known for being a very caring community and one with ample opportunities for those who want to serve.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR CHANGES YOU’VE SEEN IN THE AUTOMOBILE BUSINESS IN ABILENE OVER THE YEARS?
The automobile business has seen a great deal of changes in the years I’ve been active in the business. I’ve been involved a total of over 35 years throughout my work career, and I’ve seen lots of cycles in that time. I’ve seen things from back in the FARM STRIKE/TRACTORCADE days of the late 1970s, to the oil bus  in the 1980s. I’ve seen the growth and expansion from a handful of name plates to the rise of import name plates in the market. Also, the housing collapse in the early 2000s that led to a collapse in the auto industry itself and, of course, to all that we’re currently working through from the COVID pandemic
and chip supply issues to transportation challenges. I’ve seen our lot with 400-plus new vehicles sitting on them, to weeks with only five or less vehicles on them. The one thing I know is that the auto industry will always have change, but the one constant, in our community, is that our dealers will always support our community as much as possible. We have a strong group of dealers in Abilene and that is a true blessing. I have been so fortunate over the years to work for Lawrence Hall and Larry Hall who allowed me to make time to be active in our community because he loved Abilene. We have been one of the first businesses that are always contacted when someone is looking for support, financial and otherwise. The other local dealers have always stood up and supported our community, as well. For the most part, the local dealers step up to help out the Little Leagues, schools, nonprofits and many others, including events and activities at Dyess Air Force Base. We do that without any strings or expectations, but we all hope that these local folks support our ABILENE businesses first, so they can continue to provide support for their groups.

HAS THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY COMPLETELY RECOVERED FROM THE COVID-19 DISRUPTIONS? I would have to say that, while we have NOT fully recovered from the COVID disruptions, as is the case with many businesses, I think we are on the right road. We still experience issues with chips, some parts and transportation challenges. Most all of the disruptions have been automotive industry-wide issues, if not all of them. We have noticed some increase in our inventories, in recent weeks, which is a great start. We still see some areas that are lagging behind in production. Of course transportation issues in getting vehicles to the dealers is still a challenge. We remain optimistic that 2023 shipments will continue to improve and we will have more models in stock for buyers to look at and test drive.

Gary’s Favorites

CURRENTLY READING
The Bible; spiritual growth books

DRINK
Iced tea or a good, well-aged bourbon

FAVORITE HOBBY
Golf, travel and spending time with children and grandchildren

By Loretta Fulton