Star Dealer
Mercedes-Benz of Honolulu
Article Dale Payson
 
What could be better than cruising the highways and byways of the Hawaiian Islands? Why, cruising them in a Mercedes-Benz, of course.

Before there was a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Hawaii, people shipped the world’s most well-known German luxury car to the islands. There is no actual record of the first Mercedes-Benz in Hawaii, but husband to the dealership’s human resources manager, Rachael Young, thinks he knows. Chris Young said that his grandfather, the late Dr. James Wong, always claimed that his pride and joy – a black 1958 sedan – was the first Mercedes-Benz in town. That said, there were enough on the island by the early 1960s that Daimler-Benz saw fit to send two German factory representatives to the 50th state, where Karl Oberacher and Fredrick Kull assisted in servicing and maintaining islanders’ cars from their humble facility.

A few years later in 1968, these two German ex-pats and local businessman and car dealer, Edward Yu, formed a business group known in Hawaii as a hui, which was granted the first Mercedes-Benz dealership on the islands. Located at the corner of Ala Moana Boulevard and Coral Street, Mercedes-Benz of Honolulu began selling and servicing the brand, becoming well known as the premiere automotive dealership in Honolulu.

The hui sold the dealership in 1978 to the Theo H. Davies Company, a local sugar and shipping company dating back to the 19th century, and was a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Jardine Matheson. The dealership continued to flourish under Theo Davies and, in 1996, a brand-new showroom was built at the current location on Kapiolani Boulevard.

When Jardine Matheson decided to sell Theo Davies and its holdings in the United States in 2003, Mercedes-Benz of Honolulu became part of one of the most successful automobile companies in the nation, the Fletcher Jones Automotive Group. The Fletcher Jones story began in 1946 when Fletcher Jones Sr. opened a small used-car lot in downtown Los Angeles. During the next 15 years, Jones opened a succession of dealerships in Southern California, Phoenix and Las Vegas. He pioneered automotive advertising by featuring himself as spokesman in TV and newspaper ads that touted the benefits of buying a car from one of his dealerships. This personal approach was incredibly successful and created an advertising model that is still effective today.

In the mid-1960s, Jones brought his son, Fletcher Jones Jr. – better known as Ted – into the family business. Wanting his son to learn all aspects of the company, Ted started by sweeping floors, performing odd jobs around the dealership, and working in each department before Jones eventually moved him into management. Ted and his father ran the family business together until 1994, when Jones Sr. passed away.

As new CEO, Ted continued to build the Fletcher Jones Automotive Group into one of the most successful luxury automobile dealer groups in United States, with 19 dealerships in four states. He is also credited with pioneering a revolutionary approach to automobile sales in which “guests” – not customers – are treated with the same level of service one would expect from a five-star hotel.

The family tradition continues today with Ted’s son, Fletcher Jones III. Much like his father before him, Jones III (known just as Fletcher) grew up spending time in his father’s dealerships; after college, he joined the business full time. Fletcher’s exposure to the automotive business not only spanned each dealership department, but also a cross-country tour from Southern California to Chicago, and eventually to Hawaii. In 2004, Fletcher became the vice-president of sales for Mercedes-Benz of Honolulu. Through his journeys, Fletcher developed a keen sense of the Fletcher Jones brand and an affinity for the uniqueness of each location. After six years of successfully leading operations in Hawaii, Fletcher moved to the Las Vegas facility, where he is currently the group’s chief operating officer.

Today, General Manager Dennis Rademacher heads Mercedes-Benz of Honolulu. Rademacher has been with the dealership for more than 17 years and began his own automobile sales career 35 years ago – washing cars. Mercedes-Benz of Honolulu employs over 130 people, many having served for more than 10 and 20 years. Of the 14 client advisers in the sales department alone, four have been with the company from seven to 10 years and five can boast between 14 and 19 years of service. And the dealership’s longest-working employee is shop foreman Gordon Shimata, with over 36 years on the job.

But the three-pointed star isn’t found only on the island of Oahu. Cars are also shipped from Honolulu to customers on Kaua’i and the big island of Hawaii; in 2010, Fletcher Jones opened Mercedes-Benz of Maui for its customers on the Valley Isle. And in 2013, Mercedes-Benz of Honolulu received the prestigious Best of the Best Dealer Recognition Award from Mercedes-Benz USA.

The dealership is active in the community, supporting many local charities and professional organizations, including charity golf tournaments, polo matches and Hawaiian canoe paddling clubs.

Mercedes-Benz of Honolulu also supports the Mercedes-Benz Club of America Hawaii Section. The dealership donated a custom-designed MBCA tent for the Hawaii Section to use for outdoor functions. One event took place on M-B of Honolulu’s front lawn on a beautiful Hawaiian Saturday, allowing club members to display their classic Mercedes-Benz automobiles and talk with dealer customers about club-membership benefits. The club also uses the facilities whenever it needs meeting space. Mercedes-Benz of Honolulu participates in the Hawaii Section’s annual Oktoberfest car show at the Pali Golf Course, providing a display of brand-new Mercedes-Benz automobiles for all to enjoy. And recently, the club was treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the service department that members are still talking about.

It’s no wonder that, for many Mercedes-Benz owners in Honolulu, stopping by the dealership is like visiting old friends.
 


Mercedes-Benz of Honolulu by night. Hawaiians have been buying Mercedes-Benz automobiles at least since 1958; the dealership opened in 1968.



Mercedes-Benz of Honolulu supports the Mercedes-Benz Club of America Hawaii Section; they are primary sponsors for the annual Oktoberfest.



The dealership is active in the community, supporting local charities and professional organizations, and is the proud sponsor of the Kailua Canoe Club, seen here crossing the Molokai Channel in 2013.
 
Mercedes-Benz of Honolulu
818 Kapiolani Boulevard
Honolulu,     HI 96813
888.695.1894
www.mercedesbenzofhonolulu.com