Fitzgerald Auto Mall

Fitzgerald Auto Mall is a family owned and operated auto dealership that was founded in 1966, with its first location opening in Bethesda, Maryland. As of 2014, Fitzgerald Auto Mall ranked number 59 on the list of the "Top 125 Dealership Groups" in the U.S., which is published annually by Automotive News Fitzgerald dealer locations appear five times on the 2013 WardsAuto e-Dealer 100, at No.8, No.25, No.30, No.43 and No.98.
History.
In 1966, Fitzgerald Auto Mall was founded with a Colonial Dodge (now a Fitzgerald Hyundai-Subaru) dealership located in Bethesda, Maryland. Fitzgerald has used no-haggle pricing since 1979 and it encompasses 20 dealerships across Maryland, Pennsylvania and Florida that sell 20 different brands.
In 2003, Fitzgerald Auto Mall became the first automotive dealership group to have achieved ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications. Since 2003, Fitzgerald Auto Mall remains the only car dealer group in North America to have achieved ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications.
In 2005, Fitzgerald Auto Mall was one of the three companies to receive the National Capital Business Ethics Award at an awards dinner held at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner, Virginia. In addition to Fitzgerald, the award was given to National Security Research, Inc. and Ventera Corporation. More than 50 companies from the Washington D.C. area were nominated in 2005 for this award.
In May 2006, Fitzgerald agreed with Pepco Energy Services to switch all of its Maryland dealerships from electricity generated via conventional power sources to wind power.
In 2008, Fitzgerald Auto Mall was selected as one of only six car dealers in the U.S. to offer plug-in hybrid conversion systems for the Toyota Prius.
In 2016, Fitzgerald Auto Mall celebrated its 50th anniversary.
2008-2010 Automotive industry crisis.
In the latter half of 2008, a global-scale recession adversely impacted the economy of the United States. A limited availability of credit and declining automobile sales led to a more widespread crisis in the United States auto industry. In 2009, GM and Chrysler announced that they were closing 2,200 dealers, affecting 170,000 jobs nationwide. Fitzgerald Auto Mall was scheduled to have all five of its Chrysler dealerships eliminated.
In 2009, CEO Jack Fitzgerald, alongside fellow dealers Tammy Darvish and Alan Spitzer, formed an advocacy group, the Committee to Restore Dealer Rights (CRDR), to fight against the elimination of dealer franchises across the nation by GM and Chrysler. CRDR's main goal was to ensure the passage of the Automobile Dealer Economic Rights Restoration Act of 2009.
Community Outreach.
In February 1999, Fitzgerald Auto Mall partnered with Safe Kids USA in Maryland to hold a car seat check-up event. The dealership hosts free monthly car seat inspections the third Thursday of each month from March through December that anyone in the community may attend without an appointment. If the monthly events are not compatible with a family's schedule, Fitzgerald offers private appointments. There is an additional inspection day dedicated solely to Spanish-speaking families. Working with county and state agencies, Fitzgerald has inspected more than 45,000 child safety seats since the program began in 1999.
Fitzgerald hosts pet adoption events to find homes for local pets in need. Fitzgerald works with the Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL) for various animal adoption events. Fitzgerald Auto Mall has provided its dealerships to house these local adoption events, including its North Bethesda and Frederick locations.
Fitzgerald helps to sponsor and participate in a local, corporate work-study program in Maryland. The students in this program each work one day a week with a local business, agency, or other employer to gain experience as well as help cover the tuition of private Catholic college preparatory school. Fitzgerald is one of more than 75 partners in this work-study program, including the Montgomery County government, Holy Cross Hospital and NASA.