Dealer Operator & Vice President, Cole Chevrolet – Cadillac, Inc.
By Dawn Nolan
Tom Cole always knew he would go into the family business. He worked in the reconditioning department of his father’s auto dealership while he was in junior high and high school. Cole attended Northwood University in Michigan, where he studied automotive marketing and management, then returned to Bluefield to begin his career in the fixed operations end of the business. He worked as a service writer, rental department manager and finally as head of all fixed operations. Cole is now vice president and dealer principal of Cole Chevrolet – Cadillac, Inc. He also serves as president of Cole Truck Parts and Cole Auto Outlet.
Cole said that making decisions based upon long-term success and not short-term results is the key ingredient to his recipe for success. He finds motivation through his family and employees, the same people who have attributed to the three key tools that have allowed him to excel as a professional—empathy, vision and trust. “I do have a vision for the direction and accomplishments I would like to see my family, employees and businesses achieve. I feel that I have the ability to look at situations from every angle, whether dealing with an employee issue, a customer or my children. I try to see their point of view as well as my own.” Trust is also a key issue with more than 150 employees in three states. “I have a healthy trust in my employees. I give them the tools that they need to get the job done and then get out of their way.”
Cole recognizes his father and mother as his mentors. “My father, Paul Cole, Jr., has been a tremendous influence on my career and my life, and he always believed in me. He gave me opportunities to succeed and to fail. Both have been important lessons. My mother, Carol Cole, is a beautiful, classy lady whose warmth and compassion have been a model for my own life.”
Like his father, Cole has passed on a love for the family business to his own children. His oldest daughter, Lee-Anne, has worked in the marketing department at the dealership over the past several years and plans to return to West Virginia and work in the dealership after she graduates from college this year. His son Jacob works full-time at the dealership, gaining experience in the many different areas of the business. While Cole’s other three daughters are still young and haven’t yet found their place within the family business, you can bet they spend a lot of time at the dealership with the rest of the family.
Cole says his marriage to the former Lisa Muncy and their five children is his greatest success in life. “Lisa is my best friend as well as a valued business partner and I am very blessed that she has been such a big part of my life.” In 1997, he turned one of his passions in life—flying—into another success story by obtaining his pilot’s license. He currently flies a Piper Mirage and today he uses his skills in the wide blue yonder to grow his businesses, spend time with his family and find down-time from his busy schedule.
The sky is the limit for this West Virginia-born executive. Even though he manages employees in Virginia, Kentucky and West Virginia, the Mountain State has always been his home. “It’s a wonderful place to raise children and the quality of life is excellent.” Like many others, Cole sees unlimited opportunities in West Virginia for anyone who is willing to work hard and chase their dreams.
