Oregon is home to beautiful scenery and outstanding automotive talent. While we are working hard to continue cultivating and recruiting we also love to give back to our community. 2019 has been a busy year, full of challenges and rewards we want to share with you.
Try Local First
Bess feels strongly about the Gresham Community. Some years back during a Gresham Chamber meeting, Bess shared her frustrations about local businesses as well as the City making purchases outside the community. A few weathered and less than jovial individuals made it known that if she cared so much - she should DO SOMETHING about it. And that is exactly what Bess did. Mark Garber, President and Publisher of Pamplin Media, joined Bess and her co-chair and they jumped in with both feet. While many business owners understand that you won't be able to get absolutely everything you want within a 5 mile radius, they do ask that you try. That is all Bess has encouraged her employees, vendors, business owners, car buyers, and anyone who makes eye contact to do - Try Local First.
In 2019, Bess was the Event Sponsor for the monthly Try Local Tuesday networking events hosted by the Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce. These events are purpose curated to encourage Gresham residents to try and discover local business, they may not have been previously aware existed. Spreading the word about the importance of circulating money within the Gresham Area has been one of Bess's passions for over a decade. "Our entire community is stronger when we choose to shop local. Once you do, you'll love local too!", said Bess recently when asked why Shopping Local is important to the Gresham Community.
Contribute to the Community Program
In 2019 Gresham Ford helped to facilitate donations to 162 local non-profits in the amount of $10,838.34. These donations were made possible by the
Contribute to the Community program. When you use the
Gresham Ford Service Center,
Gresham Quick Lane, or
Motorcraft Parts Center Bess will
donate 10% of your purchase, up to $100, to the non-profit of your choice. "It would be a beautiful thing if one day instead of spending money on advertising we could donate those funds to non-profits that speak to our customers instead. The Contribute the the Community Program is a small step but it is a step in the right direction. Our Community is stronger the more we get involved!" explained Bess.
Ford Peanut Butter Drive
The Community Outreach and Volunteering didn't stop with the tithe program. Gresham Ford also banded together with a number of other Oregon Ford Dealers to help raise money and peanut butter to help end childhood hunger. Many children in East County depend on the free and reduced lunch programs at their schools in order to eat. In the summer times these programs are virtually non-existent, leaving many children in our community hungry. Peanut butter donations were gathered and brought to Snow Cap Community charities for distribution. The annual
Ford Peanut Butter Drive has collected over 180,000 pounds of peanut butter since it's initial launch in 2014. You can beat that Gresham Ford will be collected more peanut butter every spring preparing for the summer hunger of Gresham area children.
The 7.3L Engine was revealed in the 2020 Super Duty Truck
Work trucks really drive our business at Gresham Ford. Pun very much intended. The new 7.3L engine provided game changing upgrades in capacity and endurance. The F-Series truck has been the number one vehicle sold in America for over 40+ years. We think it is because Ford has stayed way ahead of the competition with new technology and upgrades like the
7.3L engine addition to the Super Duty lineup. The fully boxed steel frame that is up to 24 times stiffer provides unparalleled strength and toughness that the blue oval is known. The 2020 Super Duty continues to impress with the best ever payload ratings too. Needless to say the team at Gresham Ford is excited for
Truck Season.
