My early “Career” began when I was BORN! You see, I was my father, William Gifford Ingram, was a Dodge dealer in Lineville, Alabama. I had washed cars for as long as I could remember.
His partner, Clay Alford, decided to he would take a job with Standard Oil in Birmingham. He had been in charge of sales, bookkeeping, banking and inventory. Dad was charge of the employees, mechanical work, welding, the parts department, glass for car windows and windshields and backlights, the paint department and painting and State Farm Insurance claims. That was a lucrative business!
As you can tell, Clay left us with the task of taking care of “front”! It was in 1953 and I was 12 years old. Before he left, he gave me a crash course in bookkeeping! When he actually left, I found out that was no picnic! I did know it yet, but my fortunes were about change, speaking literally.
Working late one night, I received a phone call. Thinking I was my Mom wanting to know I was coming home. But to my surprise, it was my District Manager from Atlanta. He introduced me as Bob Poor, his NEW DM. He was spending the night in Oxford and planned to be here around 9 tomorrow, if I would be available. Since I would not be in school, so I said yes. He said he would be here tomorrow.
I had never seen a District Manager and my Dad had seen one seldom. If I had that job, I swore that I would see all my dealers once a month. I was to see how prophetic that would become!
I was a godsend! He only straightened out the financial report I had to send to the Zone Office each month, he showed me report a profit each month, because I switched to proration and instead of cash reporting. I guess he was in the dealership a half dozen times in the first month! He most of the time he spent a whole day in the dealership each visit. He would not visit each month, but once in five or six weeks. I got to know him quite well. I was to meet him again in the future, in his same job!
This is an excerpt from my logues of record!
D. KEITH INGRAM
