photo by steed media service

Stephen Magowan has Volvo in his blood. He’s been with the company for decades. He began his career as a technician in 1974 and rose through the ranks to become president of Charlotte’s University Volvo, so he understands the brand better than most. “I guess that gives me 34 model years of Volvo experience,” he laughs, and acknowledges that he is happy that some things haven’t changed over the decades. “The Volvo focus on leadership and safety is the same, we still have incomparable safety ... the car has gone from a functional car to a car with real style, but in the change, function and safety [have] remained at the forefront.”

Magowan makes sure that all of his colleagues understand the significance of that consistency and that they work to maintain a standard of excellence — both in the showroom and in the community.

“We’ve got 35 employees, many of them have been here 20 years,” he says. “[They] sell 600 Volvos a year, and we try to have a presence in the community and we work on a lot of charity projects.” Magowan, a Johnson C. Smith University board member, is affiliated with the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and participates in a number of other civic organizations. He’s especially proud of Volvo’s commitment to safety for all customers. “The thing that I’m most proud of that Volvo has accomplished is the safety leadership,” he says. “They have designed or developed almost every safety functional feature in any automobile. We’re really proud that we represent a company like that, that had that single-minded focus on auto safety.” -todd williams

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