Meet Wanda Cronic Howell | Owner Dealer, Cronic Automotive Group

We had the good fortune of connecting with Wanda Cronic Howell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Wanda, what role has risk played in your life or career?
There are often national car dealer meetings in Las Vegas. I get the question, “How much did you gamble?” My answer is always I have enough risk every day in running three car dealerships. I don’t need to gamble. One of our biggest risks is in undertaking and completing an over $4 million dollar renovation at Cronic Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM in Griffin.

Even though it’s a large investment in our community, and leaves us with a lot of dust and noise to deal with, it’s always worth upgrading facilities to create a better customer experience. As an owner-dealer, I couldn’t be happier with the direction it’s going. I eagerly anticipate celebrating with the community when we have our grand re-opening. And it’s nice to have two other Cronic dealerships that have already undergone a new build or major renovation at this time.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our dealerships started nearly fifty years ago by my dad. I joined him in business after getting my master’s degree in business education about forty years ago. I still remember serving Cokes at our grand opening in 1975 in downtown Griffin. I worked my way up from the sales floor to management, and now ownership, so I appreciate the challenges that our team faces.

It’s never easy to operate three separate businesses that total 125 employees. From managing people to cashflow to exceeding customer expectations, it’s a high bar we set for ourselves, and I’ve never thought that failure was an option.

I’m asked sometimes if I plan to retire anytime soon. I tell them I hope I get to be like my dad working until the last day of my life. My philosophy in life and business is, “You’re either in or you’re out.” And I’m decidedly IN!

I want the world to know that there are Cronic car dealerships in Griffin, Georgia, that put the community first. We serve the community that our customers live in. We look to make it better for them, all the time. We have a long, long list of nonprofits, schools, and programs that we support as part of our commitment.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had a friend visiting from out of town, I want to bring them home to Griffin. We have some delicious restaurants in the area, including J. Henry’s in Griffin, Grits Cafe in Forsyth, and Due South in Peachtree City. A great time to visit me is over Halloween. It’s my favorite holiday, orange is even my favorite color. I throw a epic Halloween party every year. This year we included creepy eats, a storyteller, cackling witches on my lawn, sound effects, a fog machine, and a DJ spinning Halloween tunes. I invited women from my business organization, employees, neighbors, customers, family and friends.

Any other time of the year, I encourage people to attend Griffin festivities sponsored by the Downtown Council and the Chamber of Commerce.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As a woman in a business that is traditionally run by men, I always make an effort to network, connect, and lift up women in business. That’s why I belong to three business women’s organizations. These are the Griffin Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association, the Business Women of Fayette and Coweta, and the Peachtree City Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association.

Through those groups, I’ve been personally responsible for raising and distributing funds for scholarships as the education chair for ABWA in Griffin. My dealerships have been a major sponsor of the fundraisers for all three organizations, often supporting nonprofits serving women and children.

The women in these groups encourage and inspire me to be a better business leader.

Website: croniccars.com

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