History
1911
Sewell begins life as a car dealership. And general store. And movie theater. And livery stable (Nobody is sure yet whether cars will catch on).
1929
The Great Depression hits. The three banks in which Carl Sewell Sr. has cautiously placed his money all close on the same day. Rather than give up, he heads to the tiny town of Crane in the newly discovered West Texas oilfields. The move pays off - he starts a successful car business and meets his future wife, Louise.
1941
Despite the nation's hard times, the Sewell business thrives in West Texas, thanks to Carl Sr.'s philosophy of service. But Dallas is calling and Carl and Louise decide to bring the Sewell way of serving customers back to the area where it all started.
1957
Through the 40's and 50's, Sewell builds a loyal following with its existing dealerships. Then the Sewell Village Cadillac sign is installed at Mockingbird Lane and Preston Road. The dealership that defines service and the Marque that defines luxury are together at last.
1972
On May 5, Carl Sewell Sr. dies - but not before selling a Cadillac earlier that day. His legacy of leadership passes to his cousin, John, and his son, Carl Sewell Jr. Carl Sr.'s principles of service live on. Customers become repeat customers. They send their friends. Soon, Sewell Village Cadillac is outgrowing its home.
1980
Sewell is on the move, opening a Cadillac dealership in San Antonio and, in Dallas, heading for bigger quarters: 8.6 acres on Lemmon Avenue, across from Love Field. Sewell's unique brand of obsessive service remains consistent throughout. Customers love it.
1990
Carl Sewell shares his service secretes and creates an international bestseller, Customers for Life. Carl's book sells over 1 Million copies and is still in print (and as an e-book) today.
2004
The Sewell service philosophy expands to Grapevine, Texas, with the opening of Sewell Cadillac of Grapevine near DFW International Airport.
2011
Sewell celebrates 100 years in business by unveiling its latest Cadillac dealership in West Houston.
ASSOCIATES & CAREERS
People who work at Ken Batchelor are smart and talented. We know, because our interview process includes testing for intelligence and aptitude. We recruit at top universities and colleges. We also hire many experienced professionals seeking a long-term career with plenty of opportunities for growth in responsibility and income. Bringing together a lot of high-performing people in an organization with high standards of service creates a spirited atmosphere, an organization that feels elite, but not elitist. We help keep each other on our toes. And it shows. As the owner of a neighboring business told one of our managers, "You guys just carry yourselves differently."
OUR FACILITIES
We build exceptionally nice facilities because we judge ourselves not against other car dealerships but against all the other fine retail and service organizations that serve our customers. It is important to us that you enjoy your experience and feel the respect and appreciation you deserve. In addition, we place a premium on providing an efficient and comfortable workplace for the associates who are the lifeblood of our service.
Customers For Life
We're Happy to Share Our Service Secrets
Carl Sewell Sr. may have written the book on service, figuratively speaking, back in the early 1900s, but it took his son, Carl Sewell, decades later, to write the book on service literally. He did it in response to the untold hundreds of visitors, callers, and correspondents who asked how a car dealership, of all things, could be one of the most effective service companies in the world. The principles work in any industry - a fact that made Customers for Life an international bestseller. It has been translated into 19 languages and has sold over 1 million copies.
