Black Dealer Makes History

Nissan North America Inc.'s (NNA) Southwest region opens its first African-American-owned dealership in Fontana, CA.

Marcellus Wims, a 12-year veteran of the automotive industry, will operate Fontana Nissan.

With his appointment of Wims as dealer-principal, Nissan will have at least one African-American dealer in all of its Nissan and Infiniti regions, making for a total of 23 African-American-owned dealerships. NNA has increased its number of African-American-owned dealerships nationwide by 188% since 1998.

“The appointment of an African-American dealer supports Nissan's commitment to improve diversity among its dealer body,” says NNA's Kent Brawner, a regional vice president. “We are privileged to have Wims, a seasoned leader in the automotive industry, as a member of the Nissan team.”

Says Wimns, “It is definitely an exciting time to join the Nissan family, and I am looking forward to utilizing my expertise to meet the needs of Nissan's increasingly diverse customer base and to help Nissan exceed its global objectives.”