AJW is named in memory of a man whose simple, successful life embodies the values that guide us today: integrity, hard work, and the insight to take a chance on new technologies.
Albert (“Eb”) Joseph Weathers was born in 1900, the child of Irish immigrants. The family lived in a small house without plumbing behind their grocery stand in Lima, Pennsylvania. Facing limited prospects, Eb and his older brother learned of a man selling automobiles a few towns away. He knew he’d found his opportunity, even though he had never ridden in a car.
After several days walking, the brothers’ charm and determination convinced the salesman to allow them to have a car that they could attempt to sell on their own. After a quick driving lesson, they brought the 1916 Dodge Brothers Roadster to the family’s grocery and put a hand-painted “For Sale” sign on the bumper. It sold the same day.
To the salesman’s great surprise, the brothers were back only days after he met them, cash in hand, asking for two cars. Weathers Dodge was among the oldest Dodge dealerships in the nation, standing on the same spot on West Baltimore Pike from its opening day until closing in 2009.
Eb and his brother knew that success comes from treating people right, and a commitment to service. For three generations, Weathers Dodge earned corporate accolades and spectacular customer loyalty. It was the latter of these accomplishments in which Eb, his brother, and their sons and grandsons took pride and dedicated themselves to sustaining. It is also what inspires us at AJW.
Albert Joseph Weathers was AJW’s founding partner’s grandfather. And while not all of us knew Mr. Weathers, we’ve all been inspired by someone whose integrity, vision, and grasp of the promise of new technology have set the path for others to follow.
