In Print. Online. In Person.
In Print. Online. In Person.
First as an employee and then under contract, Ron Smith launches Used Car Dealer, a monthly magazine owned by the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association. UCD focuses on the business dealings of NIADA members. Ron handles UCD until NIADA takes it in house.
Ron, who has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, opens his own public relations agency, Smith & Associates. The agency, now S&A Communications, remains vital today as the longest continuously operating PR firm in North Carolina.
Ron establishes Cherokee Publishing Company (later Cherokee Media Group) to publish his own bi-monthly magazine, Used Car Merchandising, about the used car operations of franchise dealers. UCM is the first national, non-association publication in the industry.
Used Car Merchandising becomes Auto Remarketing, a title that is more industry focused to cover fully the retail and wholesale used car industry. The publication moves from bi-monthly to monthly.
Bill Zadeits joins the company as an advertising sales account executive. He is now President and Group Publisher of Cherokee Media Group and an owner/principle of the company.
Auto Remarketing Today is launched as the industry’s first B2B e-newsletter focused on the used car market. The first remarketing industry event takes place in Scottsdale, Arizona, establishing CMG’s events business.
Following the 9/11 attacks, many industry events are cancelled. CMG produces an industry event in February in Las Vegas-The National Remarketing Conference.
Amanda Dunlap joins the company as an advertising account executive. Amanda is now our Senior Vice President of Marketing & Events. Chuck Norman also joins the company as an account executive in the marketing communications division. They are both now owners/principles of the company. Cherokee Media Group launches Cary Magazine, a city/regional magazine that expands the company’s reach outside of the auto remarketing industry.