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Crown Automotive Mourns the Loss of Dwayne Hawkins, Founder & CEO
St. Petersburg, FL - December 30, 2020
A true automotive industry icon, Dwayne spearheaded the growth of our Crown Automotive Group, which today comprises 22 dealerships in three states, employing more than 1,100 people.
It was a business he started back on April 1, 1969 out of a run-down, one-car showroom in St. Petersburg, Florida. But Dwayne Hawkins' greatest legacy will be his single-minded passion and dedication to giving back to his local community.
For more than 50 years, he enthusiastically supported causes - with both time and funds - ranging from St. Petersburg's Bayfront Hospital and Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, to Tampa's Moffitt Cancer Center where he founded the Hawkins Stem Cell Fund. Dwayne as a director was part of the board that helped shape the Pinellas Education Foundation which is today the top education foundation in the US.
And over the years, he opened the doors to Crown showrooms so that a small army of employees and customers could package over one million meals for the Feeding Children Everywhere initiative.
As a dedicated supporter of Habitat for Humanity, he financed and rallied the Crown workforce to build affordable housing for ten low-income, local families.
Dwayne was most recently honored by the Tampa Bay Lightning as a Community Hero, with the $50,000 award donated to the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, Florida Dream Center, Starting Right, Now and Christian Home & Bible School.
In 2015 Dwayne was voted by his peers as the TIME Dealer of the Year for the State of Florida, a most significant dealer award in the automotive industry, with recognition at the National Auto Dealers Association annual convention that year.
Dwayne was also to be inducted into the prestigious Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame in 2020, however the induction ceremony was deferred until 2021 due to the pandemic.
Jim Myers, President and COO of Crown Automotive said, "As many honors and awards that Dwayne received, I am sure he would tell you that the thing he was most proud of was his Crown team. Dwayne told me recently that he believed our team to be amongst the very best in the automotive industry, anywhere."
Our indelible memories of Dwayne are with shirt sleeves rolled up, completely engaged in dealership operations. Myers also stated, "It is truly too bad that everyone could not have gotten to know Dwayne, as they would have enjoyed his friendly, humble, and down to earth demeanor. He was a great leader, mentor, and friend to his Crown team and associates."
Dwayne’s son Kevin laments in announcing his father’s passing, "What a great Dad, friend and mentor he was to me. His loss to the Crown family is immense. Dwayne Hawkins was an inspirational and visionary leader, a dedicated and passionate giver, and a truly remarkable human being. He will be sorely missed. "Kevin Hawkins will succeed as principal Dealer and Chairman of the Crown Automotive Group.
Over the last 50 years, Crown Automotive Group has grown into one of the largest privately-owned dealership groups in the nation with operations in Florida, Ohio, and Tennessee.
Every Crown Automotive dealership features an extensive selection of new, certified, and meticulously inspected pre-owned vehicles with financing options for every budget.
Customers can also expect superior service from a team of highly trained technicians at Crown's signature award-winning service facilities. Driven by four core values: Customer Focus, Teamwork, Integrity, and Growth, the group is committed to providing each customer with The Better Way To Buy® for 50 years.
Visit http://www.crowncars.com for more information on Crown Automotive Group and The Better Way To Buy®.
