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Our History
W.I. Simonson, Inc. is one of the original Mercedes-Benz dealerships in the United
States. Three generations of the same family have owned and operated this
service-oriented business for more than 60 years.
Our founder, William I. "Bill" Simonson's favorite saying was, "If you treat your
customers fairly, they'll always come back." It was the philosophy on which he built
his business.
When the Great Depression hit and selling cars became virtually impossible, Simonson
refused to be deterred. He obtained a line of credit from a local banker, rented a
warehouse and opened a modified taxi and touring service, thus surviving the
Depression without having to liquidate his property. By 1934, people were buying
cars again and in 1937, he purchased a dealership in Santa Monica.
His acumen with employees and his customers earned the company a loyal following that
included the likes of Will Rogers and Mary Pickford.
On June 13, 1957, Bill signed on with Mercedes-Benz thus becoming one of the first
20 dealerships in the nation. It remains one of a handful of U.S. Mercedes-Benz
dealerships still run by those original families and one of only two still owned
in California.
After Simonson, passed away in 1976, his daughter Mary Simonson Rehwald assumed the
Presidency. It was a time when very few women were in business for themselves, let
alone owning and operating an automobile dealership. "But my father believed I could
do it and I had confidence in myself," said Mary Rehwald.
That confidence was well founded. The dealership thrived for a decade under her
leadership. In 1986, a year before the anniversary of 50 years in business, tragedy
struck. A cigarette is believed to have started a fast-moving fire that destroyed the
showroom and business offices. No one was injured and all customer cars in for service
were removed before sustaining any damage but all the company records and 21 new cars
on the showroom floor were destroyed.
Miraculously, W.I. Simonson was open for business the very next day and every employee
was on the job.
Seven months after the fire, Mary Rehwald hosted a groundbreaking celebration for a
$2.2 million reconstruction project. By now, all three Rehwald children worked full
time at the dealership, and the family made the decision to replace the 1922 Spanish
Revival style building as close to the original as possible.
The task was enormous since plans of the building no longer existed. To aid in the
process, photographs were supplied by the niece of the original builder. The rebuilding
was completed in February of 1988 and included attention to historic details. Exact
reproductions of the ceramic tiles were manufactured by the Malibu Tile Company, the
same firm that made the original tiles.
The restored 29,000 square-foot building has won numerous awards including: The Los
Angeles Conservancy Preservation Award, The California Historical Society Award of
Merit, resolutions of mendation from the City of Santa Monica Landmarks Commission
and the City of Los Angeles, and the Annual Preservation Award from the Santa Monica
Historical Society.
In June 1997, W.I. Simonson celebrated 60 years in business and 40 years as a
Mercedes-Benz dealer. That might seem like the epitome of success when coupled with
the fact that W.I. Simonson has consistently been ranked one of the top ten Mercedes-Benz
dealerships in the United States. But true success, according to Mary Simonson Rehwald,
came first in 1994.
"That was when I told my three children that I wanted them to run the business," said
Rehwald. "My father gave it to me and I wanted to be able to do the same for my children."
Today, the three manage day-to-day operations. William Rehwald serves as chief financial
officer. His two sisters Judy Richards and Frances Rehwald share the title of general
manager. One sister holds the actual position for three months, then the other takes
over for three months. Frances is also in charge of marketing and advertising,
while Judy oversees human resources and personnel. It is a unique arrangement that
Mary Rehwald says serves the company well and takes advantage of the strengths of
each of her children.
One strength of a company has been to recognize that more and more women are buying
cars and there is a need to ensure that all personnel treat Simonson's customers with
equality. There is a conscious effort to promote women into positions of leadership.
Women's service clinics have been developed to inform women customers about engines,
auto components and servicing requirements. "We believe an educated
automotive consumer is a better consumer," said Frances Rehwald.
That level of concern extends to active involvement in the Santa Monica community where
they have been significant contributors to the YMCA, the Westside Women's Health Center,
the Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center, the Santa Monica Historical Society, the Santa Monica
Symphony, L.A. Baroque Orchestra, Carlthorpe School various environmental concerns and
Santa Monica High School and Santa Monica College where three generations of the family
have attended.
As a fourth generation prepares to assume the mantle of leadership, the dealership is
expanding to accommodate the customers and vehicles of the future and the family of
W.I. Simonson stands ready to meet the challenge of 21st Century.
Meet Our Staff
Mary Rehwald
President
Francie Rehwald
Marketing Director/Co-General Manager
Judy Richards
Vice President/Co-General Manager
Bill Rehwald
Chief Financial Officer
Jeff Askew
Controller
Debbie Jorquera
Office Manager
Steve Nicholas
New Car Sales Manager
Art Podell
Finance Director/Assistant New Car Sales Manager
Bruce Cohen
Pre-Owned Sales Manager
Mark Figueroa
Assistant Resale Manager
Cliff Wong
Service Director
Steve Kaleff
Service Manager
James (JJ) Jones
Parts Manager
Tim Engel
Assistant Parts Manager
Reiner Hawner
Finance Manager
Jerry Gellis
Finance Manager
Awards & Sponsorships
We realize that we share a certain responsibility to support the community that we
are a part of. That's why we support community-building organizations in the area.
As part of the Santa Monica community, it's nice to know that we're not just your
Mercedes-Benz Dealership, we're a friend of the family.
As a matter of fact, we have developed this web page to keep you informed of the
things we're doing to make a difference. Check back often to find out about upcoming
events and things we're doing to give back to our neighbors.
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