Dateline: August 8, 2002

Suna to become new owner of dealership 

Mark Suna has big city origins, but the future owner of Chamberlain Motor Company – to be re-named Suna AutoMall – says he is ready for life in the small town.

“The town has been wonderful,” Suna said. “The banks here – the Herring National Bank and the Community Bank – have rallied around to make this sale possible. The hospitality given to me as an outsider has been wonderful.”

The New York City native says he wants to get involved in civic activities and work to make the town grow, and he wants Suna AutoMall to help lead the way.

“I’m not treating it as my dealership,” he said. “I’m treating it as a part of Clarendon.”

Suna says he wants to open the dealership for civic events and plans to hold either monthly or bi-monthly activities to bring people out to enjoy his facility whether they buy a car or not.

While the look of the dealership may change, other things will stay the same at the dealership. Suna says he’s keeping all the current employees, and folks who purchased cars from Chamberlain’s can still get quality service for their vehicles. And Suna AutoMall will still be a full-line General Motors dealer, although it will no long sell Oldsmobiles since GM is discontinuing that line of cars.

A GM Boutique will be added to sell GM branded merchandise.

Suna also plans on adding to the employee roster as he triples the inventory of cars and works to achieve his goal of selling 70 or more new cars per month.

“Our motto will be ‘No one walks away from Suna AutoMall; they drive away,’” he said. “Whatever it takes to earn people’s business is what we’ll do.”

Suna has had a varied career. Born and raised in New York, he studied psychology and became a university lecturer. He later hosted a radio talk show and worked as a motivational speaker. He left New York and lived in Louisville, Kentucky, for 24 years before moving to Dallas 3½ years ago where a friend taught him the ropes of the auto industry.

He was looking for a dealership of his own when Trey Chamberlain offered him the opportunity.

“When I came to Clarendon and saw the town and saw the dealership, from a spiritual standpoint I knew this was the dealership for me,” he said.

Suna says Chamberlain made the dealership available at a good price when he could have gotten more money from someone else. But Chamberlain wanted to sell to someone who would make Clarendon his home.

“That says something about the previous owner and his commitment to the community,” Suna said. “Now I want to make him proud.”