Company Donates More Than $35,000 to Local Nonprofits
RICHMOND, Virginia. (May 15, 2014) – CarMax, Inc., (NYSE: KMX), the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, officially opened its first store in Spokane, Washington today. The store, located at 7814 East Sprague Avenue, is the company’s first store in Washington state and the first store in the Pacific Northwest.
“We are excited that our growth has allowed us to introduce the unique CarMax concept to car shoppers in Washington state and the Pacific Northwest,” said Tom Folliard, president and CEO of CarMax. “We are committed to not only providing the best service to our customers, but also to serving the communities in which our associates live and work by giving back to organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Spokane County.”
During a grand opening celebration, CarMax announced that The CarMax Foundation will invest more than $20,000 into providing the Boys & Girls Club of Spokane County – Northtown Club with an Imagination Playground. Imagination Playground is an innovative design in play equipment that encourages creativity, communication, and collaboration in play. With a collection of custom-designed, oversized blue foam parts, Imagination Playground provides a changing array of elements that allow children to turn their playground into a space constantly built and re-built by their imagination. The playground will be donated as part of The CarMax Foundation’s $4.1 million national partnership with KaBOOM!, the national nonprofit ensuring that all kids get the balance of play they need to become healthy and successful adults.
Local dignitaries and CarMax associates attended a grand opening event at the new location today. The event included a “Road Rally” for charity featuring local television personalities competing in contests, including a game of driving skill. CarMax donated $1,000 to each participant’s charity, and the winner’s charity received an additional $1,000.
The CarMax Spokane Road Rally participants and their charities of choice included KKZX host Jason McCollim driving for Inland Empire Bloodhounds Search and Rescue; KCDA host Ben Marcotte for American Heart Association - Spokane; KXLY anchor Mark Peterson for Coats 4 Kids; and KREM host of Live Well Spokane Kelly Welsh driving for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Northwest.
The CarMax Foundation also announced a $10,000 grant to Communities in Schools of Spokane County. This grant came at the recommendation of local CarMax associates. The CarMax Foundation has granted more than $20 million on behalf of associates across the country since 2003. CarMax also is also a proud Court Sponsor of Spokane Hoopfest.
CarMax opened its first store in Richmond, Virginia, 20 years ago after the company surveyed thousands of consumers to find out what they liked and disliked about car shopping. CarMax was designed according to the survey responses, giving consumers what they asked for:
Low Prices
- No hassles, no haggling on all four parts of the car purchase:
- The price of the vehicle, which is posted clearly on the car and on carmax.com
- An optional extended service plan so consumers can choose the plan that’s right for them
- Financing, with all options displayed on a computer for the consumer to review
- The “trade-in,” a written offer good for seven days whether or not the customer buys a car from CarMax
Broad Selection
- Nearly every make and model (both domestic and imported used vehicles)
- Used vehicles that are generally one to six years old with fewer than 60,000 miles
- More than 35,000 vehicles online at carmax.com
- Transfer most used cars to the store nearest you (often for free)
Commitment to Quality
- CarMax Quality Certified means selecting the best cars to renew and protect by:
- Careful evaluation – only one in three cars we evaluate has the quality necessary to become a CarMax car
- Investing time and money so you don’t have to – every CarMax used car undergoes a rigorous 125+ point inspection
- Providing a 30 Day Limited Warranty (60-Day in Conn., 90-Day in Mass., 90-Day in N.Y.) and 5-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Spokane-area residents also can preview CarMax vehicles by logging onto http://www.carmax.com/. The website features actual prices and photos of thousands of CarMax vehicles available nationwide. Prospective car buyers can have a used vehicle transferred from any CarMax location to the Spokane location (often for free). CarMax is sharing photos and videos from today’s event on the company Facebook page and through Twitter.
About CarMax
CarMax, a member of the FORTUNE 500 and the S&P 500, and one of the FORTUNE “100 Best Companies to Work For” for 10 consecutive years, is the nation’s largest retailer of used vehicles. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia., CarMax currently operates 135 superstores in 67 markets. The CarMax consumer offer features low, no-haggle prices, a broad selection of CarMax Quality Certified used vehicles, and superior customer service. During the 12 months ending February 28, 2014, the company retailed 526,929 used cars and sold 342,576 wholesale vehicles at our in-store auctions. For more information, access the CarMax website at http://www.carmax.com/.
Media Contacts
Casey Werderman, CarMax Public Relations, (804) 747-0422 ext. 4773
Twitter: @CarMax, Facebook: facebook.com/CarMax