Type: Public
On the web: http://www.sonicautomotive.com
Employees: 9,200
Employee growth: 0.0%

No stranger to speed, O. Bruton Smith has raced Sonic Automotive to the front of the pack of US auto dealers behind larger rivals, such as AutoNation and Penske Automotive. Founded with five dealerships in 1997, Sonic today owns about 120 new- and used-vehicle dealerships and about 25 collision repair centers in major markets in 15 states, including Texas, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Georgia . The company sells some 30 brands of cars and light trucks and offers vehicle financing. Chairman Smith, who runs Sonic Automotive with his son Scott, is also the majority owner of Speedway Motorsports, which operates more than half a dozen NASCAR auto racetracks.

Key numbers for fiscal year ending December, 2010:
Sales: $6,880.8M
One year growth: 12.2%
Net income: $89.9M
Income growth: 185.1%

Officers:
Chairman and CEO: O. Bruton Smith
President, Chief Strategic Officer, and Director: B. Scott (Scott) Smith
EVP Operations: Frank J. (Jeff) Dyke

Competitors:
AutoNation
CarMax
Penske Automotive Group

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