Evan Perkins, president, Dan Perkins Auto Group, will speak on “The Evolution of the Retail Car Business” at the Westport Sunrise Rotary breakfast meeting on Friday, May 3rd. The meeting will be held at Bobby Q’s, 42 Main St., Westport at 7:30 a.m. Guests are welcome. There is a $12 fee for the meeting which includes a breakfast buffet.
Perkins will discuss the change of attitudes and business models surrounding the retail car business after the 2008 financial crisis. He will also talk about the increasing importance of the internet and social media in influencing today's car buying decisions. The Dan Perkins Auto Group currently comprises Dan Perkins Subaru, Honda of Westport, and White Plains Buick GMC.
Perkins was born in South Africa in 1965, where his father, Dan Perkins, was one of the country’s largest Toyota dealers. He finished his schooling at Greenwich High School after the relocation of his family’s automotive interests, first to London in 1979, and then to Milford, CT, in 1981. He attended Boston University where he earned a B.S. in Business in 1987.
Following graduation, Perkins began his automotive retail career in Boston, followed by a stint as an automotive wholesaler in Connecticut. In 1990 he joined Dan Perkins Subaru and Dan Perkins Chevrolet as sales manager. Upon Dan Perkins being awarded a Saturn franchise, he was appointed general manager with full responsibility for its development. Stores were opened in Stamford in 1991, Larchmont in 1992, and White Plains in 1995. In 2004 he took over full responsibility for the Dan Perkins Auto Group which, at that time, comprised Dan Perkins Chevrolet, Dan Perkins Subaru, Saturn of Stamford, Saturn of Larchmont, and Saturn of White Plains. In 2006 he consolidated the Saturn interests into the White Plains store and was instrumental in the acquisition of the Honda franchise in Westport. After General Motors eliminated their Saturn brand, he re-launched the White Plains store as a Buick GMC dealership in 2010. He sold the Chevrolet franchise in 2011. Perkins is married, has two daughters, and lives in Westport, CT.
Westport Sunrise Rotary supports a wide range of charitable programs locally and internationally, serving all ages, in four categories: community service, including Gillespie Center and Staples Student of the Month; vocational service, such as the District Four-Way Speech Contest; international service, including worldwide polio eradication; and local organizations, including Cancer Care, CLASP, Earthplace, HomesWithHope, Meals on Wheels, Project Return, Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, STAR and Westport Youth Film Festival. Funds are raised through various Sunrise Rotary-sponsored events annually, including a Duck Race in June and a Wine Tasting in October. A complete list of organizations that Westport Sunrise Rotary serves is available at http://www.westportsunriserotary.com/charities.html
The members of the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club are a diverse group of business and professional leaders who contribute their time, talents and financial support to aid local charities, youth programs and international humanitarian programs. They are dedicated to encouraging high ethical standards in all club activities and to helping Rotary International build goodwill and peace in the world. The club participates with 1.2 million fellow Rotarians in 33,000 clubs around the world to uphold Rotary’s motto of "Service above Self."