Remembering an ‘iconic figure’
"Sax Lloyd was an iconic figure, both locally as well as nationally," said
For decades, the dealership, which will celebrate its 90th anniversary next year, was a fixture on
While Lloyd passed away in 1991, his contributions to better both his community, state and industry live on, both in the form of both the
His descendants also continue to carry on his legacy in more ways than one.
His grandson
Another grandson,
Only 27 at the time, Lloyd not only managed the keep the business going, he went on to become president of both the
The one who got away
Arguably, one of Lloyd's most momentous acts was his decision in 1935 to hire a young newcomer as a mechanic at his dealership.
The newcomer's name was
"He came in here, a big, tall and gangling young fella, we're about the same age," Lloyd recalled in an audio recording.
"(France) said he'd like to have a job and he'd been a mechanic in
Lloyd said France proved to be a "top-flight mechanic" who also enjoyed racing cars in his spare time.
But when France asked to be promoted to service manager the next year following a sudden opening, Lloyd turned him down.
"I said, 'Well, Bill, I don't think you have enough experience. I don't believe you can do the job. I don't think you have that ability," Lloyd recalled.
He later came to regret that decision.
"Now here I am, talking to the man who is subsequently going to be the greatest figure in racing in the world of today, and running one of the largest enterprises in racing in the world today," Lloyd recalled, "and I didn't think he had the ability to be a service manager. He reminds me of that every time we get together."
France quit Lloyd's dealership to open a gas station/auto repair shop on the site of what is now the
Lloyd, who remained friends with France, later played an instrumental role in helping France secure the financing needed to build
'Point of pride'
Lloyd's legacy is about to grow further next year when the new 11-story headquarters for
The new headquarters is expected to become a major catalyst in revitalizing the city's historic downtown by bringing hundreds of white-collar professionals to the area, including some whom the insurance giant is transferring from other parts of the country.
One Brown & Brown executive relocating to the new headquarters complex is
"It's a great point of pride," the younger Lloyd said about the site his family's old dealership becoming the new home of Brown & Brown.
Learning 'on the fly'
Sax Lloyd's journey to becoming a successful businessman included narrowly dodging bankruptcy, not once but twice.
The first time was upon succeeding the late Goldenburg, when Lloyd quickly learned the dealership was nearly insolvent, owing
"He had to learn on the fly (how to survive in business)," recalled
Also adding to the challenge was the fact that the country was still reeling from the Great Depression.
The business' equity partner, a sugar magnate based in
"They were very difficult times, but he just persevered,"
After getting his dealership back on the right foot, Sax Lloyd faced another challenge when the federal government halted all production of new cars during World War II.
When the war ended and the moratorium on new car production was lifted, the dealership began to prosper once again, allowing Lloyd to buy out the equity partner.
Expanding his sphere of influence
But he wasn't content to just grow his own business.
In the mid-'50s, then-Gov.
In a video clip found on the website for the
"All of us in
Lloyd was also appointed chairman of the
Helping an old friend
When
Sax Lloyd agreed to lead the newly formed
"Out of gratitude,
Carrying on the family legacy
As adults, they joined him in running the business and continued to operate it following their father's death until selling it to
While
'Community-minded people'
Ritchey, a former
"The Lloyds are all community-minded people who want nothing but the best for our community," Ritchey said.
Ritchey, who is also the longtime owner/CEO of
"He (Sax Lloyd) was quite a person. He wasn't afraid to speak his mind; not to tear down, but rather to tell people 'We can do better as a community,'" Ritchey recalled.
"From a business standpoint, two wonderful things have happened to us," said
By then, it had become overgrown with tall weeds, mounds of trash and broken concrete left over from the demolition of the old dealership buildings in 2012.
"It sat for years with weeds growing and had become an eyesore," said
When
"If this is the start of a new era for downtown, it's a great thing," he said.
"We've been intertwined with
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