Welcome to Coulter Automotive Group

In many ways, the evolution of the Coulter Automotive Group is the story of the growth and prosperity of the Greater Phoenix area. Four years after the Grand Canyon National Park was founded, C.W. Coulter became a partner in Snow and Tufts, an Oldsmobile/LaSalle dealership in central Phoenix. In 1923, the dealership was awarded the first Cadillac franchise in Arizona. By 1926, slightly more than a decade after the Arizona Territory became a state, the dealership was renamed Coulter Motor Company, forming the rock on which the firm’s reputation was founded.

The original Coulter dealership at Central Avenue and Van Buren was at the hub of the young City’s unique and vital businesses. The Salt River Valley became known across the country as “The Valley of the Sun.” The San Carlos Hotel with its innovative air conditioning and elevators opened a block away from the original dealership, and the City’s tallest building, the Westward Ho, was its neighbor to the west. During this time of excitement and new beginnings, C.W. Coulter began laying the groundwork for the Coulter Motor Company’s culture of exceptional service. Through the boom years of the 20s, through the Great Depression and even World War II, the Coulter family tradition of selling the highest quality automobiles backed by responsive customer service established the Coulter brand that has no equal in the Greater Phoenix Area yet today.

Coulter Motor Co Vintage Storefront

The next generation of the Coulter family, Dean Coulter, worked his way up from an entry position in the shop in 1933 to sole ownership of the company in 1968. He continued to expand the Coulter sales and service reputation, and the business was renamed Coulter Cadillac. As the Phoenix population surged past 200,000, suburban growth moved the City’s hub northward to Camelback Road. Coulter Cadillac opened in its new location at 12th Street and Camelback Road with a huge celebration in 1971. Searchlights generally reserved for movie premiers lit up the sky over the 20-mile square Phoenix metro area, and could be seen as far away as Mesa and Glendale. The dealership on Camelback became an instant landmark with its iconic “car on the roof.” The Coulter culture of thoughtfully treating everyone who comes through its doors with the utmost courtesy and respect includes the wide-eyed and curious of all ages who continue to ask to this day, “How do you get that car up there?”

Mr. William “Bill” Coulter is the third generation business leader to continue the tradition of unequaled service across the Coulter enterprise. As the City of Phoenix grew to cover 255 sq. miles, the Coulter AutomotiveGroup expanded to include Buick and GMC dealerships to the Cadillac dealership in the Camelback location. They have since opened the spacious Coulter Motor Company in the Tempe Autoplex off of I-10, providing Cadillac, Buick, and GMC products and service to a location convenient to Phoenix, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert and Ahwatukee. Coulter Nissan was established to expand the Coulter presence on the West side of the Valley, serving Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Avondale, and Sun City. The latest Coulter luxury brand, Coulter Infiniti, was added to extend the Coulter brand of excellence to the East Valley.

The Coulter Tradition Expands with the Valley

While dozens of dealerships across the State of Arizona have come and gone over the 87 years, the Coulter family remains successful because their culture of striving for exceptional service extends to every customer interaction. C.W. Coulter knew that treating his employees like family and supporting their efforts to keep the company’s service commitment always in mind was a business model that would endure. Today, Bill Coulter manages a 516-member “family” of loyal employees that carry on this simple philosophy: treat every customer with respect, provide welcoming sales and service environments, sell automobiles at a competitive price, and above all, make sure every service experience inspires trust and loyalty.

Owning an automobile is more than having a means to get from one place to another. For many, it represents a significant investment, second only to owning a home. With the advent of the Internet, comparative car shopping has reached a new level for consumers, and yet car owners are still dependent on the integrity of the dealership they choose. There is a reason why Coulter Motor Company remains the dealership of choice for three and four generations of luxury car buyers: Coulter employees are dedicated to making every customer a part of the Coulter family for their car-buying life.

We invite you to come in to a Coulter dealership and let the Coulter team show you the way the car-ownership experience is meant to be. We believe everyone deserves to enjoy the Coulter Experience.

Meet the Coulter Team
The Coulter family helped shape the quality of life in Phoenix, Arizona, and the Coulter brand defines the essence of true quality service.

    How does an organization build and maintain a standard of excellence for nearly 100 years?

They start by attracting, training and promoting the best automotive specialists in the field. They provide an environment where employees feel valued and proud that each has his or her unique role to play in maintaining the company’s tradition of exceptional service.

Leadership doesn’t happen in a vacuum. At Coulter Automotive Group, more than 500 employees work in concert toward a common goal: to convert prospects into Coulter customers for life. The Coulter management team is encouraged to lead by example, creating an atmosphere where satisfied employees look forward to coming to work, and enjoy personal satisfaction from their customer interactions.

    Employee Satisfaction is the Cornerstone of the Coulter Experience

And it has proven to be a very successful business strategy. Few Arizona dealerships can boast the numbers of employees who have worked for a single employer for the majority of their careers. Denny Yates, Parts Manager at the Coulter Motor Company in Tempe, has been with Coulter for 34 years. “I feel grateful to work for a company that trusts and takes such good care of its employees that we want to pass those same feelings on to our customers. No department is under pressure to meet arbitrary sales or service quotas. Our managers constantly challenge us with ‘What can we do better’ to serve our customers, and encourage all departments across the agency to look for little ways to improve the Coulter Experience.”

Crystal Zenko at Coulter Infiniti describes the Coulter Experience from another point of view. “I have never worked for a dealership that was so respectful of the role each person plays in the success of the overall agency. Shortly after I joined the company, Mr. Coulter hosted an appreciation dinner for the clerical support staff that manage the accounting and finance side of the business. We got a rare opportunity to network with our counterparts across the dealerships, and I was surprised and pleased that Mr. Coulter knew us by name. It is a real incentive to do your best work when you don’t feel like you are on the edge of your seat hoping you don’t make a mistake. This organization makes the best use of the best people in the business.”

    Creating Coulter Customers for Life is a Long-Term Strategy

Brian Pearce at Coulter Nissan relates the Coulter Experience from the sales perspective.

“I love to have a new customer walk in who is all geared up to fight through the typical “hot box” car-buying routine. As Coulter sales staff, we are empowered to take a potential customer through the whole process of matching their “needs” and their “wants” to an automobile that fits both their dreams and their budget. I love the feeling that I am supported in doing the kind of job that makes me proud to be car sales professional. At the end of a busy day it feels good to see someone who was defensive and afraid of being taken advantage of when he came through our door start to relax and really enjoy buying their new vehicle. The real benefit of the Coulter sales philosophy is that it enables us to win over customers who trust us enough to refer their friends and family.”

Ruth Girardi, Executive Assistant to Bill Coulter for more than 30 years, sums up the Coulter Automotive Group’s successful business strategy.

“Our management believes that employees who feel cared for take the best care of our customers. We have some of the most comprehensive benefits in the industry, and make a significant financial commitment to ensure that our employees feel like the company is providing for their needs. We want our employees to be able to concentrate on our customer’s needs because they feel that their employer ‘has their back.’ Management also believes that people who are treated respectfully act respectfully toward others. We feel listened to, and are encouraged to be creative problem-solvers who go to great lengths to fulfill our promises to our customers. It’s rewarding to feel such pride and satisfaction about coming to work.”

Creating the Coulter Experience is more than the product of a dedicated team working toward a single goal: it is the essence of almost a century of the Coulter Automotive Group’s success.

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