After receiving his Business Management/Entrepreneurship degree from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, JR attended the NADA Academy in preparation for a career in the dealership founded by his parents,
Jim and Becky Toothman, in 1967. He claims the most valuable part of his education was being 1,000 miles from home and learning a degree of self-reliance and the ability to adapt to adverse situations.

When his mother and father began Toothman Ford in 1967, they owned and operated the business hands-on for many years. “Many amazing people helped shape my career,” JR said. “The guidance I had from my parents has been invaluable.” However, he really never had any intention of entering the automotive business. “I’m not an avid car junkie,” he stated. (His all-time favorite car is the amazing 1966 Ford Mustang convertible, but he usually drives a Ford Escape.) “I am just more appreciative of the business and the interactions with employees and customers.” But in 1994, he came home to help his parents for “a couple of years” with the family business. And now, here he is, all these years later, with an amazing team and a business that continues to grow.

Chairman Toothman is proud of the great strides Toothman Ford has made over the years. “We’ve grown substantially in the last decade and have leased more land to keep up with our increasing inventory,” he said. “In addition, we have remodeled our dealership to ensure a welcoming, open and enjoyable experience for our customers.”

He is also a partner in Toothman and Sowers Ford in White Hall, West Virginia. Despite his growing operations, he works hard to attract and retain quality employees. In fact, Toothman Ford was named one of the nation’s Best Dealerships to Work For by Automotive News in 2018. “Our team is second to none,” our new chairman said proudly.

As with any industry, employees, supervisors, managers, owners, etc., are often influenced by several individuals along the way. JR finds that as he has progressed – in his career and life – a number of people have impacted him. Although he continually tries to learn from others in his profession – and successful people in general – he believes his father was a “tremendous mentor.” The senior Toothman displayed patience and courage, allowing JR to make mistakes without the “I told you so.” mantra.

Another advisor was Dan McCollough, sales manager at the dealership. Dan helped modernize operations and taught JR to look outside the box for answers. And Frank Sowers, a partner at one of the stores, employed a much different operations methodology than JR’s own. Still, this difference allowed him to learn, which caused him to respect the years of wisdom and experience Frank provided.

A longtime member of the Grafton community, Chairman Toothman supports organizations and initiatives that improve the health, welfare and quality of life of his neighbors. He is a generous benefactor of West Virginia University (WVU) Medicine and the WVU Cancer Institute. Additionally, his organization has donated and raised money to benefit WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital, and he sits on its Leadership Council. “We have been fortunate enough to be able to pay it forward with our charitable efforts with WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital, which is more rewarding than words can describe.”

He has also participated in the Taylor County Backpack Program, which provides nutritious meals for needy children. He supports literacy efforts, opioid prevention, youth sports camps, food drives and volunteers at the local food pantry, among many other philanthropic activities. “We are so happy to be able to give back to our community and hope to do so for decades to come,” he said. And he finds it rewarding that, at Toothman Ford, they can provide many well-paying jobs within the community.

And those employees earn that pay. For example, several years ago, Toothman Ford fell victim to a massive hailstorm that caused about three million dollars in damages. But JR’s team came together to make lemonade out of lemons by selling 83 vehicles in one day! Now that’s teamwork.

As for JR, he said his career is like an overnight success that took 25 years. “The scars and failures define us more than our successes,” he relayed. “And that is definitely true of me.”

As for being a WVADA member, JR likes how the association goes to bat for the interests of the automotive sector in West Virginia, which employs so many people. As many families and communities rely on the automotive industry to keep food on the table and a roof overhead, WVADA allows dealers to find, have and use their voices.

On a personal note, JR likes to fish, play guitar, watch sports, and spend time with his family. He says he was blessed with the two most amazing parents one could ask for, and for two older and wiser sisters. He also has two children – Jarrett and Bailey – grown-ups now, both of whom are phenomenal kids with amazing hearts, a great code of values, and “a giving nature molded into them at a very young age by their incredible mother.”

Looking back at his career – and his life – JR holds to three essential truths: one, be humble. We can always learn and evolve; two, always be willing to adapt to meet and overcome adverse markets or conditions; and three, pay it all forward. If you are fortunate enough to attain some success, pay it forward to others and refresh them.

Your new chairman looks forward to being engaged and helping the Association. Welcome aboard!