By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
Ram Country and Toyota of Del Rio celebrated its 30th anniversary Wednesday, honoring three decades of business in Del Rio while recognizing the employees, customers and community members who helped make the milestone possible.
The celebration brought together community leaders, business owners, customers and employees to reflect on the dealership’s history and its impact on the community since Nick Khoury, president and CEO of The Khoury Group, purchased the business in 1996.
Speaking during the event, Khoury’s daughter, Natalie, credited her father with building a culture centered on service. Natalie now serves as finance manager at Jeep Del Rio.
“Servant leadership isn’t something that he just practices and preaches; it’s who he is,” she said. “The mindset that has shaped this company for 30 years is a culture where the customer is the mission, where no job is beneath anyone and where serving others is a privilege.”
While she saluted his business accomplishments, she became emotional while sharing memories of his personal side.
“He never once missed a rehearsal, a recital or a graduation, and he always showed up. If you know anything about him, not only was he on time, he was early, and he always had flowers.”
When Khoury took the podium, he recalled arriving in Del Rio in June 1996 after purchasing what was then a struggling dealership.
“I got the call on a Wednesday that this dealership was for sale, and Sunday I drove down here,” Khoury said.
He laughed as he remembered missing the turn into Del Rio on his first visit and ending up at the international bridge leading into Mexico before finding his way back into town.
At the time, the dealership had 14 cars on the lot and was selling about a dozen vehicles a month.
“Our first month here, we sold 60 cars,” Khoury said. “By August of that year, we sold 100 cars and never looked back.”
Ram Country is now the cornerstone of an empire, having grown from a single Del Rio location to four locations in Del Rio and another 15 across the state.
Despite the growth, Khoury said the dealership’s success has always been driven by its employees.
“This is not about me,” he said. “It’s about them.”
The Ram Country sales floor was packed with community supporters who turned out for the event, along with numerous employees, past and present. Khoury went around the room and credited longtime team members for their contributions.
“We know we are imperfect,” he said. “But pursuing perfection is what takes us to excellence.”
He noted that the automotive industry has weathered numerous challenges over the past three decades, including economic downturns,
supply chain disruptions, labor strikes, natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through those challenges, Khoury said the dealership continued to grow.
“When the industry was down, we were up,” he said. “Our business is up nearly 20 percent year over year while the industry is down 4 percent.”
But many of those attending Wednesday said Khoury’s legacy extends beyond the dealership.
Sylvia Owens, president of Texas Community Bank, shared how organizers approached Khoury seeking a $10,000 donation for the Field of Our Dreams project, with the vision of creating a large complex of sports fields and recreation spaces for Del Rio youth.
“We were hoping to get $10,000,” she said. “We thought that would be a big success. At the end of the meeting, we asked him what he thought he could do. He said he’d talk to his leadership team and let us know. He came back to us and committed $100,000.”
It’s not the only community project he supports.
Blanca Larson, CEO and executive director of the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce, said that when chamber staff researched Khoury’s impact over the past 30 years, they found page after page of charitable contributions and sponsorships.
“It was 10 pages long,” she said.
Khoury appeared almost embarrassed by the accolades and repeatedly pointed to the various team members involved in the company’s success.
“This celebration goes to each and every one of you,” he told employees and supporters. “I love being a part of your team, and I’m proud that you’re on my team.”
