October 23, 2026

On Sept. 16, Lockhart Motor Company held a huge celebration to commemorate 100 years as a Ford dealer with their current owner, Tim Clark. The dealership came under the ownership of William S. Clark, Tim’s great-grandfather, in 1926. William owned a Buick dealership at the time, and he struck up a conversation with a man operating the Ford dealership nearby. In their conversation, the two men realized they were envious of each other’s franchise and decided to swap dealerships in a simple handshake deal — no paperwork and no money exchanged. Since then, Lockhart Motor Company has been overseen by five generations of the Clark family, and they have worked to establish the dealership as the community staple it is today.

Cavender Auto Group celebrated the graduation of their second cohort of leaders from the Cavender Leadership Development Program. At the same time, they recently wrapped up the second month of their third cohort group.

In a nutshell, the Texas Payday Law (TPL) requires an employer to pay its employees in full and on time on regularly scheduled paydays. “In full” means the full pay that is due to the employee under the pay agreement that was in effect when the work was actually performed. “On time” means just that — employees are paid on the scheduled paydays. If the payday falls on a day when the company is not normally open for business, it is extended to the next business day. Per the TPL, non-exempt employees must be paid at least twice per month on regularly scheduled paydays, and exempt employees at least once per month. “Exempt” generally refers to whether the employee meets the requirements for an overtime exemption as a salaried executive, administrative or professional employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including a minimum weekly salary of at least $684.

Share your community news with us to be featured in the next issue! Email Janet Hale at jhale@tada.org. Scoggin-Dickey Chevrolet Buick Donates Engines to South Plains College Long-time South Plains College supporter Scoggin-Dickey Chevrolet Buick recently donated four General Motors 5.3L V8 engines to SPC’s Lubbock automotive program. The engines will give students valuable hands-on

The Leadership Network was held at The Westin at The Domain in Austin, Texas. Ben Keating of Keating Auto Group led a discussion during the Tuesday morning session on the current state of the industry. He shared his personal story of his journey in the car industry, purchasing his first dealership in Port Lavaca in

Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s TADA Board Meeting at The Willard InterContinental. It was great to connect with fellow dealers in the nation’s capital and also recognize Key Leader Honoree Jimmy Bass. We hope to see everyone again next year!

During the September Board Meeting in Washington, D.C., TADA board member Jimmy Bass of Jim Bass Ford, Jim Bass Mazda and Jim Bass Nissan was honored as the 2026 Key Leader. Jimmy is a third-generation dealer with extraordinary leadership, quiet generosity and a lifetime of dedication to his community.

When Don Huffines took office as Texas comptroller on Aug. 1, he brought a background familiar to many in the Texas auto dealer community. A fifth-generation Texan, Huffines grew up in his family’s automobile business, beginning his career working at the family dealership for $2 an hour. His grandfather, J.L. Huffines, founded Huffines Motor Company in Denton in 1924, establishing a family legacy in the Texas automotive industry that continues today.