By Larry Printz of the
Virginian PilotCar dealers never look back. After all, this is a business that’s always looking for the next sale. But for the first time in Hampton Roads, a dealer has done just that.
“We All Win,” a new book by Audrey Knoth, chronicles the history of Checkered Flag Motor Car Co. and its predecessor, L. Snyder’s department store. The book will be released next Friday at Checkered Flag dealerships. Proceeds will benefit the United Way of South Hampton Roads. Ed Snyder, president of Checkered Flag, says the book arose out of a need. “Our employees don’t understand from whence we came. We thought we needed a book to explain it to them.”
Knoth, executive vice president of Checkered Flag’s public relations agency Goldman & Associates, says the realization came to her in the middle of an annual employee meeting.
“Mr. Snyder showed a billboard from the company’s beginnings. I realized that many people didn’t know their company’s history.” Even Knoth was surprised.
“This is so unusual that you would have a company that has been around this long and then discover that there was this department store that I had never heard of,” she said. The story starts in Poland before dreams of retail glory and Louis Snyder’s decision to immigrate to Norfolk. The book follows the development of L. Snyder’s and continues through to Ed Snyder, who tried his hand at the car business in addition to running the family store. Not that Snyder got everything right. There were failures, but success often happens as a result of failure.
“I found that the Snyders were very candid, and they didn’t try to interfere or influence the book,” says Knoth, who eschewed a chronological structure in favor of one that revolves around themes that transcend generations.
“When you work at a company that has a real legacy, it enriches your experience if you know where they come from.”
The book, printed by Teagle & Little Creative Printing of Norfolk, costs $29.95 for hardcover, $19.95 for softcover.
