If you’ve never been to Tom Hodges Auto Sales and Service Center, or had a chance to sit down with Mr. Hodges yourself, you’ll be surprised, like I was, to hear the history of this man and a business he built literally from the ground up. 

Tom Hodges was born and raised in Hollywood Maryland.  The Sales Department is located in the house his grandfather Hebb built in 1930.  From the age of 12 to 17 Tom earned money working for his grandfather Hodges in the tobacco fields and saving as much money as he could.  At 17 he started buying cars from around the county, fixing them himself and then selling them.  For the next 10 years he continued to gain knowledge and experience by selling cars and managing the used car sales department at the Ken Dixon Automative group in Waldorf.  When he went to his parents and announced that he planned to clear the family property and start his own dealership, there was never a doubt in anyone’s mind that it would be a success. 

Soon with the money he saved from farming tobacco all those years, and selling cars as a teenager he bought his Grandparents property from his mother’s family and opened up what is now known as Tom Hodges Auto Sales and Service.  When I asked why he used the old house and never rebuilt?  He replied, “It was sentimental really, I couldn’t imagine having my business anywhere else.”

In the beginning he worked all day selling cars, and at night buying cars at auctions to sell later.  He was up again at dawn to personally wash the cars in preparation for the sales day ahead.  His mother, after retiring from civil service, stepped in as her son’s office manager.  Before long he was able to hire a salesman or two so that he could actually sleep once in awhile and over the next 21 years a lot of determination and hard work his business grew.   

Three years ago Tom added the Tom Hodges Tire, Service Center and Car Wash to his property to provide reputable service to the area.  The auto sales and service centers go hand in hand Tom said, “It was always part of the plan”.  This past year Tom Hodges Drive was built, personally financed and later donated to St. Mary’s County by Tom to provide easy access to the community and local schools in Hollywood, and to the auto sales and service center. 

It is pretty obvious it was a well laid out plan.   Spending some time with Tom and feeling completely at ease as we talked like old friends, it was very simple for me to understand.
<!–

–>