k e e p i n g
BUSINESS JOURNAL
b u s i n e s s e s
c o n n e c t e d ™
JULY 2021
VOLUME 6 ■ ISSUE 7
NEW BUSINESS
Valley Vibes is using noisecanceling headphones and stellar beats to get the Valley moving.
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PROFILE
Sanborn Chevrolet marks 50 years in Lodi BY SABRA STAFFORD
F Alpine Climbing Adventure Fitness is helping clients reach new heights.
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209 Business Journal
or any business to reach the 50 year milestone, it has to offer more than a good product and customer service. To earn that longevity, a company has to truly become part of the community and that is certainly the case for Sanborn Chevrolet in Lodi. The commitment to community has been a guiding principle for Sanborn Chevrolet founder Richard Sanborn. He is a lifelong member of the Kiwanis Club of Lodi and helped spearhead the Cherokee Lane Beautification Project. His daughter Kini Sanborn has stepped in to lead the dealership and is continuing the community connections. The dealership recently made a $10,000 donation to Lodi Memorial for the hospital’s new imaging center and is sponsoring the Kingdon Drag races, the farmers’ market and has been a previous sponsor of the Christmas light parade. “We’ve taken a lot of pride in serving the community with integrity and honesty over the years and that is the same vision we have going forward,” said Kini Sanborn. “We’re going to continue to invest in the dealership and those relationships in the community.” Richard Sanborn, 87, still comes in regularly to help at the dealership, but his start in the automotive industry did not foretell a rise to the position he has held. “He started by pushing a broom in the parts department listening and learning,” Kini Sanborn said. He worked as the parts manager for a Tracy dealership and later the general sales manager at a Manteca dealership. His path eventually led him to the GM dealership at 9 W. Locust St. in Lodi, where it became apparent his next step was to run his own
The owners at the time didn’t want to expand or open a new dealership, so my dad worked with the GM representatives and told them he would build a new dealership in a bigger location —Kini Sanborn dealership. “The owners at the time didn’t want to expand or open a new dealership, so my dad worked with the GM representatives and told them he would build a new dealership in a bigger location,” Kini Sanborn said. He broke ground at the 1210 Cherokee Lane facility in July 1971 and moved there in 1973. Expansions over the years have included service, quick lube, body and detailing shops and more room for new and preowned inventory. Future plans include a revamp of the showroom and expanding the lot size. When Richard Sanborn decided it was time to ease back from his day-to-day responsibilities, he knew his daughter, Kini Sanborn, was the right choice to step in. Kini Sanborn had a thriving SEE CHEVY, PAGE 8