The COVID-19 pandemic has created a lot of changes in our lives, both anticipated and unforeseen. We watched as the Tour of Utah was postponed until 2021, and we watched as the NBA season was cut short. “It was some of the most surreal moments of my career, and really did become a switch point for the country. Because the NBA acted swiftly, other leagues followed after that,” said Steve Starks, CEO of the LHM Group. “I think it raised awareness for everybody around the country that this wasn’t just a challenge that was going to be overseas, but this was here and that anybody could get it.”
We watched the economy take hit after hit and people suffer from this devastating illness. In all of this, one thing has been constant—the can-do attitude shared by employees of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. When this crisis hit, our people were willing to adapt, respond, and “go about doing good.”
We’ve put together a timeline of the ongoing crisis and detailed a number of stories from around the Group that showcase the strength of our culture and our power to persevere in the face of difficulty.
Dealerships Go Digital
With car sales in many of our states deemed non-essential and showrooms forced to close, LHM Dealerships launched a new initiative that allowed people to buy a vehicle via digital retail and have it delivered to their door. Vehicle repairs and service were handled this way, too, with door-to-door service becoming the new standard—allowing people to stay home and stay safe.
Lighting It Blue
In a show of support for and solidarity with frontline workers during the COVID-19 crisis, select Megaplex Theatres, along with Vivint Smart Home Arena, were lit with special blue lights. The color represents those in the healthcare field who risk their own health on a daily basis while serving others.
Uncovering Our Hearts
As masks became a workplace requirement for employees, customers, and everyone across the globe, LHM associates did their part to contribute to efforts to get everyone a mask, from Deb Jones at Miller Automotive Operations, who hand-sewed 200 masks herself, to Farley Hamilton, an employee at LHM Toyota Lemon Grove, who worked with his son and daughter-in-law to sew masks for the entire service team. Each of these efforts shows the care for others that makes our business the “best place in town to work and the best place in town to do business.
Feeding the Soul
For over 30 years, Larry H. Miller Ford Mesa has boasted a unique attraction, a coffee shop/diner known as the Pit Stop. When financial circumstances due to COVID-19 forced the dealership to close down the Pit Stop, the management team had a dilemma: what to do with all of the leftover food? As a way to say “thank you” to their hardworking employees, General Manager Jim Crutcher and other members of the management team used the supplies to cook two free breakfasts and a lunch for dealership employees. It might be a small gesture in the grand scheme of things, but it shows the camaraderie present within the team at Ford Mesa.
COVID Timeline
February 27: As the idea of a potential outbreak in the United States became more realistic, the Miller family and LHM leadership began making plans, using recommendations from WHO, CDC, and the Utah Department of Health.
March 9: The Utah Jazz and Vivint Smart Home Arena began a thorough cleaning protocol and started setting up sanitation stations and signage around the arena.
March 11: The NBA officially postponed the rest of the season. Two Utah Jazz players were diagnosed with COVID-19.
March 12: Major League Baseball announced a delay to the start of the season, which would also impact the Salt Lake Bees. Upcoming concerts scheduled to be held at Vivint Smart Home Arena were postponed.
March 14: Rudy Gobert announced that he would contribute $500,000 to help pay part-time employees at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
March 16: Donovan Mitchell announced that he would be helping students in Utah’s Granite School District to get healthy meals at no cost.
March 18: Utah suffered a magnitude 5.7 earthquake. On the same day, Megaplex Theatres announced that they would be closed indefinitely in order to protect public health.
March 19: Larry H. Miller Dealerships announced concierge pickup and drop-off for all service customers at all LHM dealerships. Digital retailing also began at select dealerships.
March 19: The Miller family announced that they would donate money to support part-time and furloughed employees of Vivint Smart Home Arena. Unused food from Vivint Arena and Megaplex Theatres was donated to Catholic Community Services and local food pantries, where it could be used to feed the hungry.
March 25: The Utah Jazz launched a reading challenge for at-home students.
April 10: The Utah Jazz unveiled a Jazz Youth at Home program to help students with remote learning.