Haiti comes alive for two Luther leaders (July 2012)

Haitian driver and guide Edy Vasser, left, accompanied Luther CFO Barb Hilbert and CIO Director Brian Kenny on a tour of mission facilities and relief efforts in Haiti. Vasser helps people with paperwork requirements and helps run an orphanage.

Though it’s the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere, the overall feeling in Haiti is not one of despair, but of busy people who are adapting to their circumstances in a simple sort of survival, explains Luther Auto’s chief financial officer, Barb Hilbert, who visited the country earlier this year with Chief Information Officer Brian Kenny and representatives from Kids Against Hunger.

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Packing big: 777,000 meals ship to Haiti

About 2,300 volunteers packed food for Kids Against Hunger at a special Luther event in Plymouth.

Luther employees, vendors and customers, about 2,300 in all, set a new standard at what’s becoming an annual company food packing event for Kids Against Hunger (KAH), handily exceeding the goal and packing 777,000 meals bound for Haiti.

Event results:

• Food destination: Haiti

• Meals packed: 776,952

• Children fed for a year: 2,128

• Contributions to Emergency Foodshelf Network and Veterans Airlift Command: $32,373 each

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JLR Classics brings ‘halo’ effect to British marques

Assistant Service Manager Paul Palan is a crucial player in the dealership venture that puts classic British vehicle lines on display, capitalizing on the rich heritage.

The sheer beauty of classic Jaguar cars and the rugged utilitarian nature of Land Rovers of old have leaped to the present through “JLR Classics,” a new venture created from the knowledge and passion of staff members at Jaguar Land Rover Minneapolis.

The idea began about two years ago, when the store displayed a 1952 Jaguar XK on its showfloor. Even earlier, a 1953 Land Rover served as a fixture at the downtown store, giving buyers of the luxury SUVs a sample of the brand’s durable roots. Today, lining the border of the Golden Valley location’s service drive, old Jaguars are flanked by a Triumph, an Austin Healy and an MG.

General Manager Ted Terp works closely with Assistant Service Manager Paul Palan, scouring the country to find the best cars to purchase and then sell. Having worked on English marques since 1973, Palan is known for finding fixes to rare cars and is a walking manual.

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