Inc. Magazine has named a Winston-Salem, NC based used car dealership, Frank Myers Auto Maxx, one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in America for the fourth consecutive year. Earning an exclusive position on this prestigious list is considered by many to be a hallmark of entrepreneurial success. Past members of the list include Facebook, Intuit, Yelp, Pandora, Zappos, Under Armour, Microsoft, Jamba Juice, Timberland, Levi Strauss, Dell, Yelp, Pandora, Timberland, Dell, Domino’s Pizza and LinkedIn. In addition to Frank Myers Auto Maxx, the list added such powerhouses as sweetFrog Premium Frozen Yogurt, Hubspot, LoneStar and Planet Fitness.

“For the fourth consecutive year, my Team rose up to the occasion and showed everyone why they are considered the best of the best. In my humble opinion, they are in a league of their own and I appreciate them,” said Frank Myers Auto Maxx Owner and Architect of Ideas, Tracy Myers. “I say it every year and I’ll say it again: we earned this honor because of the hard work and dedication of our Team Members.”

For more information about Frank Myers Auto Maxx, please visit FrankMyersAuto.com

About The Inc. 500/5000 Unveiling

The 2015 Inc. 5000, unveiled online at Inc.com and with the top 500 companies featured in the September issue of Inc. (available on newsstands August 18 to September 22) is the most competitive crop in the list’s history. The average company on the list achieved a mind-boggling three-year growth of 490%. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue is $205 billion, generating 647,000 jobs over the past three years.

“The story of this year’s Inc. 5000 is the story of great leadership. In an incredibly competitive business landscape, it takes something extraordinary to take your company to the top,” says Inc. President and Editor-In-Chief Eric Schurenberg. “You have to remember that the average company on the Inc. 5000 grew nearly six-fold since 2012. Business owners don’t achieve that kind of success by accident.”

About The Inc. 500/5000 Celebration

The annual Inc. 5000 event honoring all the companies on the list will be held from October 21 through 23, 2015 in Orlando. Speakers include some of the greatest entrepreneurs of this and past generations, such as Marcus Lemonis, host of the CNBC show “The Profit,” Robert Herjavec, one of the main “sharks” on ABC-TV’s “Shark Tank,” KIND Founder and CEO Daniel Lubetzky, and Co-Founder of Goodshop.com JJ Ramberg.

About Frank Myers Auto Maxx

The original Frank Myers Store was started more than 83 years ago by Frank Myers. He was the Grandfather of the previous owner Franklin Myers and the Great-Grandfather of the current owner Tracy Myers.

Tracy is a Certified Master Dealer and is commonly referred to as the Nation’s Premier Automotive Solutions Provider. He was also the youngest ever recipient of the National Quality Dealer of the Year award by the NIADA, which is the highest obtainable honor in the used car industry. Frank Myers Auto Maxx was recently recognized as the number one Small Business in NC by Business Leader Magazine, one of the Top 3 dealerships to work for in the country by The Dealer Business Journal, one of the Top 15 Independent Automotive Retailers in the United States by Auto Dealer Monthly Magazine and one of the fastest growing privately owned small businesses in America by Inc. magazine for 4 consecutive years.

The dealership specializes in helping people find, qualify for and own the vehicle of their dreams with little or no money down…even with less than perfect credit.

For more information about Tracy Myers, visit TracyMyers.com

About Inc. And The Inc. 500/5000

Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today’s innovative company builders. Total monthly audience reach for the brand has grown significantly from 2,000,000 in 2010 to over 6,000,000 today. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

Despite sounding sinister, your vehicle’s serpentine belt is a pretty useful part of its inner workings! The belt is one long strip that keeps your alternator, power steering pump, air condition and sometimes even your water pump running smoothly. In much older vehicles, there were several belts controlling all of these components, though vehicle manufacturers figured out that having one long belt would just be easier!

So now that you know the basics about the belt, let’s look at how to upkeep it! This way you’ll have one less trip to potentially make to our Winston-Salem auto repair service center.

An Aging Belt

Serpentine belts are built to last, considering the heavy burden they carry when it comes to the functionality of your vehicle. The belts are made to last from anywhere between 60,000 to 100,000 miles, though some non-self-tensioning belts may need to be adjusted.

One way to know if your belt needs service from our auto repair center in Winston-Salem is if you hear any slipping or squealing noises coming from it. The belts over time can become frayed, cracked or even just glazed from use over the years. Make sure you’re paying attention to the health of your serpentine belt, because if it breaks while you’re on the road, you’ll lose torque to all of your engine’s accessories… and that’s a pretty big problem.

More Symptoms

You heard a noise come from the interior of your car and you’re pretty sure it’s the serpentine belt making it. What should you be listening for? Well, if there’s a chirping or squealing noise, that means the pulley system isn’t working correctly or there’s just low belt tension. If you’re experiencing system performance loss, like your power steering failing or your battery draining, it could also be the result of your serpentine belt on its way out.

Have your vehicle inspected as soon as possible if you hear or experience any of these issues! We suggest contacting us at (866) 629-7585 to make an appointment.

Bad credit can be a serious detriment when it comes to trying to buy a new vehicle, even if the cause of your bad credit wasn’t necessarily your fault in the first place. We here at Frank Myers Auto Maxx, your Winston-Salem user car dealership, totally understand that bad credit just happens sometimes and the challenges you’re facing with it. So why bear the burden of bad credit all by yourself? Allow our non-commissioned sales professionals help you find the best used car you can possibly get regardless of what your credit looks like!

Everybody Rides Program

Helping people with credit issues in any capacity get approved for the used car they really want is what we do every day. One might even say it’s our specialty! Our Everybody Rides Program here at our Winston-Salem dealership virtually guarantees that you’ll be coming in with the car you drove here with and leaving in a different one. The method to this madness starts right here on our website, this way you don’t feel funny talking to someone about your credit or you’re just looking to get the application process over with as soon as possible.

Once you’ve filled out the application, one of our Credit Miracle Workers will get you the yes that you need to grab an awesome used car from our lot! Our online application is an easy, no obligation pre-approval form, meaning if even get the yes that you want and you just don’t see anything you want right now, it’s not a problem! We’re always here, ready and willing to help you out on the road to getting the used car you deserve!

There’s no catch either. Once you’re all set, terms like what your down payment will be, your amount financed and things like that will vary by lender based on credit scores, loan to value, year of vehicle and other variables. Contact us today at (866) 242-1277 with any other questions about our Everybody Rides Program, or what we’ve got in stock!

Our Winston-Salem used car dealership always has a few Nissans in stock, though keeping them in stock can be a challenge. The bottom line is that people want to buy Nissans! They’re reliable, dependable cars that have iconic looks depending on which model you’re after and we just can’t keep them on our lot. So what’s the history behind these cars? What made Nissan what it is today? Well…

Before The 1950s

In 1914, the first-ever Nissan Datsun was built and in 1933 Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. was established in Japan. These two events, despite being years apart, led up to the creation of the Datsun Type 15. The Datsun Type 15 was the first mass-produced Japanese vehicle and the model came as both a mini-pickup and a delivery van. The vehicle had an engine that was capable of 15 horsepower and had a 3-speed transmission type. It’s a start!

The 1950s And 1960s

The Nissan Skyline, predecessor to the Nissan GT-R, was introduced in 1957. The Skyline has been a highly sought-after import and finally made its way over to America in 2009! 1958 brought about the Datsun 1200 Sedan, which was similar to the 1930s Datsun and, unlike the Skyline, was introduced in America. A compact pickup version of the Datsun was also introduced in the U.S. a year later!

In the 1960s, Nissan built a much stronger reputation in both the American and Japanese markets. Nissan opened up its Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A. in Gardena, CA and began manufacturing vehicles here! The brand also introduced vehicles like the Datsun 2000 Roadster and the Datsun “Z,” the latter of which got Nissan into the performance vehicles market!

The 1970s And 1980s

In the 1970s, Nissan sold its one-millionth Datsun model and became the top U.S. vehicle importer! Nissan also debuted the King Cab, which was the first extended cab pickup, in 1977, and in 1979 opened Nissan Design International in La Jolla, CA, to bring American styles to the brand.

Then in the 1980s, Nissan built its first truck in the United States down in Smyrna, TN, and even got into off-roading! The brand ultimately brought home 19 trophies between 1982 and 1992 for off-roading and won some races as well. Nissan also launched Infiniti, which is yet another brand our used car dealership in Winston-Salem carries, in 1989.

1990s To Today!

Being an eco-friendly company, Nissan won its first Environmental Protection Agency award in 1991 celebrated several sales milestones with the Nissan Sentra, Altima and Maxima models, all of which hit several million sold. In 1997 the company was named Best of the Best by the Environmental Protection Agency, and NMMC is lauded as the most productive plant in North America in “The Harbour Report” for a fourth consecutive year since 1994.

In the 2000s, the brand introduced vehicles like its first hybrid, the Nissan Altima Hybrid, in 2007, the now legendary Nissan GT-R in 2009 and even the world’s first mass-produced 100% electric, zero emission automobile, the Nissan Leaf, 2011!

So what are you waiting for? Contact us today about one of our great Nissans!

Have you ever been driving around and noticed that your windshield has started to fog up? What about when you turn the air conditioning all the way up? Is there just a lot of noise but not much air coming through your vents? This might be due to an old, clogged cabin air filter. The air filter is pretty much exactly what it sounds like- a filter that catches dust, pollen and other airborne detritus before it makes its way out of your vents into your body.

If you’re driving in any urban areas where the air is of a less-than-desirable quality, or even in areas where there’s just a lot of dust and sand in the area, then your air filter might be deteriorating quicker than others. As a general rule of thumb, try to make sure you’re replacing your air filter every 12,000 to 15,000 miles, or at the very least having it checked out by our professional auto care experts at our Winston-Salem dealership.

When It’s Time To Replace Your Air Filter

Knowing when to replace your cabin air filter is pretty simple. There’s no having to take measurements or paying attention to some barely-audible noise. Instead, just follows these two major tip-offs and you’ll be well aware when it’s time.

• Funny smells are a big tip-off. If you’re turning on your air conditioning and the cabin of your vehicle just doesn’t smell right, or even smells musty, then it’s time to come in to our Winston-Salem auto repair shop and have your cabin air filter checked out.
• If your ventilation system is making more noise than it is actually making a difference. If you’re turning on your air conditioning full blast and it sounds like it should be way cooler in your car than it is, it’s time to get your air filter checked out.