John Drakesmith
Biography
Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, B.A. in Economics and Business, Central Methodist University.
Married 51 years,(same woman) three children, and seven grandchildren.
Employed for 16 years by Ford Motor Company in various sales and marketing positions 1962-1978.
Did leveraged buy-in/buy-out of Ford truck dealership in Cleveland, Ohio in 1978. Purchased second dealership in 1987 in Orlando, FL. Subsequently have owned leasing company, Nissan dealership and various other small businesses successfully.
I still own and operate Valley Freightliner, Inc (truck dealership) in Cleveland, Ohio.
Advice
1. Recommend all books by Lee Iaccoca, Donald Trump and Jack Welch.
2. A start-up entrepreneur needs a combination of experience, courage, and adequate capital.
3. The growth of big government with more taxes and regulations will challenge existing small business and make it more difficult to start a business.
