In this week’s Fellow Spotlight, we are checking in with Larry Latimore. He fills us in on what he enjoys most about Detroit, his host company, The Suburban Collection and what he’s looking forward to as a Challenge Detroit Fellow

Tell us about your neighborhood in the city and what are some of your favorite things about it? 

I currently live in the Woodbridge neighborhood. I like its close proximity to Downtown and Midtown and the new developments being made in the area. Pretty much all of the freeways in the city pass by this area as well so travel is easier. Being from Detroit, I also like that it is not too far from my childhood neighborhoods.

Tells us about your host company and your role within the organization?

My host company is Suburban Collection. The company is based in Troy, a suburb of Detroit. Suburban Collection is known as a chain of car dealerships but it also offers an array of automotive solutions to retail and industry customers throughout Michigan, Florida and California.  This family owned company’s 65+ year commitment to customer service excellence is backed by a comprehensive selection of 35 brand names spanning 35 convenient dealership locations, AAA-approved auto repair and ten Suburban Collision Center locations. My position is Acquisition Specialist and what I do is acquire trade-in/pre-owned vehicles, thru avenues like Autotrader.com and Cars.com for example, in order to build our inventory of pre-owned vehicles. I also market the existing pre-owned vehicles in our inventory to help sell them to customers.

What have you learned from Challenge Detroit so far?

So far I have learned a different side of Detroit through Challenge Detroit. I have been to places I didn’t even know existed, I have learned of new non-profits and programs that are being made to help revive Detroit and I have learned that there are non-Detroiters that do genuinely care about the well-being and revival of Detroit and its citizens. Through Challenge Detroit I have been to places I would probably have never gone to otherwise, which helps me know more about and have more of a connection to my city.

What are you looking forward to for the rest of the year? 

I am looking forward to learning more things about Detroit and to the rest of our challenges. I also look forward to bonding more with the other fellows and helping to make an impact on the revival of Detroit.

Also, be sure to check out Larry’s video to learn more about his time in Detroit, so far.