Taylor Hood Honors a Legacy of Leadership

Preston Hood Chevrolet of Ft. Walton Beach

By Morgan Power | Photography courtesy of Preston Hood Chevrolet

With hopes that one day every household would own a vehicle, Arthur E. Hood Sr. opened the first Hood Family Chevrolet dealership in Amite, Louisiana, in 1929. Despite the challenges of owning a business during the Great Depression, Hood was determined to work hard and gain loyal customers through honest business practices and quality service after the sale.

Closely following in his footsteps, Arthur’s son Preston Hood began working as a gas station attendant at a young age, quickly climbing the ladder and landing a job at a dealership. After gaining more experience and discovering his true passion for his father’s business, Preston bought what we now know as the Preston Hood Chevrolet dealership in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, in 1969, which he owned and operated until 2021.

Joining the family business in 1991 and taking full reins in 2021, Preston’s son Taylor Hood followed the path of generations before him and now operates this family dealership. Like his father, Taylor started gaining dealership experience from a young age, ultimately finding his passion to be a part of the family business.

The company culture at Preston Hood Chevrolet is centered around a team that loves, respects, and works together, caring deeply about each other and the community at large. Taylor Hood, when asked about the key factors that keep the company thriving, emphasizes the importance of the employees, who he considers the true heart and soul of the dealership. He explains that the employees take pride in their jobs, respect each other, and work together as a team, ultimately setting the dealership up for success with both existing and new potential customers. Taylor’s leadership style, he explains, sets the tone for the business and leads by example. With the highest customer satisfaction rate of any GM dealership in the area, Taylor gives full credit to the people he works with daily.

“I love what I do and love coming to work because of the people—our employees and customers,” Taylor says. “I love cultivating relationships, and our employees keep the culture going by cultivating their own relationships with each other and customers.”

Fostering involvement with many local charities and organizations in the area has always been part of the dealership’s mission. Taylor’s parents founded the Preston Hood Athletic Complex, a location that serves as an outlet for children to learn valuable skills through playing team sports and participating in activities. He explains how this is a cause and project he will continue to support, as he is just as passionate about the children of the community as his parents were.

Another organization the dealership stays involved with is the Alaqua Animal Refuge, a nonprofit founded by Taylor Hood’s wife, Laurie Hood. Taylor explains that he originally kept his wife’s organization separate from the dealership but later decided to work together after multiple employees came to him seeking involvement. Hood had previously served as a board member and employee of the refuge, making the organization even closer to his heart, as he saw firsthand how impactful the organization truly is.

Through posting information about the refuge and hosting adoption events through the dealership, employees and community members can get more involved. Taylor explains that his family has a long history of giving back to support the people and communities they call home. It is clear the Preston Hood Chevrolet dealership of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, is one where its people truly care for each other and the area at large. Running this dealership with strong values, Taylor Hood will continue his family’s legacy of giving back.

“As we continue to adapt to meet the needs of our customers, my hope is that we stay firmly rooted in the core values my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather instilled—always to work hard, treat people well, operate with honesty and integrity, and give back in meaningful ways.”

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Visit PrestonHood.com to learn more or contact them about visiting the dealership. Visit Alaqua.org to learn more about Alaqua Animal Refuge and how you can get involved.