At the Alhambra Chamber’s 2024 President’s Awards, New Century Autos was recognized with the Community Investment Award thanks to its continued investment in the Alhambra community. This year, New Century Autos broke ground on a new Mazda dealership in Alhambra’s Auto Row and updated the existing New Century BMW. As the Title Sponsor for the Alhambra Lunar New Year Festival for the second year in a row, the annual Lunar New Year celebration wouldn’t be the same without them. Around Alhambra spoke with Daniel Lin, CTO/CIO, to learn more about New Century Autos.
AA: Tell me about New Century Autos.
Daniel: We’re a family owned business. We’re all residents of and active members in our community.
AA: Why did you choose Alhambra?
Daniel: We actually stumbled into Alhambra by chance. My parents studied in Bryn Mawr and moved to Los Angeles in 1988. They lived in Monterey Park for a while and were looking to invest in land but ended up buying the dealership on top too. Our start might have been accidental but we intentionally plan around growing in Alhambra because the community is amazing and the support from the city is second to none.
AA: What was the inspiration behind New Century Autos?
Daniel: It was an investment of opportunity so I don’t think there was an original, founding inspiration; however, as we have grown we have become responsible for the well-being of more and more people. My personal inspiration is to bring as many good people into New Century and give them a place to build a career. And if I can’t offer the opportunity to advance, I want to give them the skills and reputation to succeed somewhere else.
AA: What sets New Century apart from other dealerships?
Daniel: I’d like to think it’s awareness and humility. As you know, dealerships are franchised which means we have the privilege of being the final touch point between manufacturers and customers. One thing that I’ve tried to say to our leaders within our organization as frequently as possible, is that we have a duty to all the stakeholders upstream and customers downstream to be a value-add in the chain. We’re incredibly lucky to be a part of the ecosystem and we do not take that lightly.
AA: What else would you like people to know about your business?
Daniel: We’re growing. We’re looking for good people.
