The Museum Behind the Showroom
After the photos and signatures, Eric Kempthorn shared the most important part of the sale.
As Tim Botos writes, “after a series of photos to commemorate the sale, Eric Kempthorn led Huang and Huang’s two sons, Jacob and Ryan, to a semi-secret lair.”
I can’t imagine it was the first time the family behind Great Lakes Auto Group had seen the door that was profiled in 2025.
Behind that door is Dick Kempthorn’s old office at Kempthorn Motors on Cleveland Avenue. Eric’s father ran the dealership from 1965 to 2019. When the building was renovated after Dick died, the crew built the new walls around that office on purpose. Nobody touched it.
“Everybody treats this like a museum,” Eric said.
Kempthorn Motors sold on August 17 after 88 years and three generations. And a fourth entering the business.
Eric Kempthorn talked about the decision like a family that knew exactly what it wanted out of it. He picked a buyer who “shares our family values.” He walked the new owners through his father’s history as much as he walked them through the books. He made sure the name stays on the building, and the staff stay employed.
That’s a family that had clearly already answered a hard question before the deal ever closed: what needs to survive here, the ownership or the legacy?
I keep coming back to this one because it’s not the version of a family business story we usually tell. It’s not about staying in the family at all costs. It’s about knowing what you’re protecting before you decide anything.
Where in your business have you avoided a decision because you haven’t actually named what you’re trying to protect?