Sam Swope has had a historic 60 years in the automobile dealership business.

He began his company with a dealership in Elizabethtown in 1951 and expanded into Louisville in 1956. After two unfortunate incidents, causing two separate locations to burn down, Swope persevered and continued to grow his business. Today, Swope operates over 20 dealerships throughout Kentucky.

Swope has a long list of lifetime awards, including the prestigious Louisvillian of the Year Award and the University of Louisville Presidential Medal for service to the university and the Louisville community.

In 2012, Swope announced his retirement, naming his daughter Patti Swope the new chairwoman of the board, and putting his nephew to work as president and CEO.

In memoriam: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/louisville/obituary.aspx?n=Samuel-G-Swope&pid=173427183