Matt and Wendy Leeders are the founders of the Daystar Auto Group. From the start, Matt and Wendy knew they wanted to be a light in the communities they serve through the dealerships. When they took ownership of the Chrysler store in 2018, they began to search for a name that would fit their vision. After much consideration, "Daystar" just felt right for many reasons. Faith is very important to Matt and Wendy, being the primary reason they chose a Biblical term for the name. But some of Daystar's other meanings fit the vision perfectly. Venus is considered the Daystar, as it heralds the "dawn of a new day". Likewise, it was the dawn of a new era for Daystar Chrysler, the first store they acquired. In 2019, Matt and Wendy were thrilled to have an opportunity to open Daystar Autosphere in their hometown of North Canton. And in March of 2021, the Daystar Auto Group acquired a Ford store in Garrettsville, OH.
Matt's story is not the typical one in the auto dealership world, where dealerships are usually passed down from previous generations. Instead, Matt has worked his way up from the bottom. Matt started selling cars after he graduated high school, with a bigger goal in mind. After some time selling, he worked his way up through different management roles including Finance, Sales, and eventually General Manager. Each position gave him the opportunity for growth, and the knowledge needed to become a Dealer Principal. The path hasn't always been smooth, but the challenges along the way led to personal growth. His dream of becoming a partner with a store owner happened when he teamed up with John Furey at Furey Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. Mr. Furey was an exceptional role model and teacher for Matt. After several years, it was time for Matt to take the next step when Mr. Furey was ready to step down. In July of 2018, Matt become the Dealer Principal of the Chrysler store.
Wendy is also an active owner in the Daystar Auto Group, helping to manage the stores alongside Matt. But Wendy's story didn't start in the car business. Wendy is a Registered Nurse and worked in the medical field for 10 years. When their daughter was born, Wendy took some time off work to stay at home with her. While she considers that to be the best job she's ever had, it was time to get back into the workforce once their daughter was in school. So in 2017, instead of going back to her Nursing career, she accepted her husband's invitation to come help him out at the Chrysler store. Wendy began going to the auctions to acquire cars, helping manage the inventory, meeting with vendors, hiring new employees and much more. It was definitely a switch from where she came from, but it was fun to learn something new!
There are big plans in store for the Daystar Auto Group, and Matt and Wendy intend to keep growing and finding ways to serve the communities they are involved in. We hope you become a part of the Daystar Family, and we thank those that already have!
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