Motorsports business to be the next topic at community breakfast series

Contact: Alyssa Benson

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—A new motorsports business in the community will be the topic of the upcoming Mercantile Bank of Michigan Breakfast Speaker Series hosted by the Haworth College of Business on the campus of Western Michigan University.

Aaron Zeigler, president of Zeigler Auto Group, will give a presentation titled "Transforming the Motorsports Business" at 8 a.m. Friday, Oct. 27, in 2150 Schneider Hall.

The event is free and open to the public and begins with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (269) 387-6059 or at wmich.edu/business/mercantile-rsvp. Free parking is available at Schneider Hall in Lot 72R.

Zeigler Auto Group

The Zeigler Auto Group consists of 23 auto and motorsports dealerships located throughout Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and New York, as well as insurance companies, real estate holdings, warranty companies and e-commerce companies. The company is headquartered in Kalamazoo, employs 1,300 people, includes 61 franchises and had sales of over $1 billion in 2016, ranking it in the top 1 percent of auto groups in the nation.

Zeigler

Zeigler has been president of the Zeigler Auto Group since 2002. He is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and has also served on its board of directors as education chair and chairman of the board. Zeigler is currently the chairman of the audit and finance committee for Southwest Michigan First and also serves on the board of directors and the governance and nominating committee. He serves as an advisor for the Haworth College of Business at WMU and as chairman of the board for the Michigan Accelerator Fund. Zeigler was honored as the 2015 Michigan EY Entrepreneur of the Year. The Zeigler family received the Outstanding Service Award from the Haworth College of Business in 2013.

Haworth College of Business

WMU's Haworth College of Business, one of the largest schools of business in the United States, is the academic home to more than 3,500 undergraduate students majoring in 18 specialized areas of business. An additional 500 graduate students study business administration and accountancy.

The Haworth College of Business is among an elite group of fewer than 5 percent of business schools worldwide that are accredited at both the undergraduate and graduate levels by the AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. It is among a select 1 percent of business schools worldwide that have additional specialized AACSB accreditation for their accountancy programs.

Upcoming presentations

  • Friday, Nov. 17, Kevin Brozovich, founder and chief people officer, HRM Innovations.
  • Friday, Jan. 26, Peter Gistelinck, president and CEO, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.