As one of the most esteemed figures in the car industry, John Bommarito comes from an automotive family renowned for their strong work ethic and persistent endeavors.
With a passion for automobiles since his early years, he was already washing and parking cars by the age of 12. At the age of fifteen, he advanced to the service and parts department, where he gained insight into the organizational operations.
During his junior year at Christian Brothers College High School, he worked at the Ellisville automotive store during after-school hours.
John Bommarito grew up as a bright student and, despite being admitted to a prestigious university and graduating in the top two percent of his class, took a leap of faith to pursue an automotive career. As a highly celebrated individual in the global automotive industry, he has upheld his family legacy.
He began by selling Mazdas but later transitioned to Nissan as the finance manager due to his fervor for the automotive industry. His career then evolved to encompass sales and general management.
Furthermore, during the same period, Bommarito Automotive Group established a nationwide subsidiary known as Bommarito Cellular. In his role as general manager, John consistently achieved record-breaking sales after being transferred to this division.
His determination, courage, and resilience enabled him to establish over sixty retail stores, a nationally recognized ‘Purchase a Vehicle Get a Phone Program’ with over 300 auto dealers at a young age.
Later, utilizing his hard-earned savings, John Bommarito acquired an Oldsmobile Cadillac store from bankruptcy in 1992. This made him the youngest Cadillac dealer in the US at the age of just 29.
The location became the primary garage for all automotive needs of St. Peters, Missouri residents after he added Mazda to the line-up.
John’s relentless efforts and determination attracted attention, and after several years, with all the success and growth, Richard Beattie, Mazda’s former president, asked him to serve on Mazda’s national dealer council.
Recognized for his sales and service in the automotive sector, John Bommarito was honored with the “President Clubs,” a prestigious award from Ford, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Infiniti, Volkswagen, and Toyota. Since its founding over 50 years ago, Bommarito Automotive Group has steadily achieved its current level of success.
Due to John and the company’s success and renown, a multi-year agreement was drafted between Curtis Francois, the owner of World Wide Technology Raceway, and John Bommarito, the CEO of Bommarito Automotive Group.
This agreement and sponsorship brought enthusiasm and excitement for world-class Indycar Series racing back to the St. Louis region, a genuinely international event.
In addition to the continued growth of the Bommarito Automotive Group and achieving record sales highs, John has also received special recognition from his manufacturing partners.
John Bommarito’s relentless work, coupled with his tenacity and exceptional negotiating skills, has led to exponential growth for over two decades. The company has expanded to more diverse locations and added other car franchises as well.
Moreover, when General Motors phased out Oldsmobile, the Buick franchise was acquired to replace it, along with Honda, Ford, Volkswagen, and Toyota franchises in the Hazelwood marketplace.
Under John’s leadership, the automotive industry is evolving as it continues to thrive. Jordan Anderson and the Bommarito Automotive Group have successfully operated a NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series team since 2016, after meeting at WWT Raceway. Most recently, they also added an Xfinity Series Team in 2021.
It was announced at the 2017 St. Louis Auto Show that the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 would be brought to their hometown. As the title sponsor of the inaugural INDYCAR Series race, it brought all the cars and stars to WWT Raceway, now formally known as Gateway Motorsports Park.
In the St. Louis bi-state region alone, this partnership has a 50-million-dollar economic impact each year and marks just the beginning of things to come. Moreover, in November 2017, John was also nominated and appointed as one of the directors of the St. Louis Sports Commission.
By 2019, Bommarito Automotive Group’s INDYCAR Series races became the third-largest in the series. Keeping up with that, John Bommarito has been nationally recognized by Indy Car for his ‘Audience Enhancement Program’, which led to record attendance at the Bommarito 500 after only two events in St. Louis.
In Addition, after many years of hard work, in 2022 Curtis Francois and John, with the success of the Bommarito 500 added the first ever NASCAR series Cup Race in June. Over 100,000 people attended from all over the world, marking a huge success for both NASCAR and the St. Louis Region.
“Success is the culmination of repeated efforts, considerable risks, and countless mistakes,” says John Bommarito.
The business started by John’s father Frank Bommarito 50 years ago as a single-point Oldsmobile dealer has evolved into Missouri’s top choice for consumer automotive needs.
Bommarito Automotive Group continues to undergo exceptional growth under the guidance of his son, John, and over 1000 team members. In John Bommarito’s capable hands, the automotive empire they started just over 50 years ago will continue to flourish.
