Story by Holly McAtee // Photography by Sarah Lemke
Some might dread the finance department at a dealership, but at ONYX Automotive, the process isn’t just about crunching numbers. It’s about building trust. Your time is money, and the ONYX finance department does everything they can to save you time and money when you are financing your vehicle.
“People say that financing vehicles is stressful, but most people that leave my office say it was the easiest experience. I treat people how I would like to be treated. I treat people how I would like someone to treat my mom,” said Jorge Escamilla, Finance Manager at ONYX. “I like meeting people, and I enjoy talking to my customers.”
“Jorge has been in the auto business a long time,” said Chad Anderson, General Manager at ONYX Automotive. “He was a service manager with Kia for many years. Having that background is good, because he understands the mechanics and maintenance of the vehicle and how it relates to protecting your investment.”
When you’re financing your vehicle with the ONYX team, you can be sure that the process will be seamless. The employees are tenured. Everyone jumps in to help. “It’s kind of like what Walt Disney says about helping people,” Escamilla said. “If people are within 6 feet, we reach out to help them. Sometimes people want to ask a question, but they’re shy. We would rather have someone be asked six times than not enough times.”
“PEOPLE SAY THAT FINANCING VEHICLES IS STRESSFUL, BUT MOST PEOPLE THAT LEAVE MY OFFICE SAY IT WAS THE EASIEST EXPERIENCE.”
– JORGE ESCAMILLA
Escamilla has always been a fan of cars. Growing up, his uncle worked at a GM plant in Mexico City. His uncle would bring home cars and take him to visit the plant.
“I always wanted to have cool cars. It wasn’t to impress anybody or to show off. It was just because I liked them,” Escamilla said.
One of his favorite cars that he’s owned was a ’69 G-Body Cutlass. He’s had a couple of Corvettes. He’s currently on the hunt for a ’64 Chevy that he can buy and do all the work on himself. Right now, he has a Borusan Turkish blue BMW M3 Competition.
In Escamilla’s office, there’s a large painting of the first sketch of the Mini Coupé on a napkin. Behind his desk, he has LEGO cars that he’s built himself—his love of cars is clear as you look around the room. Outside of ONYX, Escamilla and his wife, Tiffany, enjoy traveling with their two Shelties. A photo of the couple with their dogs also hangs on his office wall.
At ONYX, the finance team takes pride in making every customer feel supported for the road ahead. “We give the best service as a team,” Escamilla said. “We make the process easy. Our customers always tell us it was a good experience.”
Escamilla said he puts himself in the client’s shoes. “I like to ask questions to see how many miles they drive a year, do they have kids, do they have pets? These questions help figure out their needs,” he said.
I asked Escamilla about leasing versus buying vehicles. “I think leasing is a great opportunity for people. It gives you the ability to pay for the depreciation and not the whole car,” he explained. “Leasing gives you the ability to get a quicker trade cycle. Buying is for people who plan on keeping their cars a bit longer. This gives them a chance to pay off the car and have no payments after that.”
There’s an advantage to working with ONYX’s finance department rather than going to another financial institution. They cut out the legwork. “Our whole process is different. We don’t like to say no—we try to say yes,” Escamilla added. Working with ONYX saves you a lot of trips and a lot of time.
“I’m a talker,” he said. “So, when I find someone I like to talk to, we will spend hours together doing paperwork, and it seems like a shorter time. It goes by quick, because we’re both talking. Most people, when they leave my office, say it was the easiest experience they have had buying a car.”
For more information, visit onyxautomotive.com.
