Stuart Hayim Named Newest Mercedes Dealer on New York's Long Island
Dream Come True for Cancer Survivor, Championship Offshore Powerboat Racer
NEW YORK, Sept. 9 -- Long Island native and four-time World Champion offshore powerboat racer Stuart Hayim will be the newest Mercedes-Benz dealer in the United States, taking ownership of Mercedes-Benz of Massapequa, Long Island, New York. A dream come true for the long-time Mercedes-Benz aficionado, Hayim was diagnosed with cancer in 1979 and successfully fought off the disease, forever changing his life. As a result, Hayim has committed to donate a portion of his business proceeds to the local hospital where he was treated for cancer.
"After a long-time love affair with Mercedes-Benzes, the coup de grace would be to own a Mercedes-Benz dealership," says Hayim. "That's finally coming true. I actually grew up in the car business -- smelling, tasting it, feeling it -- but I was never involved professionally as an adult. I now realize it's in my blood. And I've personally been a total fan of Mercedes-Benz for 30 years."
Life wasn't always so rosy for the Long Island, New York native.
"When I was in the hospital, diagnosed with lymphoma, I was in a bit of a panic to say the least," Hayim recalls. "I was visited by a high school friend who himself had been diagnosed with cancer seven years earlier. But he proved something to me when, on the day of his visit, he ran a 10k race. This was an absolute inspiration. Though I wasn't a runner, I did begin thinking about how I could reaffirm my survival of cancer. I was already thinking about offshore racing, so I lay there in bed, planning to engrave the boat's dashboard with the names of my doctors."
When Hayim started racing after treatment, he named his competition boats "Recovery," and began donating winnings to cancer research. Over a ten-year period, Hayim won a remarkable three U.S. Championships and four World Championships and donated several hundred thousand dollars to cancer research and treatment. He also realized the greater benefit to racing as a cancer survivor wasn't actually for himself, but for other people with cancer and other diseases.
"The racing team and I wound up touching a lot of people because of our story and not really because of the racing, and that's just fine by me," says Hayim.
Hayim's prior experience in a very successful import-export business will serve his new organization well. His team's priority is to ensure that customers are treated to an outstanding sales and service experience at Mercedes-Benz of Massapequa.
"Mercedes-Benz is very excited about the passion and energy Stuart Hayim brings to our brand and the community where he and his family reside," says General Manager for MBUSA's New York Region, Mike Cagle. "We're confident that his infectious optimism and customer-focused business skills, along with his seasoned management team will serve residents on Long Island for many years to come."
"This is more than a business for us," Hayim relates. "I grew up in this area, so it's still my home." Indeed, the New York market in which Mercedes-Benz of Massapequa lives is the third largest in the U.S. with the town of Massapequa being a suburb of New York City. Mercedes-Benz USA's New York Region represents the New York Metro and Tri-State area, accounting for over 17 percent of Mercedes' national sales.
Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Montvale, N.J., is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz products in the United States. In 2003, MBUSA achieved an all-time sales record of 218,717 new vehicles, setting the highest sales volume ever in its history and achieving 10 consecutive years of sales growth. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found on the Internet at http://www.mbusa.com/.
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