I am married to my wife Julia of seventeen years and have three children, Hugh (14), William (12) and Eliza (9) and we live in Locust Valley. I grew up in Oyster Bay and graduated from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Penn., where I earned a B.S. in Finance and received my M.B.A. from Columbia University in New York, in 2004.
Additionally, I studied automotive management at the NADA Academy to prepare to oversee my family’s auto group. I serve on the board of directors for the Glen Cove Boys and Girls Club and I am a member of the vestry of St. John’s Church in Cold Spring Harbor. I serve on many professional boards including the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association and the Cadillac National Dealer Council.
I own and operate the Weidinger Auto Group consisting of North Bay Cadillac Buick GMC in Great Neck, Jaguar Land Rover Freeport in Freeport, and other automotive operations on Long Island.
My grandfather started the business in 1938 and I took over from my father in 2008 after starting with him in 1996. As a third-generation dealer, the keys to running a successful business and continuing our family tradition have been ingrained in me.
From working in every department during my teenage summers, to opening new dealerships as we grew, I’ve learned the business from the bottom up and use that experience daily as I navigate our changing times.
Our team prides itself on being honest, respectful, and attentive to the needs of everyone who comes through our dealership’s doors, and we treat everyone the way we would want to be treated.
We actively give back to our communities through various charitable organizations such as The INN in Hempstead and the Glen Cove Boys and Girls Club. For example, during each Thanksgiving season, we collect food baskets filled with 20 holiday food items per basket including a gift card to purchase a fresh turkey at a local supermarket and donate them to
The INN and the Glen Cove Boys and Girls Club so that families in need can enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal. In November, we had the opportunity to donate a 2022 Chevrolet Suburban outfitted with a wheelchair lift system to the Tunnels to Towers Foundation which supports disabled veterans by building homes that meet their unique needs.
My team and I pride ourselves as a family-owned and operated business and work toward the long-term success of our brands and our employees by continually evolving the way we operate our business and by investing in innovations in technology, consumer preferences and tastes, and employee retention strategies.
With the move toward new automotive propulsion technologies such as electric, hydrogen and synthetic fuels, the retail car industry has never been more exciting.
My largest challenge being both an entrepreneur and the head of company with 180 employees is finding the balance between taking risks to grow the business in the face of changing conditions while keeping the long-term success and stability of the company in mind. I would encourage other owners to constantly evaluate their decisions in terms of both short- and long-term success.
