College of Agriculture

2009

Ed Wittmeier attended Chico State in the 1960’s and began his career in the automobile industry when he moved from Chico to Sacramento, where he became a vehicle sales professional. The experience he gained in Sacramento enabled Ed to return to Chico and manage a GMC and Cadillac dealership, then later a Ford dealership.

In 1978, Ed was able to purchase the Ford dealership and later add the Lincoln and Mercury franchises. In 1984 Wittmeier purchased the Honda dealership, and the two dealerships were located side by side in downtown Chico.

Business growth and a vision for the future resulted in the construction of a brand new state of the art facility located on the freeway in a growing area of Chico. The relocation was completed in 1991.

Opportunity presented itself to Ed once again in 1992 when he purchased the Chevrolet dealership and located it in the old downtown location while construction began on a new facility next to the Ford/Honda dealership on Forest Avenue. In 1996 the vision of Wittmeier Auto Center became a reality, making it one of the first dealerships in the auto industry to house Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Honda, and Chevrolet side by side with common ownership.

The same visionary leadership that has made Wittmeier Auto Center a successful business is also evident in the company’s support of agriculture education. In 2002, Wittmeier Ford became the title sponsor of the Wittmeier Ford/CSU, Chico/ Superior Ag Golf Classic. For seven years, the title sponsorship was held by either Wittmeier Ford or Wittmeier Chevrolet, and through their sponsorship the dealerships have provided more than $60,000 to support student success in the College of Agriculture. With Wittmeier Auto Center’s support, the Superior Ag Golf Classic has grown into one of the top charitable golf tournaments in the North State, raising more than half-a-million dollars for scholarships and academic programs in its 14-year history.

Ed Wittmeier and his brothers and colleagues Wayne and Chuck were raised in a farming family in Durham, and they recognize the importance of agriculture in our community and education’s role in its future. They have demonstrated those values through their support of the College of Agriculture. For that reason we are very pleased to induct Wittmeier Auto Center into the College of Agriculture Hall of Honor.