In 2017, we revealed five things you may not know about The Reynolds and Reynolds Company. Fast forward seven years, and that story continues with five more things you may not know.

From our roots in a vacant firehouse to our current status as an automotive industry leader, these lesser-known fun facts highlight the innovation and community spirit that shape our identity, even beyond the automotive industry.

1. Our first physical location was an old firehouse.

We’ve been a staple in the Dayton, Ohio, community since 1866! Founders Lucius D. Reynolds and James R. Gardner started in a vacant firehouse behind what is now the Victoria Theatre in downtown Dayton and turned it into a printing shop. A company that began with six shop workers and one traveling salesman has grown into one of the premier providers of automotive industry software with more than 4,300 associates across the globe – all in the span of 150 years.

2. The company relocated to a bigger Dayton facility in 1898 and again in the early 2000s to our current corporate office.

Have you passed our Research Park headquarters in Kettering, just outside of Dayton city limits? We haven’t always lived at 1 Reynolds Way. When the company outgrew the small firehouse downtown in 1898, we relocated to a much larger facility where we stayed for more than a century. After just over 100 years, our Dayton campus moved to the Research Park location, which boasts an onsite gym, health clinic, cafeteria, and athletic facilities for associates to stay fit.

In addition to our Dayton Headquarters, we also operate out of major offices in Houston and College Station, Texas, Tampa, Florida, and Celina, Ohio, as well as Canada and Europe. You can find us living and working in communities around the globe!

3. We entered the automotive industry in 1927.

Although we started as a modest printing company, we joined the ever-evolving automotive industry 60 years later. In 1927, the Chevrolet division of General Motors (GM) requested bids for designing and printing standardized business forms for its dealerships. When we secured that business, we started providing accounting forms to Chevrolet dealers throughout the United States. These forms enhanced dealership productivity and helped GM analyze sales and predict demand more effectively.

4. The Reynolds and Reynolds Associate Foundation, established in 1956, is the longest-standing associate-run charitable foundation in the United States.

With chapters in both Ohio and Texas, the Associate Foundation is managed by an all-associate board of trustees that donate their time to raise and disburse funds to a wide range of programs in our communities. The foundation extends financial support to initiatives including health and human services, at-risk youth, hunger, homelessness, life-threatening illnesses, animal welfare, and veterans’ organizations. Learn more about the Associate Foundation here.

5. In the 1960s, we joined the software industry and became the automotive leader you know today.

So much of the technology we enjoy today was invented in the 60s, like cordless phones, GPS, and the computer mouse. During this era of technological innovation, Reynolds entered the electronic data processing field and began providing computerized accounting software to automotive dealerships. This major leap forward evolved into our dealer management system, or DMS, which is what most automotive professionals know us for today.

To join our rich, enduring legacy, check out current job openings here. 

Our second facility in downtown Dayton, Ohio, shortly after we relocated in 1898.