Gregory Eaton is a Lansing native that is no stranger to hard work. His father’s family migrated to Lansing, MI in 1885. Mr. Eaton was raised by two hard working parents. His father was a Porter for a private club, and his mother was one of the first black women supervisors at Secretary of State. In addition, she served on several committees.
As a young man Gregory enjoyed playing football, basketball, and running track. In his spare time he maintained a paper route and worked for family members who were owners of janitorial businesses. In 1957 Gregory launched his first business laying sod. Three years later in 1960 Gregory started “Greg’s Janitorial”. His slogan was, “In Search for Dirt.” Gregory always knew that he wanted to be his own boss and took the necessary steps to make that happen. From 1961-1962 he worked at Oldsmobile, he saved every check so he could borrow from banks and repay them to build his credit.
Since Eaton’s father was a Porter in a private club he was exposed to beautiful opportunities. In 1963 he became the first African-American lobbyist for the Auto Dealers. He was a lobbyist for the Auto Dealers almost thirty years. Gregory’s hard work, determination, and ambition led him to another lobbyist opportunity with Koroub and Associates. This opportunity enabled him to launch Metro Cars in 1988. Metro Cars started in Taylor, Michigan and has expanded to Grand Rapids, Detroit, Reno Nevada, Las Vegas Nevada and Sacramento, California. Metro Cars now has a total of 1600 employees.
Mr. Eaton now owns eight corporations and was the first African-American to own property in Long Boat Key Florida. Gregory has been to the World Series, attended every Super Bowl as well as attending five Olympic Games. It’s safe to say nothing surprises him. His love for the community shines above all. He donates multiple charities such as the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, and the Salvation Army. He also helps with tuition and scholarships for several college and college bound students. I asked him if he plans on retiring anytime soon. He replied, “I have eight grandchildren that I hope will attend college, and I don’t want them to have the stress of student loans.” Mr. Eaton’s love for family, charity, and teamwork will keep him busy for years to come.