You may know Mark Jones as the roller-skating Uncle Sam in Noblesville’s Fourth of July Parades. Or maybe you know him as the roller-skating Santa Claus in Noblesville’s Christmas parades. Or maybe you know him from one of his numerous sales jobs in Hamilton County over the last several decades. But he’d like you to know him as a life-long member of the community who is now proud to be part of the Tom Wood family.
When The Reporter asked how he came to be a salesman at Tom Wood Volkswagen in Noblesville, Jones chuckled and said, “It started 50 years ago knowing General Manager Mike Bragg.”
Jones said he had been in the car business 20 years ago, but when his work schedule began to interfere with his ability to attend his kids’ school events, he decided to give it up.
“I told myself, ‘One day I’ll go back to the car business because I just love helping people with their automotive needs,’” Jones said.
His love of people led him to sales in financial planning, cable TV, invisible fence pet containment systems and more.
“I’ve been in the retail industry my whole life,” Jones said. “Not counting the years of concrete work I did on the side, my work at the grain terminal in Noblesville, and Forest Park back when I was a teenager.”
Jones is also a supervisor for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on a seasonal basis, which he has done for 17 years.
“I’ve never traveled anywhere outside the continental United States,” Jones said. “What was really great about Formula One coming to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was that I drive 45 minutes and I meet the world! I’ve met people from Scotland, Wales, France, Lithuania, Cuba, Ireland, The Netherlands and all over. That’s what really got me. Being close to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where else can you go hang out with 200,000 people and get paid for it?”
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Jones was a young athlete in Noblesville, playing baseball in the city league and later in high school from 1976 to 1980. He also ran track and cross country and even played a year of football on the team that was runner-up at the state level.
Jones told The Reporter about a humorous moment from his baseball days.
“When I was playing baseball at 13 years old, we were the Bad News Bears before the Bad News Bears came out,” Jones told The Reporter. “In the city league in baseball you play every week. We lost every regular season ballgame, but when we went to the tournament, we won the city championship 7-0. The championship game was at North Elementary School. We were tied 20-20. I hit a ball that rolled almost over to Monument from Harrison. I hit first base. I hit second base. My mom, Constance Jones, jumps out of the stands. As I round third base she is running with me down the third-base line. I hit the plate, she gives me a hug, the rest of the team comes out and we win 21-20.”
According to Jones, that story was on the front page of the Noblesville Ledger, which Don Jellison was running at the time.
Jones said he was close with Jellison. He laughed as he told The Reporter, “Don used to put me in the box scores when I was playing basketball with my 2.2 average.”
Jones also grew up with Hamilton County Reporter Publisher Jeff Jellison. The partnership between The Reporter, Tom Wood and Prevail is one more reason he is proud part of the Tom Wood family. Jones has long been a supporter of community outreach programs.
“Esther Lakes was one of my teachers in high school,” Jones said. “She is one of the driving forces of Prevail. I attend the Nazarene church and St. Vincent de Paul bought the building in front of our church, remodeled it, and are working out of there. Transformation [Center for Healing] is another shelter. One of my customers from Starbucks, Laci Giboney, started that not-for-profit to help women with drug addictions, who are being battered and who are having some problems with life. I keep up on the community-based outreach programs to see if I can help in any way I can.”
Bragg started trying to get Jones to work with him in 2009, when he was working with a dealership on the east side of Indianapolis.
“I said, ‘It’s too far for me to go, Mike,’” Jones explained. “I want to stay around Noblesville because that’s where I was born and raised. This is where I raised my family and I’m still here in the community.”
Now that Bragg is at Tom Wood Volkswagen of Noblesville, Jones was happy to come on board.
“Mike and I have been trying to move Noblesville forward by helping out in the community,” Jones said, “letting them know we are here for the community. We work with Prevail. We were born and raised here. We both have lived here our whole lives. We have raised our kids here, and Mike will always be a ‘Nobletuckian’ like myself.”
Jones said he wants to help people enjoy the time they spend looking for a new vehicle.
“I’m here to help Noblesville, Hamilton and surrounding counties to enjoy buying a car,” Jones said. “Instead of the headaches and stress that come with it, I’m going to make it a very pleasant and enjoyable experience to purchase a vehicle – new or used.”
As part of the Tom Wood family and part of the Hamilton County community, Jones is here to stay and ready to help.
“I want long-term customers,” Jones said. “I want to build my family. If that’s around the Tom Wood family, that’s even better. I just love people. To be in sales you have to love people.”
You can reach Mark Jones at Tom Wood Volkswagen Noblesville by calling (317) 853-6948.
So proud of my firstborn son.He is a true people person!
I have known Mark most of my life. My husband and I worked security with him and we know his entire family. He is honest and hard working and fun to be around. I know if Mark is involved you will be treated fairly and won’t have to worry about getting cheated. Proud he is my friend and proud he represents Noblesville!