Ray is a born entrepreneur who learned the value of a hard day’s work from his grandparents, who raised him. In grammar school, he would collect spare parts to repair and resell bicycles. At age 12, he bought his first car and sold it for a profit. “From that point on, I was hooked and knew the automotive business was my destiny,” said Ray. “The work ethic and integrity my grandparents instilled in me have served me well throughout my automotive career.”

His career officially started in 1958, when he opened Towne Auto Sales, a retail used car and wholesale operation in Kearny, at the age of 22. Ray spent the next 18 years honing his knowledge of the automotive industry, which prepared him to move into new-car sales with Ray Catena Chevrolet in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, in 1976. Ray’s wife, Elsie, has worked beside him from the beginning of his career and continues to do so to this day. While his company has grown substantially since 1976, Catena is proud of his reputation for excellent customer service. His motto has always remained the same: “If you think something is more important than the customer, think again.”

Ray is one of the most accomplished and respected dealers to ever represent New Jersey in the competition. His success is the result of his commitment to his customers, his manufacturers, the communities in which his dealerships operate, and his employees.

Founded in 1981, the Ray Catena Auto Group has grown to employ more than 1,100 people, representing luxury brands Mercedes-Benz (three dealerships), Sprinter, Porsche, Infiniti, Lexus (four dealerships) Land Rover (two dealerships), Audi, BMW, Jaguar, and MINI throughout New Jersey and New York. One of Catena’s daughters, a son-in-law, and two grandsons are the next generations representing the family’s enterprise.

Ray feels it is his responsibility, as a successful businessperson, to give back to his employees, his customers, and the communities his dealerships serve. To that end, he supports a wide variety of charitable causes, including the Tunnel to Towers Foundation; the Wounded Warrior Project; the Monmouth Conservation Foundation; the Susan G. Komen Foundation; the Monmouth Park Charity Fund; the Hackensack Meridian Riverview Medical Center; the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; the New York-Presbyterian Columbia Medical Center; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Fulfill Food Bank of Monmouth & Ocean Counties; Mercy Center; the Raine Foundation; Special Olympics of New Jersey; the Tigger Stavola Foundation for mental illness & addiction support; as well as an array of local youth sports teams, in addition to police, fire, and first aid squads throughout New Jersey and many other worthwhile causes. Ray is also proud to partner with Brookdale Community College and Universal Technical Institute on the vocational “School to Career Path” for automotive technicians, a program that provides the opportunity for paid internships, working side-by-side with master technicians and bridging the gap between theory and practice.