Looking into Starkville Ford’s past

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Chris Vickery is coming to the end of his ride at Starkville Ford. The longtime owner is turning over the keys and looking towards the future.

But before he leaves, he’s taking a drive down memory lane.

“Great relationship with a lot of folks for a long, long time. You know, having been in one place for 37 years I’ve got to meet and serve a lot of the community,” said Vickery.

Through the good times and the bad Vickery says they were able to stand strong thanks to the community.

“Well in 2008 all the dealership in Starkville went out of business except for us, and the thing that kept our doors open was our customer base our loyal customers, and that was some tough times for everyone,” said Vickery.

Over the last four decades, the car business has changed, and the Vickerys and Starkville Ford have had to adapt to keep up.

“The internet has changed business drastically, but we’ve tried to remain fresh and change with the times,” said Vickery.

Transportation has been a family tradition. He said all the way back to the Model-T the Vickerys have been there. And when making the decision to sell, he turned to his closest supporters.

“My entire family was involved in the decision-making process. We just felt like it was a good time for us to make the exit and the transition and as far as the future goes I’m hoping that we can continue to serve the Starkville community possibly in another way,” said Vickery.

He hopes the change in ownership will keep Starkville Ford moving forward.

“I feel like there’s an opportunity for growth here in Starkville, and I feel like they can take the store to the next level,” said Vickery.

Vickery said the biggest thing he is going to miss is the customers.