Hide Article Text (OCR)
Lee Motor Company celebrates 50 yearsWILSON, NC ■ Lee Motor Company reached a milestone in its history this year, marked by a special day of celebration at the Wilson dealership on Tuesday, June 3,2003.Special guests included, Steve Robida, a regional manager from Ford Motor Company’s Atlanta division, who presented a plaque to John Lee and Tim Varnell, ow ners of the company.Coincidentallv, Lee's 50thW 7year in the business is also the 100th anniversary of Ford's presence in the transportation marketplace. “It's been so wonderful to have continued success as a business, serving the transportation needs of the county and at the same time representing Ford's products in the marketplace, said Lee.Lee Motors has a long and rich history in the transportation industry in Wilson, beginning in 1953 with Lee’s parents, John Sr. and Marguerite, who bought a Ford dealership in Elm City in September 1953.That franchise was moved to Wilson in 1963, and began operating in its present location at the corner of U.S. Highway 301 and Lipscomb Road in 1971. Since that time, the company has expanded to additional locations in Fayetteville and Lumberton, and within the month will open new sites in Charleston and Beaufort, S.C.Lee Motor Company celebrated the anniversary with a catered luncheon for its team members at the dealership, during which several key employees were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the business.Citing “taking care of customers as one of the key aspects to Lee’s continued strong and successful presence in the Wilson market, Lee said that the company philosophy has always been one of fairness, honesty, and remembering the Golden Rule. Management and staff members at Lee Motors are also interested and highly supportive of community issues and organizations. Just this past spring, Varnell said, Lee Motors outfitted 120 Wilson Recreation Department soccer teams with jefseys, Lee Motors has continually sponsored teams in the Wilson Youth Athletic Association over the years.Lee explained thut he became the head of the company at the age of 20, while still in college, at the time his father passed away in 1980. He gave heartfelt recognition and thanks to 45-year Lee employee Hester Tyson, now retired, who took on much of the responsibility of running the dealership while he continued his schooling. “Miss Tyson, as we call her, was so loyal and dedicated...she was here looking after the business, and I had no worries...even though that was during a time when the auto industry was experiencing a severe recession.I was, at that time, totally without the finesse and experience needed to run a car dealership. he candidly said. “She wore so many hats, as office manager, controller. seer etary-treasurer. ..she was just absolutelyTim Varnell, at left, Steve Robida. center, and John Lee, at right, display the plaque presented to Lee Motor C ompany in celebration of their 50 years in business.(Photo by Grant Roberson)instrumental in our success during what was a truly difficult time in our history.Another important factor to the company's longevity and growth, he said, has been the way all the employees and team members of the staff have worked and interacted together through the years. That he credited to the teamwork concept that was originally established by his father, which he explained in this way: “There are no limitations to what you can do if no one person takes credit...we've all worked hard over the vears,wand didn't worry about titles or what individual responsibilities were. If there was a job to be done, we all pitched in and saw that it was done.Based on the smiles, handshakes and atmosphere of accomplishment that was evident in the dealership show room this week, that concept has been and is still successful - and Lee and Varnell agree that another 50 years of business success is definitely on the horizon.
Newspaper Details
Wilson Daily Times
Wilson, North Carolina, US
Sat, Jun 28, 2003
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Wilson C.
NC, USA 13 Dec 2023
Other Publications Near Wilson, North Carolina
Wilson Flag Of The South
Wilson Advertiser
Wilson Advance
Wilson Times
Wilson Mirror
