Local Auto Dealer Focuses on Quality, Diversity and Customer Satisfaction

When the small group of salesmen banded together back in the ‘80s to found a new San Angelo business, they wanted to offer a product no one else had; no easy task in any town, where car dealerships proliferate on every other corner.

After countless hours of research, decades of pooled experience and a warranty most similar manufacturers can’t touch, the Lubbock businessmen opened up a small car dealership on Main St. that would pave the way for one of the city’s largest and most comprehensive lots.

Since 1985 that same group of entrepreneurs has made San Angelo their home, building ties with the community, supporting area high schools and higher education, and offering a range of vehicles sold by seasoned professionals on the Car Town Hyundai lot.

Longtime member of the auto dealership Rita Grafton remembers the dealership’s humble beginnings and has seen the business splinter and grow over nearly three decades with many of the original members still on board.

“They started very small,” she said, “but we’re very good at building a team, so it just got bigger. We opened several stores that then became…other dealerships in San Angelo.”

Grafton got involved in the dealership in ’92 and cites strong leadership as an integral part of the business’s success story. “One of the original [founders] helped people develop as managers because he wanted to give back to the people that helped him with his success.”

Twenty-nine years after the first lot opened, Car Town has expanded immensely, however Grafton says that it’s the team’s belief in the value of the product and dedication to maintaining a positive and reputable relationship with the community that keeps the dealership going. She also notes strong ties to local and higher education and support of local events as part of the team's objectives.

“We really are about our customers,” Grafton said. “There’s a different atmosphere that I feel when you walk into a homey dealership. Our waiting area is like a home, if you walk into someone’s living room. Customers are the focus of what we do.”

Part of focusing on customers, Grafton said, is actively seeking and offering a variety of vehicles to meet customer demand. Car Town Hyundai owner Brad Morris travels extensively, she said, looking for top-notch vehicles in different makes and models for niche shoppers.

“He grew up liking cars since he was a kid,” Grafton said of Morris. “He’s very good about buying used cars and he knows what people want. He knows his vehicles and he really checks them out. We don’t want people coming back to us. We’re not going to promise [customers] something and not give it to them. We like to be honest and we’re here to stay here, so we care about what happens to our customers.”

The cars on the Car Town lot range from new and used Hyundai vehicles to import and domestic vehicles with low mileage and high ratings. BMWs, Mercedes and everything else on the auto spectrum can be found on the lot, and if a customer has a special request, Morris will search until he’s able to get it.

“If there’s something out there that you wouldn’t think that you can get at this store, you should come because chances are, we can get it,” Grafton said. “We work on every make and model [as well]. We have good technicians and we have good people working for us. We strive to make sure we get the right people so that we’re able to help our customers.”

New and used cars appear on the lot daily, Grafton said, so she invites citizens of San Angelo to vist the dealership and tour the facility.

But the priority is not merely to sell vehicles, she said, but to assist customers in finding the car that best suits their individual needs. “Our mission is to be the most respected business in everything that we touch,” Grafton said. “We want to be recognized for professionalism. We care about our reputation. We don’t want people having bad experiences at our store because we know it’s a big investment. We want to make sure that they have a good buying experience from us.”

Car Town Hyundai is located at 501 N. Bryant Boulevard.  For more information on their inventory and services, visit their website here.