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Abigail Hickman/Staff Correspondent The old/new team at Valley River Chevrolet (from left): J.R. Carroll, Ray Loudermilk, Dave Mason, Ronnie King, Eldridge Bateman, Andrew Gay, Bryan Tiller, Adam Crane and Jon Fullerton.
Murphy – For 26 and a half years, Jacky Jones and partner Jon Fullerton served Cherokee County at their Jacky Jones Chevrolet dealership on U.S. 64 West.
However, last week the dealership changed hands to newcomer Bryan Tiller. Fullerton feels nostalgic about the end of his era.
“I feel a little lost. I gained a family here,” he said while walking a back hallway of the dealership, glancing around at the employees he will leave behind.
New owner Bryan Tiller, an energetic giant, intends to honor the Jones/Fullerton legacy by keeping their sales team intact.
“I’m not replacing anyone,” Tiller said, but he did bring in a team member from the outside. “Adam Crane is a 36 year-old partner and will serve as the figurehead of the company.”
Crane has always loved the mountains.
“My grandparents live in Cleveland, Ga.,” he said. “We’ve inherited 23 employees, and we are excited about that. They have relationships within town.”
Crane intends to foster these connections as Jacky Jones Chevrolet debuts under its new banner, Valley River Chevrolet.
“I’m spending the first few weeks getting to know the team and how they do things,” he said. Crane met Tiller when he worked as his general manager in another dealership.
Tiller seems right with the world inside the dealership as he grew up around cars.
“My friends worked at Burger King or Piggly Wiggly, but I don’t know. I was fascinated by cars. I always worked at the mechanics, turning a wrench,” Tiller said.
“I’ve been in the car business most of my life,” he added, explaining that his parents owned a Ford dealership while he was growing up. “I worked there at 15 until I left for college.”
Tiller did well for himself, earning a juris doctorate from Mercer Law School and beginning a career as a real estate and criminal attorney. But it didn’t fulfill him.
“It’s not interesting like you see on TV,” he said with a laugh. “The cases all get pretty mundane after about a year.”
Tiller stuck it out for 11 years as an attorney in what he calls “mind numbing” work. Finally, he found a way out.
“My family asked me to come back to the fold,” he said, thrilled to get back to cars. “I retired on Tuesday and got back into the car business on Wednesday.”
Tiller plans to spend the first six months or so at his new dealership, which he joked will make his wife and children happy. The Tillers have owned a house in Nantahala for many years, but his wife and children will remain at their second home in Georgia while he acquaints himself with the dealership and community.
“They’re thrilled I’m up here,” he said, laughing again. “They like it when I’m gone.”
Both Tiller and Crane see the core of their success resting on their employees.
“I want to ensure it is a well-staffed and well-run dealership. It’s the same dealership; it’s just going to be a different person in the driver’s seat,” Tiller said.
He does have some meaningful changes in mind. Tiller sees a need in the market to serve those with imperfect credit scores, which he intends to meet with a two-pronged approach.
Today, the dealership has between 27-29 used cars in stock.
“We’ll be in the hundreds,” Tiller said. “Manufacturers have been having trouble ramping up production since COVID. They keep saying it will improve. But if you want to make a living, you have to supply individuals with some kind of vehicle.”
Part two of his strategy involves partnering with United Community Bank of Murphy to provide financing for the underserved buyers with a “less than stellar” credit score.
“They have been somewhat been ignored; they’ve have not been courted,” Tiller said.
In addition to the local bank, Tiller said, “We’re adding eight or nine new national lenders who specialized in those with credit blemishes. We want to get them into nice vehicles.”
Jones and Fullerton are leaving the dealership in tip-top condition.
“Corporate changes these things, making dealers scramble to meet the requirements of the manufacturer,” he said. “They (Jones and Fullerton) brought the dealership up to Chevrolet standards just two years ago.”
Tiller’s dreams for the dealership are simple.
“I’m going to come up here, assimilate into the dealership and town,” he said. “This place is heaven on earth. We’re going to have a good time and sell lots of cars.”
The future isn’t as clear for Fullerton.
“I’ll probably hang around here (the dealership) for another month or so to help with the transition,” he
said.
However, Fullerton’s life outside of the dealership is less straightforward.
“My future is undecided,” he said, adding, “I wish them (Tiller and his team) all the luck for a bright future. I want them to be a huge
success.”