1927 was a busy year for America. Charles Lindbergh took the very first one-way flight to France, the Jazz Singer became the first blockbuster movie to incorporate sound with the silver screen, the great flood on the Mississippi, work began on Mount Rushmore, and Babe Ruth was chasing a new all-time home run record. It was also the year that would change a Tennessee community forever when Winstead P Bone, a fresh recent college graduate, opened a Chevrolet dealership in downtown Lebanon Tennessee.
In the near-century since it first opened its doors in 1927, Wilson County Chevrolet has weathered The Great Depression, multiple fires, massive floods, gasoline shortages, several wars, the crash of 2008, and most recently, a direct hit from a Tornado during a pandemic. It sounds like something out of a novel, but this small, tight-knit, and resilient family has survived hardships that have crippled organizations and corporations 100 times the size. In the days following the devastating tornado, the entire staff came together to clean up and make the site ready for rebuilding. Usually, a 2nd party team is brought in to clear debris, but the company employees knew if they took care of the business, the business would take care of them. Thanks to their quick efforts, the cleanup went smoothly, and the newly rebuilt building looks better than before the tornado of 2020.
Winstead and his sons Mitchel and Paine Bone treat their clients like family, contributing to their extraordinary longevity at Wilson County Chevrolet. They have even had the honor of servicing the great-grandchildren of their very first customers. That incredible customer loyalty also reflects the people they have working for them, who also tend to stick around. Several team members have spent 30 years with the company; some have spent 60 years with them! Their approach to customer relationships is what most dealerships strive to have, or in some cases, claim to have. You can walk in and speak with the owners or call them anytime, which sets them apart and makes their customers feel like a part of the organization.
Another incredible aspect of the Wilson County Chevrolet family is their commitment and involvement in the local community. In 1990 WP initiated a "teacher of the year" award to honor truly outstanding local educators. 30 Teachers are nominated each year by their peers, and only one is chosen to be "teacher of the year" by a group of educators at Cumberland College. This yearly award for excellence in education rewards those who contribute to the success of the next generation, something an organization as experienced as Wilson County Chevrolet takes very seriously.
Car dealerships as a whole don't have the greatest reputation for a good customer experience, so much so that some new businesses have cut out the "dealership experience" altogether, making car buying a completely sterile and relationship-free affair. At Wilson County Chevrolet, they focus on providing a good customer experience in every phase of car ownership, a core value that has clearly paid dividends over nearly ten decades.
It's hard to believe, but the United States Air Force, manned spaceflight, the CIA, the United Nations, Germany, Mickey Mouse, and the discovery of Pluto are all younger than Wilson County Chevrolet. Institutions with that kind of staying power are as rare as they are special. If you're not already a customer, it may be time to at least stop by to see what it is about this historic organization that has kept generations of customers returning. For most car dealerships, when you buy a car, you become one of their customers; at Wilson County Chevrolet, you become part of a legacy.