This month, Williamson’s Auto Center is celebrating their fifty-fourth anniversary. It was first owned by Cebie Williamson. Before Williamson’s Auto Center, Cebie owned a gas station in Aiken. Aiken was just a small town when Cebie first opened his gas station in 1967. He dealt with Texaco and his station was open 24/7 with five bays available. After a few years of hard work, Cebie ran all three of the Texaco stations in Aiken.
In the early 80s, the Texaco full-service stations were commissioned to be shut down. Cebie saw the potential growth coming to Aiken and decided to purchase ten acres of land on Whiskey Road and build an automotive shop. Now, Williamson’s Auto Center is owned by Cebie’s son, Ronnie Williamson. Ronnie has worked for his dad since he was just thirteen years old. “My dad told me that I could work as long as I did well in school,” says Ronnie. “It was just the little town of Aiken then and I’ve been here all these years to watch it grow.”
Ronnie has now owned Williamson’s Auto Center for twenty-one years. He learned how to work on cars by watching his dad when he was growing up. When he was a junior in high school, he was able to get more involved and began training with his dad. “I watched him through the years, and I have a love for it,” says Ronnie.
Ronnie and his dad also love to race cars together. “Daddy has always liked fast cars,” says Ronnie. “We drag raced and stock car raced.” They would often drag race at the Jackson Dragstrip, but they also raced all over the southeast.
Ronnie’s younger son, Dustin, plans to come and work with his dad soon. Dustin will be trained by his dad for the next few years and plans to keep the Williamson’s Auto Center’s legacy alive.
A few of the services offered at Williamson’s Auto Center are transmission work, exhaust work, general and computer repairs, A/C, and brakes. “We do pretty much everything to a car that can be done to a car,” says Ronnie. Williamson’s Auto Center specializes in A/C repairs and it is their most popular service along with brake work.
One of Ronnie’s favorite things about working at his shop is getting to greet his customers. He enjoys talking with them and has customers that have been with him for over thirty years. Ronnie says that honesty and good work have carried him far in his business.
Come say hello to Ronnie and the rest of the crew at Williamson’s Auto Center at 3773 Whiskey Rd or give them a call at 803-649-6101. Williamson’s Auto Center is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm. Follow Williamson’s Auto Center on Facebook.