In its first year serving the Decatur community, the lot has seen tremendous growth as our team strives to find quality, affordable car options that meet customers' needs.

"I firmly believe that we provide a service for people that others do not." said Sales Manager Eric Wise. "We are providing our customers with value that they can afford, but also that they are comfortable with. The ease with which we do the deals with the customers, we have got it down to a science. The payments are affordable, and it works for the customers. We are putting our trust in them and they are putting their trust in us."

Wise joined the team in May and was quickly enthralled by the team-first, family-oriented culture Action Auto Decatur has cultivated since opening.

"We work as a team," Wise said. "You may have a title, but we are all going to do the work needed to help one another and help make the lot as successful as it can be. No one is bigger than the team here. We are doing it for the store. We don't have individual goals; we have store goals. It is a family dynamic."

He thinks it is an environment that makes it easy to be the best version of yourself, which in turn helps the team better serve customers as they strive to help the Decatur community find reliable transportation options within their budget. The car-buying process can be stressful, the caring, customer-centric the Decatur team provides to customers makes the process seamless and builds a level of trust while providing an essential service.

"I want people to come in and feel like we are here to help them," Wise said. "We try to make the process as personal as possible. If you come into our store, we are going to talk. We let all of our customers know that if they ever need anything, we are here to help, even once they buy a car."

The Action Auto Decatur team is thrilled with the growth that came in their first year and is excited to continue to grow into next year and beyond as they aim to continue to serve the community.

"The growth we've seen has been great. We take great pride in helping our many customers in Decatur" Wise said. "We feel like we are ready to take it to the next level."

Thanks to supply chain issues and inflation's impact on demand, 2022 has been a rough year for auto sales. Autoweek recently reported that sales were down more that 19% in 2022 compared to the first half of 2021.

Michael Lindsey, chief operating officer with Action Auto, is first to admit it’s been a challenging year for keeping inventory and sales figures up.

Despite these obstacles, however, Action Auto has managed to increase sales and maintain the inventory to meet diverse customer needs. Lindsey said his company is ahead of both their yearly projections and where they were at this point in 2021.

“Action Auto has focused on having a broad mix of inventory, so we’d have something for every customer’s needs and budget,” he said. “This helped us achieve higher sales figures even with fewer vehicles in inventory.”

Action Auto’s Tupelo lot has been instrumental to the company’s success as the home of its new in-house reconditioning shop. Earlier this year, Action Auto opened the shop to perform vehicle repairs and upgrades before they hit the lot for customers.

“The reconditioning shop allows us to enhance the condition of the cars in our inventory in a cost-efficient and timely manner, giving our customers more options to choose from when they step onto the lot,” Lindsey said.

The in-house shop lets Action Auto prioritize particular vehicles to fill inventory gaps. Lindsey said it also means the dealership can complete mechanical work at the lowest cost and pass this savings on to customers.

Lindsey also credits Operations Director Crystal Elliott, who leads the company’s sales and collections teams, with Action Auto’s success.

“Crystal and the sales team’s ability to match our customers with a car that fits both their needs and their budget is apparent in both their excellent performance and overall production this year,” Lindsey said.

Elliott focuses on training the dealership’s sales and collections teams on how to best interact with potential and existing customers.

“Even with all the challenges of the past couple years, our lot staff and collections teams have worked incredibly hard to genuinely serve our customers and create an enjoyable experience for everyone,” Elliott said. “I’m so excited to see how we finish out these last few months of the year.”

Starkville native Amanda Jones first joined on at Action Auto two years ago, working as a sales associate in Columbus, Miss. After only a year, the company presented Amanda with the opportunity to move to Florence and open the newest location for the growing company.

“I’m grateful to be in the position I am in today,” Jones said. “When I was asked to open the lot here in Florence, I jumped at the opportunity.” Amanda went on to detail how much the company has cared for her since she started, stating that they are as committed to their team as they are to each customer. “Everyone on our team feels cared for, which directly translates to success on the lot.”

When Jones gets to work every day, she checks inventory to ensure accuracy. She also connects with customers that submitted online credit applications to capitalize on leads. In addition to her responsibilities as lot manager, Amanda facilitates outreach with area businesses, increasing awareness and business for the dealership.

“It’s important that customers know what we’re all about,” she said. “We want to help people that may have been turned down by other dealerships, assuring them that we can find a solution that ends in them driving away happy.”

After spending more than a year in Florence, Amanda has grown fond of the community. “I absolutely love Florence. I’m so blessed to be able to work with so many great people around town.”

Action Auto is the best used auto sales lot in Oxford, Miss., according to the 2022 Best of Oxford list, an annual community poll organized by The Oxford Eagle that recognizes the area’s favorite businesses, restaurants, services and places.

The Buy Here, Pay Here dealership, which provides individuals access to vehicles regardless of their financial situations, has been serving the community since May of 2016 and has sold more than 1,300 cars to local customers.

“We are so incredibly thankful to the people of Oxford for this recognition,” said Oxford lot manager Jolynn Medina of the award, which was announced in the July/August issue of Oxford Magazine. “Everyone has put in a great deal of work to put ourselves in this position, but we would not be here without our amazing customers.”

Action Auto is a subsidiary of Oxford-based investment firm EquiPro Holdings, which currently operates four additional lots across Mississippi and Alabama. Action Auto has built a reputation for quality and customer service.

Each Action Auto vehicle is backed by a 12,000 mile/12-year protection plan, an effort that has created trust through a promise. The dealership is dedicated to getting customers behind the wheel of a quality car they can feel confident about and providing a convenient payment method.

“All of us at Action Auto are very proud, but not surprised at this recognition for the team in Oxford,” said operations director Crystal Elliott, who works closely with each of their locations. “They do an excellent job of delivering on the mission of our company, and truly care about finding solutions to put people behind the wheel.”