New Jackson auto dealership to focus on customer experience, owner says

A new car dealership in Jackson aims to do things differently from franchise dealerships.

Drive Nation, located at the former Ford Groves building at 825 E. Jackson Blvd., has an inventory of around 75 vehicles of various makes and models. Even though it doesn’t officially open until Saturday, June 1, the business has already sold some 40 vehicles.

“There’s no gimmicks or nothing like that,” owner Joshua Overbey said. “You see a vehicle, you pay a price for the vehicle and you get on the road.”

Overbey and co-owner Allen Rhodes both have years of dealership experience, but not with the same types of cars that they sell at Drive Nation. Rhodes founded 74 Auto in Sikeston, focusing entirely on salvaged cars. Overbey started ReCar in Benton, selling exclusively repaired cars. Drive Nation takes this to the next step and sells only clean-title vehicles, or those that have never needed to be salvaged or rebuilt.

Both owners had never operated a business before getting into the dealership industry. Since its inceptions, 74 Auto has made more than 20,000 sales in around two decades; ReCar has sold some 7,000 cars in five years.

“These guys are really intelligent. The way we operate here is all about the purchase of the vehicle,” Drive Nation general manager Mac Robinson said.

Robinson has two years of sales experience and seven years of finance experience at other auto dealerships. The difference between Drive Nation and those other dealerships, he said, is Drive Nation doesn’t try to haggle with customers.

“We want people to come here because it's cheaper and more streamlined ... we cut all the processes they (other franchises) do out,” he said. “All that nonsense is unnecessary. Lets get somebody in here, let’s spend an hour and try to get them in a car.”

The only marketing the company has done so far is making social media posts and having banners link to the Drive Nation website from the 74 Auto and ReCar sites. Robinson said they aim to sell cars with low mileage, some of which are just a year or two old. Customers from as far away as California and Texas have looked for cars there.

“We’re not even all the way open yet and we’re still doing numbers. We’re beating several franchise stores in the area,” Robinson said. “... We’re already big enough now where people are stopping in because they’re interested.”

Drive Nation’s grand opening will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. June 1.

Do you want more business news? Check out B Magazine, and the B Magazine email newsletter. Go to www.semissourian.com/newsletters to find out more.