LAFONTS REOPEN AUTO SALES OPERATION

Pat LaFont and his father, Gene Lafont, have joined forces to reopen LaFont Auto Sales at 402 S. Kingshighway.

"We'll be handling a wide spectrum of cars," said Pat LaFont, who has been in the auto sales business for 20 years. "We'll feature vehicles from old to almost new. We'll offer a wide range of prices, from $250 to $25,000."

The business is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

The LaFonts have a combined total of more than 65 years in business.

"My father has been involved in auto sales more than 15 years," said LaFont, "but he has been around cars more than 45 years. He operated a service station, which also offered vehicle tuneups, in Portageville for 30 years."

"I'm really looking forward to being in business with my son," said Gene LaFont, who came to Cape Girardeau in 1976 to open a used-car business on South Kingshighway. He had closed the operation recently.

Pat LaFont opened his first used-car business in Portageville in 1972.

"I sold that operation to my father in 1976," he said. "I came to Cape Girardeau and started work at a new-car dealership. Pat LaFont was associated with Dean Taylor Cadillac-Oldsmobile as general sales manager for 16 years.