South Boston, which has seen two auto dealerships open in town since 2018, is about to welcome a third.
Virginia Auto Mart has purchased the 3625 Old Halifax Road location formerly occupied by Puckett Auto Sales & Service and plans to be open by Dec. 2 with a large inventory of pre-owned cars, trucks, SUVs, work vans and bucket trucks for sale.
“We are excited to come to Virginia and do business,” said Heather Harvey, business manager. Virginia Auto Mart is an expansion of Oxford Car and Truck, which has been in operation for 15 years in Oxford, N.C. The company is owned by Eddie Caudle.
Virginia Auto Mart’s arrival comes on the heels of two other chain dealerships opening car and truck lots in South Boston over the past year and a half. In April 2018, CrossRoads Ford of South Boston moved out to its new showroom and facility on U.S. 58. CrossRoads, the county’s only new car franchise, bought out Crowell Motor Company in late 2016.
In January, Lynchburg-based Terry Auto Group opened a South Boston dealership at the former Crowell Motors site on Wilborn Avenue.
Preparations for Virginia Auto Mart’s planned Dec. 2 opening were in full swing this week — on Tuesday, a car carrier pulled onto the freshly-paved lot on Old Halifax Road loaded with vehicle makes that include Lexus, Ford, Chevrolet, Nissan and Dodge.
The dealership will have a service center for maintenance, and vehicle inspections will be available in six months. The employee team will start out with two salespersons, a service technician and a service manager.
The building has undergone many renovations, including removal of the old brown wood paneling and drop ceilings. The walls dividing the sales desk have been removed to open the office space and include a relaxing lounge area with sofas. All-glass bay doors will replace the current metal doors.
“We have lots of space to grow into,” said Harvey.
Eventually, the front metal awning will be removed to allow a better view of the showroom, she added. The dealership is looking to offer washing and detailing of vehicles from the existing wash bay located in the basement.
In addition to selling vehicles, Virginia Auto Mart will offer Old Hickory Buildings, outdoor sheds and play buildings with the option to buy or rent to own.
The Virginia Auto Mart logo and website are in final stages of creation, and the http://www.virginiaautomart.com home page currently has an image stating the website is coming soon.
When purchasing the property, Harvey learned many residents travel to Richmond and Raleigh in search of a vehicle. “We hope to provide a great service to Halifax County,” she said.
From The News and Record
