J.C. Lewis Ford will officially cut the ribbon Thursday on their new Statesboro Ford and Lincoln dealerships and Quick Lane service center, located at Highway 301 South and the bypass. The Lewis family along with representatives from Ford will be in Statesboro for the event, which starts at 5 p.m.
J.C. Lewis purchased the 14.51-acre parcel several years ago, which included mainly undeveloped land and two houses on the west end of the property. They broke ground on the new dealership in February 2018. Even though the general contractor for the project was not local, the majority of the construction was completed by subbing the work to local businesses. They were committed to buy local and use local talent where possible throughout the construction process.
“This new facility allows us to meet the new updates and requirements set forth by Ford, in addition to giving us a state of the art facility, which will help us create an even better customer service experience,” said Walter Lewis, J.C. Lewis Ford president. “The expansion also allows us to increase the capacity of our service department and will create opportunities to add additional team members in Statesboro.”
J.C. Lewis currently has more than 50 employees in Statesboro. They are looking to fill seven more full-time positions including mechanics for their service centers.
Last week, Statesboro General Manager Stephen Staton and Rod Pye, director of operations gave me a tour of the expansive, state-of-the-art, nearly 40,000-square-foot facility. To say it is impressive is an understatement. The dealership is unique in the J.C. Lewis family in that it houses two distinctive dealerships, Ford and Lincoln, in one building. This is also the only Lincoln dealership that the Lewis family owns.
When you walk into the showroom, you will immediately notice the difference in the design housing the two dealerships. To the left is the Ford dealership and to the right is Lincoln. Even the flooring is different to represent the distinctive differences in the two brands.
Above the receptionist is a huge, 360-degree TV screen, which is interactive. The customer area includes a 96” TV, I-Pads and a business center for clients to enjoy while having their vehicles serviced at the dealership. The back wall of the customer’s service area includes a floor to ceiling glass wall that looks into the shop, which allows you to watch your car being serviced.
When you enter the service center check in, it looks more like a check in desk at a high-end hotel. The overall design is beautiful and very functional.
Next to the showroom, housed in a separate building, is the Quick Lane service center. The service center can handle routine service including oil changes on any make and model of vehicle, not just Ford or Lincoln products.
“We work with Omni Craft to ensure we are stocked with everything we need to service any vehicle, especially ones without a local dealership in Statesboro.” Slaton said. “This alone is a huge improvement. No appointment is necessary. Just bring your car in and we will handle the non-warranty service for you without having to drive to Savannah.”
Since moving into the new dealership in January, which allowed them to increase their inventory and increase sales.
“The Lewis family has invested into this dealership with the Statesboro community in mind,” Rod Pye said. “It is a sign of their confidence in the future of this market and a thank you for the incredible support this community has given J.C. Lewis Ford and Lincoln over the past five years since acquiring Rozier Ford and Lincoln.
With this tremendous investment into our community, J.C. Lewis continues to be a wonderful addition to the Statesboro community.
Not only have they continued to grow the dealership and create a great environment for their employees, they have also become strong supporters of our community in many ways including through their J.C. Lewis Cares initiative. In addition, through their family foundation, they have supported community projects that continues a legacy of service and giving that the J.C. Lewis family is so well known for in the Savannah community.