House Concurrent Resolution 19

(As Adopted by House)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING TOLBERT CHEVROLET UPON THEIR 50TH ANNIVERSARY.

WHEREAS, Tolbert Chevrolet celebrated their 50th Anniversary of becoming a General Motors dealership on Friday, October 30, 2015, in commemorative recognition of an enterprise that has stood the test of time, with the community coming together to acknowledge the amazing impact they have made for decades; and

WHEREAS, the late Billy Gene Tolbert founded this business based on a feeling of trust from the community that started when he sold used cars at the location of the current NAPA Auto Parts building in Philadelphia, Mississippi, which was a novel idea to this small town, and he eventually moved to sign a deal with General Motors in 1965; and

WHEREAS, this great patriarch had the foresight to grow his business for generations to come, and after signing with Chevrolet, he moved to their current building in 1969, one of the first structures built by W.G. Yates and Sons Construction Company and subsequently added Oldsmobile to his fleet of inventory; and

WHEREAS, Billy Gene did not stop there, he began involving his children, Robert Tolbert, Gene Tolbert and Tammy Tolbert Tawater, early to create a lasting dynasty, and they recall their father's fortitude in 1982 when he decided to add other cars and signed Buick and Pontiac at the height of a terrible economy when interest rates were as high as 21 percent but this bold move has proved invaluable over the course of history; and

WHEREAS, upon Billy Gene's passing, the children continued his legacy by means of over 122 years of combined experience selling cars with hardly any turnover among the staff, including longtime employee and friend of Billy Gene, Hoot Tingle, a man who so clearly loves his job and this family; and

WHEREAS, the Tolberts have maintained good will with the community and General Motors as evidenced by an exhibit in their office displaying a poster of the 2002 Time Magazine cover with an image of their father awarded best new car dealer of the year for the State of Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, this honor comes from their reputation, which is exactly how they have stayed in business for 50 years and sold upwards of 20,000 vehicles, a reputation they may never lose, as maintaining satisfied customers is all they have ever known with 75 to 80 percent of their business coming from repeat customers; and

WHEREAS, this anniversary, taking place in a building that has barely changed over the years, gave the brothers an opportunity to reminisce about their very first unforgettable sales, Robert sold a new 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88, and Gene remembers a nurse that drove from Meridian to buy a brand new Pontiac Bonneville; and

WHEREAS, hundreds of members of the community came out to this celebration with a theme based on the Chevrolet jingle from the 1970s, "Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet, They Go Together in the Good 'Ole USA..." and all of those items were featured including classic cars, two of which were sold that day, a red 1970 Chevelle SS and a yellow 1969 Chevelle SS; and

WHEREAS, the Tolberts have devoted their lives to the family business bringing outstanding service and a joy in what they do to the Philadelphia community while also living out this David Rockefeller quote, "Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you're not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were."; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to honor and recognize the legacy of success of Mississippi's business owners and businesses that have made substantial strides in promoting the limitless economic potential as has been evidenced by the practices and accomplishments of Tolbert Chevrolet:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and congratulate Tolbert Chevrolet upon 50 years of service to the General Motors industry.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Tolbert Chevrolet, the Tolbert Family and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.