Nash

NASH COUNTY

Dane Taylor inflates a tire for a customer at Taylor’s Exxon in Nashville.

STILL SERVING Taylor’s Exxon is unique in Twin Counties

STORY BY WILLIAM F. WEST PHOTOS BY ALAN CAMPBELL

The sight of a service station attendant coming out, filling a motorist’s tank with gasoline, cleaning the windshield and asking to check under the hood has, over time, become a long-since-past part of life in the Twin Counties.

An exception in the Twin Counties is Taylor’s Exxon, which continues to operate a full-service island just east of downtown Nashville.

Kenneth Wayne Taylor, 64, owns the station - located at U.S. 64 Business and East Washington Street - and his son Dane Taylor, 32, is a mechanic. Besides the father and son, three people work at the station, which is a late 1960s ranch-style structure.

Kenneth Taylor has been tending to motorists’ needs in the area for about 44 years. Approximately the first eight of them were at what was Nashville Gulf downtown.

“I worked there part-time on the weekends,” he said. “And the owner at the time moved on to other things — and he wanted to get out and I took it from there.”

Taylor took charge of the Exxon approximately 36 years ago after the previous owner, the late Frank Jordan, handed him the keys to the station and wished him good luck.

“He was ready to get out,” Taylor recalled with a smile and a laugh.

As for why he enjoys being in the service-station business, Taylor said, “I just love cars. I like dealing with people.”

He also noted he has made a lot of friends through the years.

“And I just love my job,” he said.

He also has long maintained the Nash County Sheriff’s Office’s fleet.

He said he loves servicing the vehicles

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of the men and women who put their lives on the line.

“It just feels good that I can get ‘em in and get ’em out so they can help other people,” he said.

At Taylor’s Exxon, Taylor estimates anywhere from 15 percent to 20 percent of his gasoline sales business is at the fullservice island, with the rest at the self service islands on the west side of the building.

Most of the full-service business comes from longtime local residents, such as Tonya West, 45, who pulled up to have her Ford Focus refueled and tended to.

West, who has been a customer for more than 15 years, summed up her opinion of Taylor’s Exxon in one word: “Excellent.”

As for why she started doing business with the station and remains loyal, she said, “Because I heard wonderful things about ’em when I moved here — and they’re very reliable. And they’re very, very honest people.”

“They’ve been a huge asset to me, in knowing, as a single female, that I have somebody to rely on, to treat me honestly and tell me the truth and fairly, with a good She has been pulling up to Taylor’s Exxon honest price,” she also said. for approximately 30 years. She said she loves that the station hasn’t given up the full“...AND HERE, service part of the business. “When you go up to the convenience IT’S LIKE stores, it’s impersonal,” she said. “You drive up, get gas and you get out of there. And FAMILY. I’VE here, it’s like family. I’ve known them and KNOWN THEM they’ve known me for a long time.” As for whether the son is going to take AND THEY’VE over the business someday, Taylor said, “Yeah, I’m going to make sure he gets it.”KNOWN ME FOR Dane Taylor said he has been at the A LONG TIME.” service station since he was approximately 14, at first hanging around until he was old - DAWN HARDY enough to work. Taylor summed up how he and his father

Another longtime local customer is Dawn have been able to succeed in the business by Hardy, 51, who has mobility issues. saying one must treat people right.

“So full service takes care of that,” said “That’s the main thing,” he said. “We don’t Hardy, who drives a Chrysler Town and try to sell people stuff they don’t need. A lot Country. “Plus, then, at full service they also of people trust us - and trust is the main thing take care of checking my oil, my water and that keeps bringing people back.” my tires — all those things that women just William F. West is a Staff Writer at the Rocky rather a man do.” Mount Telegram.

Kenneth Wayne Taylor, owner of Taylor’s Exxon, pumps gas for customer Hope Connor at the station’s full service island at the business in Nashville. Right, Jerry Taylor checks the oil in a customer’s Nissan Rogue.

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