Best of the Parkland 2022

Pettus Automotive

Pettus Automotive, located

at 970 Woodlawn Dr. in Farmington, has earned multiple awards in this year’s Best of the Parkland Contest: Best Auto Dealer (New), Best Automotive Repair (Mechanical), and Best Oil Change. It was also a finalist in the Employer/ Place to Work category and being nominated for Philanthropic Business. This is their sixth year in a row to win the Best Auto Dealer award.

There are six Pettus Automotive dealerships, with locations in Farmington, Festus, Ste. Genevieve, Fredericktown and two locations in De Soto. The automakers represented are Ford, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram.

Joe Pettus is the owner of the dealerships. He purchased his first in De Soto from Talbert Ford about 10 years ago.

“Our customers allowed us to grow and we’ve had multiple opportunities where we could buy other dealerships,” he said, “and we’ve really expanded in this area, which is our core area.”

Pettus is from Bonne Terre and is

a 1998 graduate of North County High School. As a student, he pursued the UniTec Career Center program for small engine repair. He’s always had a passion for cars and trucks.

Working his way up through the automotive industry, Pettus earned praise and awards as a St. Louis car salesman, then became a general manager, and eventually took the opportunity to move home and open his own dealership.

Pettus has worked for more than 20 years in the automotive industry. As an automotive dealer, his hard work, determination and perseverance have paid off. In addition to his six dealerships, he owns the nationally-recognized customs division, APG Customs.

Clearly, working with cars has been and continues to be Pettus’ passion. He’s earned multiple awards for his dealerships.

“We know the customer has a lot of choices and platforms to search for a vehicle,” he said. “We know that competitive pricing, exceptional customer care, and service after the sale are what our

The Sales Staff at Pettus Automotive in Farmington strives to offer every customer a unique and enjoyable car buying experience Pictured from left to right are Chad Browers, Walt Mills, John Tallo, John Robinson- New Car Sales Manager, Mike Mills – Used Car Sales Manager, Jimmy Mann, Stephen Huitt, Jessica Tarrant, and Mike Mahurin.

customers want and deserve. “A vehicle purchase is the second-largest purchase next to buying a home,” he said. “It’s important to trust our process, as we trust our consumers are educated and supported through this important decision.”

Pettus Automotive’s vast inventory and extended warranties are what set them apart, combined with exceptional service, top-trained and factory-certified technicians, and dedicated sales team and office staff. They also have the largest preowned inventory in the area, by far. All of it makes it easy for customers to return for multiple vehicle purchases from Pettus Automotive.

‘We have assembled the greatest automotive team in all departments,” Pettus said, “and that reflects in our customers’ experiences.”

He said their dealerships are always looking to the future, finding ways to improve, and gaining the trust and friendship of their clients.

“We strive to perfect our customer service,” said Pettus. “From the top

6 | Best of the Parkland | April 2022

down, everyone knows our customers come first, with our service and sales.”

The Pettus Automotive dealerships have always tried to give customers competitive pricing, which has helped the business grow to its present stature. They also hire the “right people with great attitudes.”

Combined, the dealerships employ nearly 175 people.

Pettus Automotive not only sells plenty of vehicles, they service them. They offer extremely reasonable oil changes in the area and don’t require appointments. Their APG Customs business in De Soto offers a variety of items including wheels, tires, lift kits and plenty of accessories.

“We’ve always tried to give our customers plenty of competitively-priced choices which has helped us to grow to where we are today,” he said. “We have great customer service and great employees. We’re always looking to grow our Pettus Automotive family.”

Pettus said the dealerships never want to give a customer a reason to go anywhere else.

“We do everything in our power so people want to do business with us,” he said. “It’s a tough job, but we always try to do our best to turn a negative into a positive. We do our very best to take care of our customers.”

John Robinson, New Car Sales Manager, said the Pettus sales staff is what makes all the difference at the dealership.

“Our sales staff are all very friendly, have helpful attitudes and really concentrate on making the vehicle-buying experience a pleasant one,” said Robinson. “Our sales team members all reside in our area as well, and all of them find positive ways to contribute to our community.

“That is important to the culture of our company and is important to us.”

Used Car Sales Manager Mike Mills said Pettus genuinely cares about their customers and the people who work for him.

“Not only do we spend an immense amount of time together during the week, he also sponsors many events that we all also attend together outside of work,” said Mills. “He is just one of the guys!”

Jeff Elliott is Service Director for all of the Pettus Automotive locations. When asked what a customer should

consider when deciding on a repair facility, he said there are a number of things.

“First and foremost is the reputation of the facility. At Pettus Automotive, we strive to surpass expectations on every repair we perform, big or small. Our service technicians are glad to work on any problems your vehicle is experiencing… whether it’s something minor like a squeak or rattle, or a major engine repair, we strive to make every customer very happy with their vehicle’s performance,” he said.

Another consideration is whether the work is covered under warranty. Elliott said, “If so, then you’ll want to go to a dealership franchise. At Pettus Automotive, all of our service technicians are highly trained and educated on every make and model and they are all ASE Certified.”

Pettus’ priority is taking care of his customers and employees as well as his family, including wife Shawna, sons Bodhi and Asher, and college-aged daughter Gianna.

He strongly believes in giving back. In fact, Pettus Automotive gives back a large portion of their earnings to the community through sponsorships, events and fundraisers.

“This gives our employees an opportunity to serve and allows them to be proud of where they work and what we are about,” said Pettus.

He said, “Our hearts are for service and that doesn’t end at the dealership. It extends into our schools, local fundraising efforts, and to our passionate charitable organizations throughout the area. If you don’t see us at the dealership, you

The Service Technicians at Pettus Automotive are highly trained and are certified by the car manufacturers to ensure your vehicle receives the highest standard of quality.

will feel our positive community impact in some way.”

Pettus said giving back to the community has always been a huge part of his business.

When his business first began, Pettus said it started small.

“You build people, then people build the business,” he said. “I have such an amazing group of people standing with me in an ever-evolving business.”

Over the last decade, Pettus has enjoyed giving opportunities to employees who are passionate about the automotive industry. It’s a fantastic place to lay roots and grow in their careers as automotive professionals through continued education, personal development and training.

“Our hope and mission are to stay proactive and aware of the future challenges and opportunities in the automotive field, and to grow and adapt to these changes,” he said.

After all of this information about Pettus and his amazing staff, their contributions to the community, and their dedication to sales and service, there really is only one question: Who is ready to purchase a vehicle at a hard-working dealership who makes customer service its top priority? Now is the time to imagine that new or new-to-you vehicle parked in your driveway … from Pettus Automotive of course!

Pettus Automotive

970 Woodlawn Drive, Farmington Hours of operation: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 573-431-7800 Website: PettusAuto.com

April 2022 | Best of the Parkland | 7