“I am so grateful and thankful the good Lord has been great to us. As you know, most businesses in this country don’t survive for 60 years. They don’t survive for three generations, much less four — I’ve always said the test of time is the greatest indication of any product or service. So, I think this speaks well of our devotion, our work ethic and our ambition.” — Paige Howell
Howell Motors opened its doors on April 9, 1964, in Summit, Mississippi. W.A. Howell, along with his sons, Krandall and Gerald, were the original business partners. Over the years, they owned a number of different franchises. Today, Howell Motors is co-owned by Krandall and his son Paige.
The dealership, located on Highway 51 in the Summit/McComb area, started out selling Volkswagens, and over the years, the family has sold many brands, including Datsun, Jeep, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Cadillac, Oldsmobile and Pontiac. Currently, they offer GMC and Nissan, and are happy selling these two iconic brands.
At age 81, Krandall is semi-retired but still acts as a partner on bigger-picture decisions. Paige runs the day-to-day operations. His commitment to the business and the customers is shown day in and day out.
Howell Motors has a loyal customer base and their success can be attributed to the family’s hard work, dedication and commitment to providing quality service to their customers. “I love the people part of this business. Rural Mississippi is a great place to live because everybody is kind, personable and loving. Sitting down with customers, giving them options and discussing the best automobile to fit their particular needs is what drives me,” Paige said.
Paige’s son, Kran, has worked at Howell Motors beginning in high school and then throughout college. He is a proud fourth-generation partner and is currently working as the F&I manager. There is a succession plan in place for him as he learns hands-on how each department works and someday takes over the business to continue the family legacy.
Howell Motors has been a member of the Mississippi Automobile Dealers Association (MADA) since the early 80s. “We believe in MADA and what it does for the dealers in this state. We are blessed with really good leadership — I’m very appreciative of Marty and the team and all that they do for dealers,” Paige said. In fact, Krandall was the first import dealer to serve on the MADA Board of Directors.
To celebrate 60 years in business, Howell Motors invited their customers to stop by and spend the afternoon catching up, reminiscing about old times and talking about the future. A large gathering of community members and customers showed up, kicked back and enjoyed cookies, cake and soft drinks.
Congratulations, Howell Motors! Here’s to another 60 successful years.
