GEORGETOWN, S.C. —  For the first time in 85 years, the City of Georgetown does not have a new car dealership.

Parrish Motor Co., located across from Georgetown City Hall on Highway 17, has severed its ties with General Motors, a partnership that has existed since 1925.

The dealership is purportedly the longest-lasting familiy-owned business in Georgetown.

Owner Jeepy Ford did not want to get into detail about why the franchise agreement with GM is being discontinued except to say it was his decision.

“We are winding down our franchise with GM and GMAC,” Ford said Monday.

Ford said he is unsure if he will seek a franchise with another manufacturer. Right now, he said, he only has three used cars on his lot and some remaining GM parts that he can sell.

“We are looking towards the future as to what we might do,” Ford said.

Ford said he wants to make sure the company’s good name lives on, even if it goes out of business.

“If I do close the doors, I want to make sure we pay everyone we owe.” he said.

Ford said “the school is still out” on whether Parrish will under a new franchise.

Mayor responds

Mayor Jack Scoville was asked his thoughts about the changes at Parrish Motors.

He said the dealership “is an old and respected business in the City of Georgetown.  We all sorry to see it closing as a General Motors dealer.  Anytime a business closes in Georgetown it is not a good thing. Hopefully they can reopen as a successful dealer of another brand or used cars.”

The mayor was also asked why the city cannot keep new car dealerships.

“It is not a question of the City ‘keeping’ new car dealerships. The demographics of the South Grand Strand have changed dramatically in the past 30 years. It used to be that Georgetown was the business and population center of Georgetown County. Conway and Myrtle Beach were the centers to the north and west. That has all changed,” he responded.  “When the Chevrolet and Ford dealers moved from Georgetown to Pawleys Island, they were able to attract more customers from the South Strand.

“I understand their business jumped about four fold as a result of the move.  People who were unwilling to drive all the way to Georgetown to buy a car were happy to go to Pawleys. Being on the southern tip of the population growth on the Grand Strand, the City lost its comparative advantage for new car dealerships.”

Flooding was a problem

Ford has fought for years to get the City of Georgetown to do something about the drainage problem it has when heavy rains hot, especially at high tide. On many occasions his building has been severely flooded by rainwater during the flooding events.

However, the drainage work, he said, would hurt his business while it is taking place.

He said there have been two other occasions since 1976 when Highway 17 in front of his business was torn up for work that had to be done. Even though the economy was better during those times, the closure of that main highway was devastating to his sales.

Now that economic times are tough, he said he is scared to think what the upcoming closure of Highway 17 would do to car sales at his location.

Bucking the trend

When asked why he did not follow the trend set by other Georgetown car dealerships that moved to the Waccamaw Neck in recent years, Ford said there were two main reasons.

One, his family owns the land where the dealership is now located and did not want to go in debt for a new site.

Secondly, he feels Parrish is at a much better location since three U.S. highways — 17, 701 and 521 — all come together within blocks of his property.

For more than eight decades, and through three generations of the Ford family, the dealership prided itself on its level of customer satisfaction.

In the hallway next to the showroom, a bulletin board overflows with “thank you” cards and letters the business has received through the years.

Across from the bulletin board is a wall full of awards the dealership has earned.

“There were times when were recognized by GM as being tops in the nation in sales and service,” Ford said.

By Scott Harper

sharper@gtowntimes.com