HISTORY OF JOHNSON MOTOR SALES The
following is a brief history, starting with Joye L. Johnson, from whom
this dealership got its name. While the Anderson family has been
an integral part of the company since 1950 and owners since 1983,
Joye’s spirit, work ethic and customer service philosophy remains at
the core of the company. Curt and Mick Anderson worked side by
side with Joye for decades, leading growth and change that is vital to
the company’s existence while upholding its stable Operating
Principles. Curt, Mick and Greg Anderson have ensured that Joye
Johnson’s legacy continues as Johnson Motors continues to be widely
recognized and respected in it growing marketplace. Joye
L. Johnson entered the auto business in 1915 when his father, J.P.
Johnson, opened a garage in Star Prairie selling Maxwells and
Studebakers. J.P. sent Joye to the Studebaker factory to get some
knowledge of auto mechanics along with being a salesman. “I
remember the day,” said Joye, “when I went out in a cutter and sold
three Studebakers in one day.” In
the next years, the Johnsons also had garages in Glenwood City and
Cylon. Following that, Joye sold Fords in Los Angeles. “I
noticed at that time that the Chevrolet was coming out with a few
refinements including longer springs, and I felt that Chevrolet was the
car of the future.” So Joye went back to New Richmond, stopping in
Minneapolis on the way to get the Chevrolet dealership. When Joye
got the dealership on March 25, 1925, he started out with the modest
capital of $300. Selling from his home, the first year he sold 112
cars! The
company informed him the next year that he had to have a garage and
provide repair service. So Joye moved into what was known as the
LaVenture building in New Richmond. It had no back door, but had a
hand-moved turntable for turning the cars around. Those were
golden days for the car dealer. Joye would drive up to Clear Lake,
sometimes twice a day, and come home on the “Twilight Limited” train. In
1929, Joye bought the old New Richmond Opera House on Main Street (now
Wells Electric). He dug a basement under it with a team of horses
and made a modern garage out of it. He made his way through the
Great Depression, and a couple of recessions and World War II when few
cars were available. “When I didn’t have cars to sell, I sold
tires. I sold three carloads of tires one time when I didn’t have
cars.” In 1933, Joye added Buick to his present dealership and shortly after, Cadillac (discontinued in 1951). In
1950 Curtiss Anderson started working for Joye as a mechanic. A
hard-working young man, by 1963 Curt had worked his way into sales and
by 1968 was General Manager for Joye with approximately 30
employees. It was at this time that the need for additional
elbow-room was felt. As Curt recalls, “The customers had no place
to park, competition was fierce, we needed to make room for our
customers.” In
1969, Joye and Curt visited with one of the local farmers and purchased
3 acres of then corn field for the new Johnson Motor Sales
location. In 1970, at the age of 74, Joye with Curt’s assistance
built the new facility, joining Polfus Implement as the first
businesses at the northern edge of New Richmond. Since that time,
2 additional acres have been purchased to provide the service
department additional expansion to the south, twice. The show room
had 30 feet added to the west, and the office area was completely
remodeled in 1995. In
1971, Klayte Evans decided to sell his Oldsmobile Dealership, then
located at the intersection of N. Fourth St. and N. Knowles Ave. in New
Richmond. Johnson Motors not only purchased the Oldsmobile
division, but put Klayte to work with them as well. Shortly after,
the Pontiac dealership was added when Johnson Motors purchased Orvie
Wert’s dealership which was located on West 2nd Street. It
wasn’t until 1983 that Curt Anderson officially purchased the
dealership from Joye. With the support of his wife Elaine and
children, Curt has been blessed with over 55 successful years in the
auto industry. Curt and Elaine have three children: Michael
(Mick), Michele (Hermansen) and Marin (Hansch). Curt maintains an
active management and directorship role in the Company, and continues
to be among the first to start each business day. When
asked what has contributed to his success, Curt responded with
“starting from the bottom, washing cars and servicing them gave me
product knowledge and the rest comes from establishing a customer base
for referrals and repeat business. Without that you won’t make
it. It’s your present customers that give you your future ones.” In
1970 Mick started working with his father and like him got a feel for
all aspects of the dealership before getting into sales and then
becoming General Manager. Mick succeeded Curt as Dealer when he
began purchasing the dealership in 2002. Mick and his wife Connie
are the parents of five children; Chris who works in New Richmond’s
parts department, Greg who manages the Menomonie and St. Croix Falls
stores, Chad who is learning the business while attending college,
Stephanie who assists in the NR store, and Scott
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