Auto Credit opens new location in Benton | Business

BENTON, IL (KFVS) - A ribbon cutting for the new Auto Credit of Southern Illinois location at 1629 N. Main in Benton held a bit of nostalgia for Steve Taylor, owner of Taylor Motor Company and Auto Credit of Southern Illinois.

“My dad grew up there” Taylor said, pointing to the house north of Auto Credit. “And on the other side of us, from the 1960’s to 2001, my family operated Taylor Motor Company in what is now Weeks of Benton. So, moving to this new location is kind of like coming home.”

The new location, north of Benton’s square, brings the maintenance shop and sales lot together on the same property. Auto Credit’s former location at 61 N. Central Street is being remodeled to make room for a new People’s Bank, which is slated to open in early 2013. For the grand opening, Taylor was joined by his Benton Auto Credit family of workers as well as members from the Benton Chamber of Commerce.

“This is the kind of community growth we like to see,” Benton Chamber of Commerce Executive Secretary Pat Wenberg said. “As a Chamber of Commerce, we are a growing family. Auto Credit’s change of location allows them to grow here at home while making room for a new family member, People’s Bank.”

Auto credit operates four locations in Southern Illinois: Benton, Marion, Carbondale and Mt. Vernon. Currently, Auto Credit of Benton sells approximately 30 autos per month, but expects to see that number increase to more than 40 per month at the new location.

“Taylor Motor Company started in 1931 and is still selling auto today as Auto Credit in several markets,” Taylor said. “Our aspiration has been to return Benton to the largest volume Auto Credit location.”

Of Auto Credit’s 45 full-time and six part-time employees, 20 are employed at the Benton location. More than half of the Benton employees are shop technicians who prepare all the company’s vehicles for each company store.

According to Marketing Director Nic Skovgaard, the Benton store is the “staging ground” for all of their vehicles. All vehicles purchased by the company come through the Benton shop for inspection and maintenance before being placed on a lot.

“I do an 80 point inspection on five to seven cars per day,” Auto Credit Inspector Oscar Rendon said. “We are very picky. Some would think I’m too picky, but we will only sell the best.” Rendon has been a member of the Taylor team for 21 years.

In fact, many of the employees have spent more than a decade with the company, including Service Operations Manager John Carter.

“We’re like family here, and it’s a great place to work,” Carter said. “This place offers average people the opportunity to achieve above average goals in their career and personal life.”

Auto Credit location in Benton is open Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The company specializes in financing people who have difficulty getting financed due to lack of credit or past credit issues.

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