Mitchell Automotive started with a simple mission. Serve the community honestly, treat every customer like family, and never take that trust for granted. Forty years later, that mission has not changed.
This spring marks a milestone we have been looking forward to for a long time. Mitchell Automotive is celebrating 40 years of serving Enterprise, Dothan, and the Wiregrass region. What began in 1987 as a single Nissan dealership on East Park Avenue has grown into a multi-brand family of stores, and it is all thanks to the customers and community who have stood with us along the way.
Today the family includes Mitchell Hyundai, Mitchell Nissan, Toyota of Dothan, and Mitchell Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM, with three generations of the Mitchell family working alongside long-tenured employees and community partners across southeast Alabama.
Mitchell Automotive started with a simple mission. Serve the community honestly, treat every customer like family, and never take that trust for granted. Forty years later, that mission has not changed.
The story of how we got here is one of slow, steady growth rooted in relationships. John Mitchell built this company from the ground up, working long hours and putting every customer first. The values he started with, hard work, humility, and a deep love for the place that supports you, have been passed down to the next generations and to every employee who walks through our doors.
A Legacy Built on Community
For four decades, Mitchell Automotive has been a community funding partner across the Wiregrass. We have supported United Way for over 30 years. We help stock the shelves at Christian Mission Centers. We answer the call for Toys for Tots, the Wiregrass Area Food Bank, Coffee County Family Services, Wiregrass Honor Flight, Sweat4Vets, and dozens of local schools, sports teams, and nonprofit organizations.
Most people in the Wiregrass know us through a vehicle they bought from us. Just as many know us through a sponsorship banner at a school event, a food truck face-off in the parking lot, or a food drive at one of our stores. That is by design. We believe a dealership should be more than a place to buy a vehicle. It should be a pillar of the community.
“This anniversary is not just about our dealerships. It is about the people and communities who helped build them,” said John Mitchell. “We are proud of how far we have come, but even more grateful for the trust our neighbors have placed in us for four decades. That trust is our legacy.”
An 18-Month Celebration of the Wiregrass
To honor this milestone, Mitchell Automotive is rolling out a year-and-a-half-long celebration titled “40 Years of Driving the Wiregrass Forward,” running from April 2026 through September 2027. The campaign will feature:
- A new long-form history film telling the story of how Mitchell Automotive grew from one store to four
- Monthly spotlights on employees, customers, and community partners who shaped the company
- Anniversary events at all four dealership locations
- A “40 Stories in 40 Years” social storytelling series across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
- Customer appreciation moments and special promotions throughout the celebration
Along the way, we will share photos, customer memories, and behind-the-scenes looks at how the dealership group has changed over four decades. If you bought a car from us in the 1980s or 1990s, we want to hear from you. Stop by any of our stores, share your story on our Facebook pages, or send us a photo. Those memories belong in this celebration just as much as ours do.
Looking Ahead to the Next 40
While this celebration is about reflecting on where we have been, it is also about where we are going. The automotive industry is changing fast. Electric vehicles, digital retailing, and advanced service technology are reshaping what it means to own a car, and we are committed to supporting Wiregrass drivers through every change ahead.
“Our promise is simple. To remain a family you can count on for the next 40 years and beyond,” said Jessica Sneed McGuffin of Mitchell Automotive.
To everyone who has bought a vehicle from us, brought their car in for service, sent us a referral, or partnered with us on a community event, thank you. Forty years would not have been possible without you. Here is to the next 40.
