Newspaper Page Text
Ghosts and goblins wandered the downtown
streets Friday afternoon as the 3rd annual
Sylvania Downtown Fall Festival sponsored
by the Chamber of Commerce and Sylvania
Main Street. Grace Waits, chamber director
explained, “we had great attendance and
positive feedback from the whole community.
We look forward to growing it even bigger next
year”
A total of sixteen vendors had various games
for the kids to play and got “treated” with candy
for their good work.
Vendors included Possum Eddy, VFW,
Donna’s Bakery, Queensborough National
Bank & Trust, City of Sylvania, Happy Little
Fish, Bank of Newington, First Christian
Church, Food Lion, Savannah Pizza Company,
Arnett Roofing, Screven County Chamber of
Commerce, 1023 Grill, Lila Jane Craft Supplies,
Little Dipper and Sylvania Ford.
(photos by Sarah Saxon)
Mia Williams hoping her frog can land in basket
for a win!
Maggie Jo Shipes plays the Halloween bean bag
toss as Jonna W. Thompson and Whitney Gay
cheer her on
Fall Festival draws large crowds
Sarah Saxon
Reporter
Donna McDonough hands candy to kids at the
Donut Hole toss
The 2022 Region 3A Di cross country champions. Ashley Langley, Kaydance Bragg, Addie Rountree,
Jalaine Rosier, Lynnlie Rountree, Coach Anna Canetto, Erin Thompson, Annaston Dotschay, and
Sadie Beth Sell. It is the team’s 10th title in the last 11 years (photo by Vette Rountree).
Our New Home - week 9
Joe Brady
Editor
Well, Orr’s Construction is winding down on
the renovation. Lights are being hung and
Cecelia is finishing up the murals. Now we are
down to the tiny detail stuff like trim. Joe and
Sam are going to paint this week and then it
will really start to take shape. Thank you to
everyone who has stuck their head in the door
and told us how great everything looks! When
it comes time to clean, Fm taking off because
there is more sheetrock dust than one pair
of lungs can stand! Our move in date is still
Thanksgiving!
The torch is
passed to a
new generation
Phillip Ayers, the face of Sylvania Ford, has hung up his hat but promises that the same
dedicated service can still be found with the Redding family, (photo by Sam Eades)
Joe Brady
Editor
Phillip has been known by a lot
of names, but Grandpa is perhaps
the one he is looking forward to
hearing the most in his retirement.
As of the end of last month,
Phillip is no longer the Ford Man
in Screven County. Sylvania Ford
has a new owner and Phillip is
looking forward to spending
time with the grandchildren and
farming. He has one child. Duff,
and two grandchildren.
“In 1977 my dad, Carl, and Matt
Gay came down from Augusta
and opened the ford dealership.”
This business was in the parking
lot beside where the newspaper is
located. “Matt decided to open
a Chevrolet dealership, so Dad
owned Sylvania Ford until 1992.”
In February 1992, Phillip and his
brother Carl, Jr, purchased the
dealership from their father. Carl,
Jr. died in 2000 at the age of 47
from a heart attack. Phillip has
owned the business since then.
“Sylvania Ford has always been
about customer service. Dad
referred to Carl and I as “the Ayers
Boys,” and he was known as the
“Country Cuz” for years. He used
to do Drive Time for WCHY out
of Pooler.”
Phillip attributes much of his
success to his loyal customers
and employees, “If I had not
had the best employees and
customers, I would not have made
it this long.” The UGA graduates
reflects on the fact that when he
was in college, there were 5 ford
dealerships between Sylvania and
Athens, now there is only two.
“The car business is changing.
The industry is moving toward
chain ownership. We were one
of the last of the Mohicans, so to
speak.” In the past, dealerships
were passed down but since Duff
is a prominent judge there was
no one to leave the business to.
“Tim Redding reached out to
me over a year ago, but I wasn’t
ready to talk about selling. He
has dealerships in Metter, Dublin,
and Swainsboro.”
Ayers goes on to explain that
the Redding family reminded
him of the Ayers family and if he
was going to do this, he wanted
his greatest assets protected, his
employees and his customers.
Phillip has no doubts that this
move is the best for the future of
Sylvania Ford. “Tim will take the
business into the next phase. The
business is constantly changing
and let’s be honest, the younger
people know more about the
electronic ends of things better
than me. I look forward to the
changes that Sylvania Ford will
be experiencing.”
During our interview, Phillip was
emphatic about the support of his
employees, “I couldn’t have done
anything without my employees
but the three who have been with
me the longest, Michelle Stubbs,
Wayne Blanchard, and Tina
Long, have kept me motivated all
of these years.”
As the torch is passed to a
new generation of owners at
Sylvania Ford, Phillips says
this, “There are great things
happening at Sylvania Ford. But
the core values will never change,
although the faces have, you can’t
be successful in a small market
without good employees and
good customers.”
Possum Eddy
KICKSTART YOU
OLIDAY
GIFTS
The helpful place.
136 Industrial Road
Sylvania, Georgia
(912) 564-2003
Shop gifts
fnonnthe
Best Brands
all in
one place.
Saturday - 7:30
Closed Sunday
