News

Chamber Business of the Month

Our March “Chamber Business of the Month” is Hi-Way Motors!

Hi-Way is a third generation, locally owned, car dealership & service shop. Hi-Way has been in business since 1954! Now owned and operated by Jared Horrell. Jared & his team of 9 are a staple in the community & offer great service to all.

When sitting down with Jared and getting a better understanding of his business, what really jumped off the page to us was the tenured staff. Not only has Jared been with Hi-Way since 2008, but the nucleus of his team has been together for many years. One being his Service Manager Todd & sales manager Dustin, who’s both been with him since 2016. While many businesses are struggling to attract and retain employees, Jared has created an enjoyable culture that exceeds expectations.

We asked Jared many questions, one being “why do people buy from Hi-Way?”. In short, Jared said that people buy from them because they are car dealers, not salesmen. There process is very informal. He & his staff are knowledgeable and try and give his customers enjoyable experiences. One of his favorite things to hear once the purchasing process is done from a customer is “is that it?” He wants the customer experience from start to finish to be painless and enjoyable.

To continue our highlight of Hi Way Motors, we wanted to feature more about what they do & how they do it. They aren’t your typical used car delearship. All throughout the year, they have not only newer vehicles, but also premium versions of those vehicles. You’ll see plenty of Rough Country accessories on their vehicles plus brand new wheels and tires. Regardless of year, make, or model, they all have two things in common: they all go through the mandatory 131 point inspection in shop, and they are all CLEAN! Jared & the team take a lot of pride in both.

When it comes to their mechanic shop, they spend a lot of time tuning up their own vehicles, but they also offer all their services to the community. So when you’re in need of vehicle repairs or maintenance, please keep Hi Way in mind.

Lastly, Jared was happy to explain how business has changed for him over the last few years. Years ago, listings on Craigslist were a huge source of marketing. Craigslist basically got replaced by auto trader. And believe it or not, Facebook marketplace has become a popular spot to drive business!

As we know, Hi-Way is a third generation business that represents Red Bud in all the best ways. They treat every person who walks on the lot as family. They follow through with what they promise. They invest in their staff & business to find ways to keep evolving. They really are the type of business that makes our Town great.

So thank you to Jared, his family, and the Team at Hi-Way for allowing us to peel back the curtain and better understand who you are.

Chamber Business of the Month

Our first Business of the Month is none other than IGA!

First things first- What’s IGA stand for? Independent Grocers Alliance!
The newest ownership has owned the business for 27 years and are happy to serve the community.

One of the first questions we asked Bryon was “what do you love about the community of Red Bud?” In summary, Byron talked about all the families coming in throughout the years & seeing kids grow up and become adults and still shopping at IGA. He and the rest of the seasoned staff have enjoyed watching the community continuously support their business.

In our last post, we asked “what’s the biggest seller” , and Milk was the correct answer!

In our conversation with Byron, we asked about what struggles they are facing with all of the rapid changes, and he said supply chains issues were the biggest problem. Luckily for them, staffing has been great. But the supply issues in regards to inventory is the biggest hiccup. So if you go to IGA and they are missing Brooks Chili Beans, it’s not from a lack of effort from the staff. They just can’t get them! Byron mentioned that product in particular was tough to find. But all in all, it’s hard for them to predict what will be available & what won’t, but he appcreaties the community being so patient with them.

On another note- we asked Byron “what changes in the industry over the years were most surprising?”. He answered with- The amount of Products we get over the years have been crazy. Before they had the regular groceries, and over the years they have expanded the line of products. One thing in particular that was surprising to Byron was bottled water. He remember when it first hit the shelves and he thought to himself, no way people will buy this stuff. As we all know, it’s now become a household fixture.