When you take over a business that has been a staple in the community for over ninety years, there’s a lot of pressure. Thankfully, I have three generations of leaders before me–who just happen to be my relatives– to look up to, learn from, and hold myself to standard to.

If you’ve ever driven down Memorial Boulevard in Springfield, you’ve probably seen our massive white, silver, and blue building with a huge car lot full of shiny, new, All-American, Chevrolets. We’ve been blessed with success thanks to the hard work of my predecessors, but we certainly had a humble beginning.

My great grandfather, Byram Payne started Payne Chevrolet in 1926 with his brother, Van. It was during The Great Depression— not a great time to start a business, you’d think! They had a tiny lot on Main Street in Springfield that they quickly outgrew. At that time, Byram bought Van out and brought in his two sons, Don and Bobby. Together they purchased a new location.

Payne Chevrolet then relocated to Locust Street in Springfield where they had two buildings– one for service, and one for sales. This lot was still small, and unfortunately they could not accommodate more than 30 vehicles at a time. As sales rose, the need for a larger dealership became paramount, and they began construction of the Memorial Boulevard building in 1969.

Eventually, Don’s sons, Jeff and David, were brought in to help run the dealership in 1977. When Jeff retired in 2021, I filled his position as Vice President. Thus, making Payne Chevrolet a fourth generation family owned business.

So how exactly did Payne Chevrolet go from a tiny little car lot to the well-respected establishment it is today?

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Great Customer Service

We operate using a low-pressure sales approach that makes the buying process easier for our customers. We also offer quality, quick, and efficient service through our service department on site. Let’s not forget our awesome lifetime powertrain warranty either! We know you have many options when it comes to buying a vehicle, so it’s our goal to give you the best experience possible.

Large Inventory

At this moment we have over 60 cars on the lot, both new and certified pre-owned. We also have a generous As-Is selection to choose from. With over twenty different Chevrolet models to choose from, and with 5 different models that get more than 30 mpg, you will likely find a car that both meets your needs and fits your budget.

We Give Back

We attribute so much of our success to the city of Springfield and the surrounding communities who have brought us a lot of business over the years. It’s important to us at Payne Chevrolet to give back and fill the needs of others. We proudly support every school in the county and multiple organizations in the community, from athletics, to clubs, to annual fundraisers, and we help out in any way we can. We are also very involved with the Robertson County YMCA by donating sports equipment for leagues and supporting their annual races.

I love the fact that we have so much history within our company to look back on and learn from, and I’m incredibly proud of my father, uncles, grandfather, and great grandfather for all they’ve accomplished.

We hope you will consider stopping by our dealership to see our values in action when you’re in the market for a new vehicle– we are happy to help!

About the Expert:

Alex Payne is the son of David Payne and the fourth generation owner of Payne Chevrolet. He graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2016. Alex has experience at the dealership from an early age, taking some time apart for college and other job opportunities prior to returning back to the family business in 2019. He currently resides in Nashville, TN with his wife Allie. Fun fact about Alex, his favorite Chevrolet model is the first generation of the K5 Blazer. He has a 1976 model now that he can be seen driving around in from time to time when the weather’s nice.