NATCHEZ — After spending one year in college studying engineering, C.F. “Buck” Trippe was drafted into the Army.

When he returned home, two years later, in 1951 he didn’t go back to college. He went into the family business.

“It was too late for me to go back to college and I didn’t know how to do anything else,” Trippe said.

For him the family business was Trippe’s Western Auto. His father opened the business in Natchez in 1948 after working as a manager in a separate Western Auto store.

And now, 60 years later, the store is still a family business.

“Western Auto used to have a slogan calling it ‘The family store,’” Trippe said. “My mother said that was because it took the whole family to run it.”

That is still true for the Trippe family with Trippe’s two sons, Steve and Chris, working along side him in the store.

“It is a difficult relationship sometimes,” Trippe said of working daily with his sons. “We have two relationships going — one family and one work.”

Even after 60 years in business, Trippe can’t pinpoint one thing that has given his store staying power, but said that one thing does set Trippe’s Western Auto apart.

“People know what to expect with us,” Trippe said. “They get personal service and know we will do every thing we can to make their visit satisfactory.”

That type of service is what keeps people coming back to the store year after year according to Trippe.

“We make good relationships,” Trippe said. “I’m now seeing third generation customers.

“It’s fun to see our older customers come in and get their children started trading with us.”

The name Western Auto may make you think the store is just for automobile parts and service, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The store also stocks lawn and garden supplies, appliances, electronics and even bicycles.

“Western Auto stores have always been mini department stores,” Trippe said. “We try to stock what the community wants.”

That is how the bicycle department at Trippe’s Western Auto came about. Trippe said that when the bicycle shop closed downtown, he saw it as an opportunity to broaden his inventory and provide a service to the community.

“It has done real well for us,” Trippe said.

Bicycles are the last major expansion the store plans, at least for now.

“We are looking at broadening our appliance line because that does really well for us,” Trippe said. “But, until the economy changes, we won’t add anything new.”

Trippe said the economy has a two-way effect on him. The community is struggling with the economy and not shopping as much, and he is also competing with larger stores.

“It is difficult to be a small business,” Trippe said. “Our suppliers are looking for much bigger accounts. (Being a small business) works against us sometimes.”

But despite the struggles, Trippe is determined and optimistic

“We’ve kind of tied a knot and are hanging on tight.”