NATCHEZ &045; The opportunity to sell Chevrolets and Cadillacs comes at an excellent time for the Great River automobile dealership.

Kenny Jackson, general manager, said the phasing out of Oldsmobile by General Motors Corp. in 2005 already was in the works. &uot;Now we will be able to overcome much more than we lost with Oldsmobile,&uot; he said.

Chevrolet is the apple pie of the auto industry. Cadillac is a favorite luxury car. &uot;The potential is exciting,&uot; Jackson said.

In recent months, negotiations with owners of Jordan Auto, longtime Natchez dealership for Chevy and Cadillac, and with General Motors, led finally to the transfer of the franchise to Great River, also a dealership for GMC and Nissan vehicles.

&uot;This will bring in extra lines of trucks, SUVs &045; a broader line of vehicles,&uot; Jackson said. &uot;We have a great potential for growth now.&uot;

Plans call for aggressive marketing and providing a good stock of cars. &uot;We want people to be able to find what they’re looking for. We’ve painted, fixed up; we’re going to be rearranged to have plenty of display space plus a storage lot,&uot; he said.

Great River was founded in October 1990, with Ann Tillman as owner and dealer. Tillman said the addition of Chevrolet and Cadillac is a thrill to her as owner and an affirmation that the company has been on a good track for growth.

&uot;Kenny and the other wonderful people who work there make the business hum,&uot; Tillman said. &uot;Getting these new cars is an enormous shot in the arm.&uot;

The changes will be positive ones for the Natchez area, Jackson said. &uot;We’ll provide the sales, service and the prices people want. We expect to do a volume business,&uot; he said. &uot;We’re committed to be the biggest GM dealer in a wide area around Natchez.&uot;

Jackson, who has been in the automobile business since 1977 and has been with Great River from the outset, said the company has established itself as one with integrity and excellent customer relations. &uot;Our people at Great River put the ‘great’ in the name,&uot; he said. &uot;People buy cars but they have to like and trust the people they do business with.&uot;

The company employs about 30 people, with Ricky Warren as service manager.

With the closure of Jordan Auto, some key employees moved from there to Great River, including Eddie Thompson, who was sales manager at Jordan; Peggy Wisner, who was office manager; and Allen Myrick, who was parts manager.