NATCHEZ — Whoever said buying a car is stressful hasn’t been to the new Toyota of Natchez dealership.

Less than a month after the dealership at 335 U.S. 61 South opened its doors, Rudy DeBose and his staff said they are changing how cars and trucks are sold in the Miss-Lou.

“Buying a car should be fun,” DeBose said.

The general manager said he and his sales staff are committed to making the car buying experience stress-free.

“I tell them to shake hands, smile and always be polite no matter what the situation is,” DeBose said.

Originally from New Orleans, DeBose brings 23 years of experience in auto sales to Natchez.

DeBose works for Paramount Automotive Group of Lake Charles, La. The company owns dealerships in Louisiana and Texas and is building a new store in Oklahoma. The Natchez store is the company’s first franchise in Mississippi.

The company bought the franchise and facility when the new building was under construction by Oakes Toyota. Much of the site work was complete when Paramount bought the franchise, DeBose said.

“I liked the friendliness of Natchez and thought the town was clean and well kept,” DeBose said. “I wanted to be part of something that was growing.”

Joining DeBose is general sales manager and longtime Natchez resident Jimmy Walton. Walton has been at Toyota for 13 years, DeBose said.

Natchez resident Edwin Ratciff is the manager of the service department.

DeBose said the 25,000 square-foot dealership is now completely open. The sales department welcomes customer from 8:30 am to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

“We have over 250 cars in stock with space to accommodate up to 500 cars at any one time,” DeBose said.

The service department is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

“We have a growing service department and have added technicians,” DeBose said. “We can accomodate up to 11 cars at one-time.”

The dealership also offers a 20-minute express oil change, DeBose said.

DuBose said he exicited to be in Natchez and enjoys meeting residents and helping them find the car they are looking to buy.

“We make car buying and car selling fun,” Debose said. “We want customers to have a great experience.”