Presenting Sponsor Spotlight: Driving Progress With Smith Ford

(Smith Ford)

For more than 100 years, the family-owned Smith Ford car dealership and the city of Conway have been growing together. Cate McConnell, director of operations, said that relationship won’t be ending any time soon.

“My brother and I are the fifth generation of the Smith family to work here. The owners are currently my father and uncle,” McConnell said.

Smith Ford was originally a staple in downtown Conway, from its opening in 1916 until the dealership moved in 1974 to its current location on Oak Street. Conway’s continual growth has helped the company expand alongside it, McConnell said.

“The growth and expansion that the chamber works on with the city of Conway and surrounding areas has definitely benefitted Smith Ford and helped us grow,” she said.

McConnell is also a fourth-generation family member to chair the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors, so she’s had an up-close view of the business and relocations the chamber is driving in the city.

“We want to make sure all these newcomers know we’re here,” she said.

Smith Ford is a full-service Ford dealership, complete with a parts shop, service department and used vehicle lot that offers or can source any make and model a customer might want. The company has a mobile service truck for small repairs on-site, and customers can also opt for pickup and delivery when they need their vehicle serviced.

“We’ll pick up your car, bring it here, service it and drop it back off,” McConnell said.

And just because Smith Ford has a deep history doesn’t mean it’s not keeping up with the times. McConnell said the company is among the premier electric vehicle dealers in the area.

“We are selling more and more EVs all the time. And we have Level 3 EV chargers on our lot for our customers or anyone to use,” McConnell said. “That’s been our new adventure lately, getting out and learning all about electric vehicles, making sure customers know how to use them.”