Jeff Browder, a General Manager of Wyatt Johnson Automotive, is retiring today after 29 years with the company.

A huge celebration is in store, said Katherine Johnson Cannata, Dealer Principal of the Wyatt Johnson Group.

“Jeff is such an amazing human,” she said. “He has led Wyatt Johnson in so many different areas, including service and sales at Wyatt Johnson Buick GMC, Wyatt Johnson Hyundai Subaru Mazda, a short stint at Ford and now at Wyatt Johnson Kia Volkswagen.”

Jeff Browder at Wyatt Johnson Automotive. (Contributed)

From football to car sales

Browder played football with Austin Peay State University, which earned him an OVC Championship ring.

Prior to Wyatt Johnson, he worked 16 years in the health club industry.

He was interviewed and hired by Sid Johnson Sr. and started in January 1994 in the Service Department on Kraft Street.

He has excelled in many roles at Wyatt Johnson, including:

  • Service Manager at Wyatt Johnson Buick Pontiac GMC on Kraft Street and later at the store’s new location on Wilma Rudolph Boulevard in 1999.
  • Salesperson at Wyatt Johnson Buick GMC.
  • Sales Manager at Wyatt Johnson Buick GMC.
  • Sales Manager at Wyatt Johnson Hyundai Subaru Mazda.
  • Named General Manager at the Wyatt Johnson Kia Volkswagen campus on Riverside Drive in 2015, then the store relocated to the corner of Trenton Road and 101st Parkway.
  • Currently General Manager of Wyatt Johnson Kia and Wyatt Johnson Volkswagen on Trenton Road.

Winning with the Coach

Browder has a coach mentality, and he strives to continuously train and mentor team members, said Sidney Johnson, Dealer Principal of the Wyatt Johnson Group. Browder has decades of experience training new managers and salespeople, teaching them to provide the same level of first-class customer service that he provides.

“Jeff is consistently a high performer with a positive attitude and smile. He is truly a ‘coach’ at heart. We will all miss him dearly,” Cannata said.

Now, he’s looking forward to spending time with his family and friends during retirement. His Wyatt Johnson family wishes him many, many more years of successful “wins.”