Up, Then Down, Then Up Again…But Why
July 17, 2018
Fleet Supply Evolving, Growing
July 17, 2018
BY DREW MILLER
From its humble beginnings as a one-car show room with one table and three chairs as the operating area on Sunset Avenue in Houma, Southland Dodge has since been able to enjoy 50 years of prosperity and success.
Officially acquiring the franchise in July of 1968, Jeff Teuton, Joe Teuton Jr. (his brother), and Dennis Oncale opened later that fall, just in time for the arrival of the new 1969 Dodge models. All three were drag racing enthusiasts, so they adopted the motto, “Race on Sunday, sell on Monday.” This helped them sell muscle cars: SuperBee, Challenger, and Charger.
“We just went out and tried to sell and service everything we could. We had seven or eight people, and that was it,” Jeff says. “Everybody did everything. No one ever would have thought it could go this far.”
In 1972, the dealership moved to Barrow Street in Houma. The new location, arrival of the new D-series pick-up trucks, and Houma’s expanding oilfield caused sales to increase rapidly for Southland Dodge. In 1982, they purchased West Park Motors and relocated to the location on West Park where it remains at today.
Over the years, Southland Dodge added Chrysler, Jeep, Plymouth, and Fiat to their new car lineup. They also started their International truck business in 1982. They continued their love of racing by building a racing operations building in 1996, featuring the ‘68 Hemi Dart, ’65 Hemi Belvedere, ‘69 Dodge Superbee, and two ‘94 Ram Pickups.
After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the business had a sales spike due to the property damage that was caused by the storms. In April of 2009, Chrysler filed for bankruptcy, which caused sales to drastically slow down for Southland Dodge. Fortunately, they were able to preserve through it and rebound in 2011, when the oilfield started to pick up again.
Since 1968, Southland Dodge has sold an estimated 50,000 new and used cars.
“I feel in this business you can make a good living, but you got to work hard. You got to make right decisions,” Jeff says. “The day that you come to work and don’t learn anything, you really have wasted a day.”
Jeff and his son, Frank Teuton (runs the business today), tribute much of their success to their hardworking, dedicated employees. They make sure to show their appreciation for their entire staff work functions such as a Christmas party and crawfish boil. With a low turnover rate, Southland Dodge has several employees celebrating 25, 30, and even 40 years with the company.
“We had a lot fun. Here the employees become friends, and that’s how it’s always been,” Jeff says.•
