End of the road

For the time being, Jack Davis will remain a fixture at the popular “corner of savings.”

Since 1980, Jack and the late Cheri Davis have owned M&M Motors at the intersection of Sumner Avenue and Sheldon Street in Creston. Jack, now 79, completed a transaction this week turning over ownership of his Buick, Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealership to Todd and T.J. Stalker, owners of Stalker Chevrolet located south of M&M on Sumner Avenue.

Rather than competing neighbors, they are now partners. Davis said as he began consideration of selling the dealership, having those local ties was an important factor.

“I knew their grandpa and grandma, Don and Mary Stalker, and their two boys Tim (Todd and T.J.’s father) and Jim,” Davis said. “I ran the clock when they played basketball here. I watched (Todd) on that 1997 state championship team. They were like me, born and raised in Creston. They are good community people and they do good things in the community. I wanted the business to stay under Creston ownership. It’s a good situation for me, and a good situation for the community.”

All employees, including Jack for as long as he desires at the age of 79, will remain on the staff at the new Stalker dealership. There are also plans for staff expansion, but Jack said he’ll still be on the floor selling cars and trucks.

“I know that after being here 47 years, people know me and sometimes they come in asking, ‘Is Jack here?’ Sometimes they want to see Jack,” Davis said. “I don’t want to take that away from somebody. I still have an interest in the business to a degree and I want them to be successful. I know they want to get more vehicles in and hire a sales person, but I will help as long as I feel I can.”

Cheri Davis died last March, and Jack is in his own health battles.

“I have chronic lymphocytic leukemia,” Davis said. “My white blood cell count gets too high. Sure, I get tired. But I still enjoy coming in. This is closing day (Tuesday) and tomorrow will be like any other day and I’ll come in to work.”

Davis has been on the Greater Regional Medical Center Board of Directors for 28 years and is proud of the medical services offered in a community of less than 8,000 residents. He is also the retired public address announcer for Creston Community High School football and basketball. He received the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Assocaition Outstanding Service Award in 2020, and was inducted into the CCHS Hall of Fame in 2006 as Distinguished Alumni.

Jack and Cheri returned to Creston in 1972 after he had worked in banking and insurance for six years in Sac City. He earned a business degree at Drake University after graduating from Creston High School in 1961 and attending Creston Junior College for two years.

Cheri was actually the first one of the couple to begin working at M&M Motors, owned by Mike Michaelson and Marv Ingram, as a bookkeeper in October 1974. Jack followed as a sales employee in February 1975.

Michaelson later left the dealership and Davis assisted Ingram as the primary salesman. Jack and Cheri bought the dealership in the summer of 1980. The current employee force includes daughter Suzie Stofferahn as bookkeeper and son-in-law Todd Stofferahn as service manager.

“Interest rates were 17 to 20 percent when we made the decision to buy it in 1980,” Davis said. “H.C. Houghton at First National Bank took a shot on us. Our franchises were GMC, Pontiac and Buick then. We added the Chrysler franchise in 1990.”

M&M Motors was one of the Chrysler dealerships that remained in place when GMC went into bankruptcy in 2009, with more than 2,000 dealerships closed, and the Pontiac line was dropped.

Davis recalls the 1990s as a peak period for auto dealers.

“The Dodge Caravans were going wild then,” Davis recalled. “In one year I sold 56 minivans. I probably had between 50 and 60 new cars on the lot and probably 40 to 50 used cars. One time I had 20 new minivans lined up along the Hy-Vee lot and we sold them. People really wanted the minivans, and later the four-wheel drive models became popular. Now it’s a lot of SUVs and 3/4 ton pickups. The sedan market is almost gone.”

Davis said the federal Payroll Protection Program helped the dealership get through the COVID-19 pandemic without having to lay off any employees. The business picked up again, but like all dealerships it’s been more difficult to get cars delivered quickly.

When Cheri became ill several years ago, Jack began formulating a plan to make an ownership transaction. The current agreement with Stalkers has been in the works for several months.

“In June of last year, Cheri fell and fractured her hip,” Davis said. “Dr. Ralston told me it would be tough to ever get her back home again. She was battling dementia. I loved my wife like nobody ever could, and I always took care of her. My goal had been to bring Cheri home, and I would retire and sell the business and take care of her. It never happened.”

Still, the change in ownership planned moved ahead, and became official this week. Davis is comfortable with the end result.

“I want people to support them as they have supported me,” he said.