Soul of 78: J.J. Hadder: Hometown Auto Sales

Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Image by Ryan McGill

“I’ll never work in the car business.”

That’s what J.J. Hadder repeatedly claimed when he was younger. That assertation stemmed from watching the sacrifice his father, car salesman Ed Hadder, made day in and day out to provide for his family.

In the early 1980s, J.J. often saw his father for only 30 minutes in the mornings before school, and for two hours in the evenings before going to bed. The dealership sales floor occupied so much of his dad’s time that it was deterring to J.J.

But, as the idiom goes, never say never.

During the summer of 2000, J.J. found himself washing and detailing cars at Crump Nissan in Jasper to make some extra money. Before he knew it, he had worked his way into assisting his dad and his brother, Chris, on the sales floor. The way sales allowed him to connect with the public was appealing to J.J. After finishing his second year at Bevill State Community College in 2001, he became a full-time sales associate at Crump Nissan.

J.J.’s sales career continued through two more major dealerships: Jasper Honda and Carl Cannon Chevrolet. In 2013, he was offered a life-changing opportunity.

“Chris and Dad started Hometown Auto Sales in 2009, and it was growing in success, so they asked me to come on board, ”J.J. recalls. “It has continued to grow since then, from 10-12 sales a month to somewhere around 50-60 a month now, and that’s been neat to see.”

In addition to sales, J.J. serves as Hometown Auto Sales’ finance manager. He is fully involved in every step of helping customers select a vehicle and prides himself in being a trustworthy guide through the process. “Folks come to you and trust you with helping them make one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives and doing all I can to make it a positive experience for them is important to me,” he says. “I know I can’t meet everyone’s needs perfectly, but it won’t be from lack of trying.”

Dealing with the public is still J.J.’s favorite part of his work. He finds a special connection with the customers that have come to him by way of his father.

“Dad was in the business for over 40 years, so he had a huge, loyal customer base,” J.J. says. “He retired last year and many of those regulars became my customers. I appreciate them choosing to keep their business within my family. It’s a full-circle moment to think I once said I wouldn’t go into the car business because of my dad, but I’m in it and love it because of my dad. It’s an honor to follow in his footsteps and put dreams in driveways.” 78