The Crittenden Automotive Library

Wilbert Lee Has Attained Success Through Hard Work

Topics: Wilbert Lee, Lee Motors

Wilbert Lee Has Attained Success Through Hard Work

The Daily Record (Dunn, North Carolina)
20 May 1952

Ever since he entered the automobile and service station field over 20 years ago, Wilbert Lee has wanted his own automobile dealership.

That was the idea back in his head when he walked the three miles back again to work for $7 a week back in the early 1930s.

If somebody had told this energetic young man that some day he'd have his own dealership with four different franchises, he'd have laughed in their faces.

REALIZES AMBITION

But that's exactly the position which Wilbert Lee finds himself in today. And on Thursday morning he'll open one of the finest and most modernistic buildings of any automobile dealer in this section of the State.

Within six months time, Mr. Lee has been awarded the franchise for Oldsmobile, GMC trucks and Cadillac. The contract with Cadillac has just been signed. He's had the United States Tire franchise here ever since 1945.

Furthermore, Mr. Lee didn't apply for a single one of these valuable franchises. The companies in each case came to him—which is evidence of his ability and his good business judgment.

Those who know Wilbert Lee—and he has as many friends as anybody in this section—know that he's a self-made man. He came up the hard way, slowly but surely.

He started out in the business as an attendant at the station operated here by the late Leslie Wood. His salary was only $7 a week and during the rush seasons he had to work from 12 to 16 hours a day. Not only that, he walked three miles to town to get to his job every morning and three miles back home at night.

"But I'm not sorry I did it and I don't begrudge a single day," recalls Mr. Lee. "Times were hard back then. Nobody paid much money. I worked hard and the pay was small, but I managed to raise my family on it."

BELEIVES IN WORK

Mr. Lee firmly believes that hard work has never hurt anybody.

"Young fellows today just don't believe how people used to work," he laughed.

After working for several years with Mr. Wood—seven days and seven nights a week—Mr. Lee took a position with Earl Westbrook at Westbrook's Service Station in Dunn.

Eight years ago, Mr. Lee went into business for himself. He leased the old H. P. Johnson Service Station and operated it from 1944 to 1950 as Lee's Service Station.

His business grew by leaps and bounds because Lee's Service Station gave service and because people liked the young owner.

Finally, the station became too small to accomodate the business so Mr. Lee went across the street and opened Lee's Truck Terminal. Earl McD. Westbrook owned the property and since Mr. Lee was already one of the biggest Esso dealers in this part of the country figured it good business to build him a station there.

FAST GROWTH

Lee's Truck Terminal has continued to grow and in 1950 Mr. Lee closed Lee's Service Station and combined all his business into one big operation.

Last fall, he was granted the Oldsmobile franchise and purchased Wilkins Motor Company from Joe Wilkins. A few months later, he was awarded the franchise for GMC trucks. Last week, he was awarded the Cadillac franchise.

Pending completion of the remodeling and enlargement of the building at Lee's Truck Terminal, he operated the downtown offices of Oldsmobile and also Lee's Truck Terminal.

Now, the business has been consolidated and the grand opening of Lee Motors of Dunn, Inc., and Lee's Truck Terminal will take place Thursday morning in the beautiful new modernistic building on the Fayetteville Highway.

LIVED HERE ALL HIS LIFE

Mr. Lee was born in Dunn at the same place where his present home now stands on the Jonesboro Road. He is the son of Mrs. Perry Lee of Dunn, Route 2 and the late Mr. Lee.

Because he's a man who has worked day and night, Mr. Lee has had but little time for civic clubs, lodges and the like and has had to turn down many invitations to affiliate.

However, he has not neglected his church. He's been a lifelong member of the Grove Presbyterian Church and is one of its leading members. He's a member of the board of deacons and is also a church treasurer.

He's a member of the Dunn Chamber of Commerce and takes part in the other worthwhile movements which he believes to be to the best interests of the community.

Mr. Lee married the former Miss Lettie Hobson, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Hobson of a well-known Dunn family.

They have two children, George, who is now vice president of Lee Motors and Becky, a junior at Dunn High School.