NATCHEZ &045; Heritage Chrysler Dodge Jeep is open and ready for customers, said Eugene Monagan, who has purchased the former AB Motor Company with his partner, Jeff Wilson.

The new location at 201 Seargent S. Prentiss Drive is temporary, Monagan said. He and Wilson will utilize the five acres to build a new business at the same site.

&uot;This is only temporary, and we want to stress that. We will build a new state-of-the-art facility within the Chrysler image guidelines, and we’ll offer state-of-the-art, convenient, user-friendly services,&uot; Monagan said.

The Heritage owners worked together in Brookhaven, where Wilson owns two separate dealerships and Monagan was manager of the stores.

Brothers Freddie and Carl Voss grew up in the business their father, Axel Voss, joined in 1925 and owned solely by 1928. In May, the brothers sold the 80-year-old AB Motor Company and will retire.

&uot;My dad started in the business with a one-car garage on St. Catherine Street,&uot; Carl Voss said. &uot;Then he went into the tire business. He had a taxi service at one time. He raised his children on Studebakers.&uot;

The company sold Studebakers for 30 years, Jeeps since 1957, Dodge since 1953 and Chryslers since about three years ago, Voss said. That completed the trend Chrysler has been pushing in small towns across the country &045; all the company’s franchises under one ownership.

Monagan said he and his partner are excited about the move to Natchez. &uot;We hope to increase Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep sales in this market. We’ll treat people the way they should be treated and give them great service. We’ll make them feel at home.&uot;

The new energy will be good for the business, Voss said. &uot;They want to increase their market share, and I think they’re aggressively going to do that. They’re going to expand their selection and will have the facility to do it.&uot;

Voss said he is happy the new owners will retain AB Motor employees. &uot;All of our employees who want to stay will stay &045; in sales, parts and service,&uot; he said. &uot;That was the only real concern we had. Some of them have 30 years with the business. They are good service and parts people who are well qualified and trained.&uot;

The permanent signs may be a while coming, Monagan said. But temporary signs soon will lead people to the new business, which is just on the other side of the highway from the old AB Motor site. &uot;We will appreciate the people in Natchez giving us an opportunity to serve them.&uot;