Paul Namey loves having a stop light by his business. Namey is the owner of River City Motors LLC located at 3867 West River Dr. in downtown Comstock Park at the intersection of West River Drive, Four Mile Road, and Mill Creek Avenue where there is a traffic light. “That light is my friend,” he noted. “Everybody stops at the light and sees us.”
Namey worked as a mechanic at Classic Chevrolet in Wyoming for 26 years until the business closed in 2006. He and a friend decided to start their own business and opened River City Motors LLC a used car and van sales lot on Alpine Avenue between Six and Seven Mile Roads in 2007. They found the traffic on Alpine Avenue was too busy and moved too fast for their business to get noticed, and in 2008 moved the business to the current location. Namey eventually bought out his partner and is now sole owner. He noted the current location with the nearby stoplight has been much better for business than Alpine Avenue where the cars rush by.
Namey specializes in buying and selling cargo vans – the kind used by businesses for delivery or trades people such as electricians for carrying their work equipment. He rents a small office space from the owners of Mill Creek Motors. His many car racing trophies fill the window area, and the walls are covered with pictures of him and his racing cars from over the years. Namey started racing motorcycles in the late 1970’s while in high school. He began racing stock cars after college then raced late model cars. In the 2011 racing season, Namey was Regional Dirt Champion. The competitive spirit of racing still gets his juices flowing. He still races but in “a different class…on dirt tracks” which he likes because it’s “something different.”
Namey said he “pretty much” knew at an early age that he wanted to work with cars for a living. After graduating from Rockford High School he attended what was then Ferris State College and earned a bachelor’s degree with a major in auto services and then took the auto machinist certification program at the college. He went to work at Classic Chevrolet straight out of college. He said the change from being a mechanic at Classic Chevrolet to running his own business selling used vehicles was an adjustment. “It’s a big change from mechanic to salesman,” he said. “I didn't deal with people (as a mechanic), I dealt with cars. I like dealing with people…meeting people…giving a good product,” he added.
Namey advertises on his web site www.rivercitymotorsllc.com and www.carsforsale.com, but a lot of his business is referrals and repeat business from satisfied customers. He prides himself in “treating people like I’d like to be treated.”
Namey finds the vans he sells online as well as traveling around the country to auctions. He said he’s partial to General Motors vehicles because after working at Classic Chevrolet for so many years, “that’s what I know.”
Namey grew up in Belmont. He and his wife Ronda live in Ada with their two dogs. Besides racing, Namey enjoys golfing with his wife and with friends.
(November 2016)
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