Since its arrival nearly seven years ago, Champion Chevrolet GMC has become a staple of Warren County, supporting local community efforts and providing buyers with reliable vehicles and competitive financing.

With decades of experience across every aspect of the car dealership, Alex Nafe has announced he is now the full owner of Champion Chevrolet as of January 1.

“I had a silent partner out of North Alabama who helped me buy the store when we came here, and I bought out his part. The dealership is 100% mine now,” Nafe explained. “This is a really big accomplishment and we’re very proud of that. My 30-year career in the car business has finally culminated into this and I’ve achieved my ultimate goal, which was to completely own a car dealership.”

While ownership has been shifted from the split, he assures prospective and current buyers this will change very little for their experience as he and his team always prioritize taking care of their customers.

“It doesn’t matter if I was running a store for someone else, I’ve always ran them like they were mine,” Nafe said. “Our success depends on Warren County and we will continue to take care of our customers. We’re here for McMinnville, Warren County and even the surrounding counties.”

Champion is the official Chevrolet dealer for Smithville and almost all the way to Dunlap. Its reach with GMC stretches to Sparta and beyond, making it the designated territory by General Motors. Nafe credited Champion’s success with his entire team, including his service department who takes care of customers even after the sale.

“After we sell a vehicle to someone, we don’t just move on to the next one. If there’s a problem, we want to know about it,” Nafe said. “My wife calls them up and asks them how things are going, and our service department has really grown over the last few years. It’s the hardest department to run and grow, but our team is great.”

Just around the corner, Nafe hopes to continue fulfilling the needs of customers and the changing landscape of the automobile world as Champion will soon become a source for electric vehicles.

“To take on the electric vehicles, we had to invest some money into infrastructure for a special lift, a charging station and undergo some training we’re almost done with,” Nafe said. “The EV products from GM are spectacular. The Chevy Silverado EV drives like a dream. They’ve got great technology and its very reminiscent of the Avalanche. They’re fun and responsive, the takeoff is explosive.”

The Silverado and Sierra EVs boast a 440 mile range, meaning a full charge will last for approximately 440 miles before needing a recharge. At the entry level, the Chevrolet Equinox EV will be around $30,000. Other models which will soon see their debut on the lot include GMC Sierra and Hummer.

“Electric vehicles become a lifestyle,” Nafe said. “Customers who own electric vehicles have the highest customer retention of any make or type of vehicle. Once you adopt the lifestyle, you typically don’t go back because there’s a lot of benefits. They’re fun to drive, have a lot of technology and you don’t have to go to the gas station because you install a charger at home. It’s just like your cell phone. The electric infrastructure is growing all the time.”

McMinnville currently has nine electric charging stations and Nafe reports they are becoming more common everywhere. McMinnville Electric System has two level three charging stations at Ascension Saint Thomas River Park Hospital and Champion has installed one next to its service department. Other charging stations reside at Best Western Tree City Inn, Reddick Brown Ford, Rock Island State Park and Isha.

“Google maps helps drivers plan a trip, too. If you set that you never want to go below 40% of your tank, it will tell you where and when to stop,” Nafe explained. “It takes into consideration all sorts of factors, such as going uphill and how that affects your battery use.”

While Nafe and his wife are not native to Warren County, it has quickly become their home they enjoy sharing with out-of-state friends and family when they visit. Since arriving, the Nafes have become members of the First Baptist Church and invested heavily into the community itself.

Family-owned and family-operated, Champion is around to stay. In addition to Alex and wife Amanda, the Nafes’ son, Austen Willard, works as the faculties manager.

“We want to serve our community and we’re really proud of being part of it,” Nafe said. “My wife and I have fallen in love with Warren County, it has a hometown feel and everyone has been so welcoming since we got here. It’s important to Amanda and I that we are involved in the community.”

For years, Champion has supported local sports, the Warren County A&L Fair, Tunnels to Towers and fundraising efforts such as the Great Bodies Car Show which generates resources for Families in Crisis and Paddlefest to benefit Kids of the Community — and many more.

“We sponsor a lot of things and we’re happy to do that because that’s what you do when you’re part of a community,” Nafe said. “The community has blessed us since we’ve gotten here and we want to be a blessing to the community, too.”

Champion Chevrolet has a variety of sales going on at any given time and the latest details can be found on its website, championchevy.com. Flexible financing is available and Nafe and his team are willing to find options for all credit scores. The dealership is located at 1600 Sparta Street and can be reached by phone at (931) 259-4081.