Tillery celebrates employee’s 55 years of service
BY CHARLIE GOCIO The Sentinel-Record
Family isn’t just a word that gets thrown around at Allen Tillery Buick-Pontiac-GMC. It’s the philosophy that runs the company – for customers and employees. This past week, a special celebration was held to mark the 55th anniversary of Lieutenant Roberts working for the automotive company. During a special lunch, Roberts was presented a plaque for his hard work in the company repair shop and his dedication to the organization over the years. Brad Tillery, whose family owns the dealership, said 76-year-old Roberts is an “awesome” employee and a “joy to be around.” “He always has a good attitude,” Tillery said. “He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen. He jumps in with both feet and does a lot of things that you don’t even ask him to do.” Roberts, who is originally from San Augustine, Texas, said he moved to Hot Springs at the age of 17 and has lived here ever since. He has worked at the dealership, located at 3925 Central Ave., for the past five years, but had worked for the company for the previous 50 years. Asked how he got into the line of work, Roberts, laugh-
ing, said, “I came by looking for a job in 1954.” A jokester at heart, when asked how he came to be named Lieutenant, he said, “I guess they ran out of good names, so they gave me that one.” Tillery said, “He really is an incredible man. Customers love him. His family loves him. Anyone I know that’s ever worked with him or been around him does, too.” At the lunch celebration, which was held at the dealership, several of Roberts’ former coworkers, including Charlie Jordan, came to pay him a visit and share memories of working with the man of the hour. “That’s just the kind of man he is,” Tillery said. “People that he’s touched their lives wanted to come say thank you.” Roberts said, “It was very nice to see everyone.” Rena Verucchi, who is retired from the dealership, worked with Roberts for more than 30 years, beginning in 1976. “The man’s fantastic,” Verucchi said. “A General Motors dealership’s motto is focused on customer satisfaction. Lieutenant was the best, and served his customers with the greatest of satisfaction – customers only wanting Lieutenant to service their car year after year after year. His work ethic was one that we all can learn from, and be a better person and employee for it,” she said. Moman Bates, the dealership’s former owner and its sales manager for 18 to 20 years, also worked with Roberts for 30 years. “I never knew of him taking a sick day. He usually didn’t take all his vacation, he just let us pay him for it. He is one of a kind. “He is one of the few people in this world that I would trust with my wife and my kids and my billfold,” he said. “You will not find a more dependable, a more honest, sincere, Christian man,” Bates said. Roberts said he has enjoyed working for the Tillery family, and dealing with the customers has always been a pleasure. Asked what it means to the dealership to have someone like Roberts working in the shop – especially for so many years – Tillery said, “Priceless.”
