Briggs Auto Group celebrated its first year in Fort Scott during a Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Chamber Coffee event Thursday morning, sharing accomplishments of the dealership as well as plans for the future.

“We’re happy to be here,” said Russ Briggs, whose company owns 15 show rooms including the three in Fort Scott. “I want to pick up where Ray Shepherd left off. He had a great vision.”

Already, the dealership has increased the number of vehicles in their fleet, expanding into a lot across Highway 69 from their location. The company plans to continue its expansion be rebuilding some of the current buildings and making the lots more accessible to traffic.

During the Fort Scott City Commission meeting to be held on April 4, the commissioners will discuss the redevelopment plans presented by Briggs, including a proposal that the stoplight to be installed at the S. National Avenue and Highway 69 intersection be a four-way stop instead of just three, allowing easier access to Briggs.

“It’s a big, major part of any community,” Briggs said of car dealerships, which not only provide vehicles to customers but also work closely with banks as they arrange financing.

Briggs said Fort Scott’s is the only location of the company that sells vehicle models from Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota, but they are now able to sell them to customers at other locations via Fort Scott. Though sold out of town, Fort Scott still receives the sales tax from those sales.

The company sells approximately 20-25 vehicles a month that Fort Scott benefits from, and the entire company makes about $400 million a year in sales. The Fort Scott location now provides a number of rental vehicles as well.