About Us
Jim Ellis Buick GMC Mall Of Georgia
HOW WE STARTED
Jim Ellis Buick GMC Mall Of Georgia is one of the most successful Buick and GMC Dealerships in Atlanta and the surrounding area. We are part of the Jim Ellis Automotive Group which is the largest family owned Automotive Group in Atlanta.
Struggling to make something out of limited resources is not foreign to Mr. Ellis. When he was 10 years old, he and his family moved to Atlanta Prison Farm property. His father was the foreman of the prison farm and his grandfather was the superintendent. Growing up, Mr. Ellis worked on a farm, had a milk and paper route, did construction, ran a concessions business at Grant Park, and ran a laundry route. By the time he completed West Georgia College and Georgia State University in 1957 with a BBA in general management, he had worked also as a prison guard and foreman, sold insurance, IBM Machines and real estate, and held various other jobs to work his way through college. After returning from serving two years in the U.S. Army, Mr. Ellis held a variety of jobs until he found his place in the automobile business with General Motors in 1960.
In 1970, Jim Ellis and his wife Billie took the biggest financial plunge of their lives to establish their own automobile dealership. They sold all of their assets, used all of their savings, cashed in Billie's retirement fund from over 15 years at Georgia Tech, and borrowed the balance to begin Jim Ellis Volkswagen in 1971. In total, the plunge amounted to $35,000 in assets, and $165,000 in loans.
- Main:(770) 945-8700
- Sales:(770) 872-0884
- Service:(770) 872-0879
- Parts:(770) 847-8064
- Mon - Sat7:30 AM - 7:00 PM
- SunClosed
- Mon - Sun7:30 AM - 7:00 PM
- Mon - Sat7:30 AM - 7:00 PM
- SunClosed
- Mon - Sat7:30 AM - 7:00 PM
- SunClosed
Jim Ellis was active in the oversight and management of Jim Ellis Automotive up until 2015 when he stepped back and turned the reigns over to his son, Jimmy. Continuing the legacy of his father and adding in an immense appetite for expansion, Jimmy nearly doubled the size of the company in both dealerships and employees during his seven-year tenure as president and CEO of Jim Ellis Automotive Group. In late 2022, the company lost both their founder and president and CEO with passing of both Jim Ellis and Jimmy Ellis. With the unexpected loss of Jimmy during his time as president and CEO, several third-generation family members that were already active in the automotive group stepped into new or expanded leadership roles within the company.
Founder Jim Ellis' daughters, Karen Ellis Black and Kristi Ellis Cohron, both serve as corporate officers. Third-generation family members in leadership include Wes Ellis (son of Jimmy Ellis), serving as company president and CEO; Stacey Ellis Hodges (daughter of Jimmy Ellis), serving as vice president of group support operations and corporate directors; and Brooke Ellis Gatlin (daughter of Karen Ellis Black), serving as vice president of human resources.
The Ellis family also has a few fourth-generation family members that have also now entered the workforce at Jim Ellis Automotive. Brooke's two children, son Tyler and daughter Ivie both currently hold positions within Jim Ellis Automotive Group. Ivie Ellis Gatlin completed a degree in business management and now works within the Jim Ellis Advertising Agency. Tyler Gatlin completed technician training and works as an automotive technician at Volvo Cars Mall of Georgia. Additional fourth-generation family members are likely to start careers in the organization their grandfather founded upon completing their education.
Beyond direct descendants of Founder Jim Ellis, there are extended family members that can also be found working within the company. Jim Ellis' niece, Mickey Patterson, and her sons Andrew and Chris Roper, also work for the automotive group. The notion of family is engrained in the culture of Jim Ellis Automotive Group.