Oct. 29—Brinson Ford Lincoln celebrated three decades of business Thursday with a 30th anniversary reception in Corsicana.

David and his wife Margie opened the dealership in 1992 at its current location on Martin Luther King Boulevard, which has since expanded on both sides to include Brinson Powersports and Brinson Dodge Jeep and Ram.

David credited the continued support of the community to his many employees who have been on board for over 20 years

"These guys have been here and know the community," he said. "We see people we knew as kids and now they are buying a new car or truck,"

"We couldn't do it without good employees," Margie said. "We're family."

Brinson Ford Lincoln also recently accepted its third consecutive Ford President's Award, which is only presented to top-performing dealerships that exhibit quality business practices and Ford's core principles. Dealerships nationwide compete for this honor, but only 10% of all dealerships achieve the Ford President's Award.

David said it was an interesting 30 years and things didn't always go as planned.

He became owner and operator of Bill's Fried Chicken after buying the parcels of land needed to expand to Brinson Powersports next door.

David said he enjoyed running his staff's favorite restaurant, right in their own parking lot, before he was forced to close it after a kitchen fire consumed the building.

"It's a shame that it burned, I already had an architect draw up plans and had bids out for a complete renovation with a nice outdoor patio. It could have been a really cool place," he said.