As a life-long Augustan, Paula Pressnell comes from a long line of local business men and women.  Paula's parents are Doug and Norma Cauthron, former owners of Parks Motors.  Paula's aunt Fannie (Cauthron) Parks and uncle Dan Parks founded Parks Motors.  Paula's uncle Jake Cauthron was the first salesman at Parks Motors.

"I come from a long line of Augustans who believed that customer service was the root of all successful businesses.  They knew that they could possibly stay busier in a bigger community but wanted to stay in Augusta to provide excellent service and products for their neighbors, family and friends," Paula remembers.

Many Augustans remember the original team of Parks Motors.  Many residents tell a story that Fannie wrote a letter to the DeSoto Corporation on a napkin asking for her own dealership.  Such a letter did exist.  However, according to Paula's family, the letter was written on  business paper in long-hand.  For a business letter to a major corporation, long-hand was rarely used.  Nevertheless, Fannie sent it.

"Gutsy.  That's what she was.  As a business woman, she knew what she wanted to accomplish - to have a successful car dealership.  As an Augustan, she knew that customer service should come first and foremost," Paula states.

In 1945, after Dan returned from active duty in Louisiana, Fannie and Dan opened Parks Motors in Downtown Augusta.  Fannie quickly contacted brother Jake Cauthron asking him to move to Augusta to sell cars for the dealership.  Throughout the 1950's, the dealership was a huge small-town success, with one shop foreman, two mechanics and Jake as their only salesman.

In 1962, Paula's father Doug Cauthron began working at Parks as a salesman.  After Dan Parks passed away in 1979, full ownership was left to Fannie.  Soon after, Paula's parents, Doug and Norma, took over the business.  In 1990, Doug and Norma sold Parks to current owners John and Saretta Culver.

"I was always around a small-town business . . . and small-town business owners.  It is what I saw on a daily basis and my parents, my uncles and my aunt taught me so much about how to run a business and more importantly, how to treat customers," Paula says.