H&S now Sleepy Hollow

CRESCO - Bryan and Denise Sheehy and Brent and Sarah Holten have announced the sale of H&S Motors to LaVon “Spanky” and Michelle Felton of Sleepy Hollow Chevrolet Buick on Dec. 1.

H&S Motors has served the Cresco area for nearly 40 years with quality Chevrolet and Buick sales and service.

Sleepy Hollow and the Feltons have been in the automotive business since 1989. They opened their first dealership in Viroqua, Wisc. They own another in Caledonia, Minn. and operate a grain farm. They have two children, Janie, who is married, and Sawyer, who is in his last year of college.

Although Mr. Felton will only be at the Cresco office one day per week, he has a stellar staff already in place to keep up the day-to-day operations. Only one staff member has moved on. There are one or two planning on retiring but are staying on the payroll to help out for a few months. The owners are also staying around for a while to make it a smoother transition.

It’s hard to replace a Bryan Sheehy or a Brent Holten, but new General Manager, Cresco native Craig Cotant, will try to fill their shoes. He has been working at Kuehn Motors in Spring Valley for over 23 years.

Felton explained he will also be hiring three new employees in the near future. “This is a perfect fit for me. My wife, Michelle, and I both grew up on dairy farms. Now we grow corn and beans, besides owning the car dealerships. Small towns are where we feel most comfortable. We are active in all the communities we are in.”

He knew it was a good match for him after talking with Sheehy. “He was more concerned about finding someone who would serve the community as well as be a good dealer. We have similar values. I don’t want this franchise to disappear.”

Felton went on to say he is excited to be in Cresco and Howard County. “We want to take what we’ve done and build on it. This is a great opportunity for us.”

Sheehy has been working at H&S since 1983, 39 years. “I don’t have plans at this point. I’m sure I’ll figure it out.I just can’t understand where the time has gone,” he smiled.

He compared selling someone a car to being a bartender. “People tell you a lot. They get personal. Denise and I will be out of town and people will come up and start talking. She’ll ask how I know them.”

He will also miss many of the wonderful people he has worked with over the years. 

And he will be missed as well. Over the years he has been a good boss. In those 39 years, he has only had two secretaries!

Holten isn’t quite sure what he is going to do when he is done helping with the transition to Sleepy Hollow. “I’ve worked here for 30 years, since high school, the last 22-plus were full time. I’ve been a partner since 2016.

“I enjoy the customers and the variety of repairs we do. I will miss the comradery I share with customers and employees.”

Cotant is looking forward to doing something a little different. In Spring Valley, he was in sales and lot preparation. “I’ve never been on the new car end. I’ve very excited for this opportunity and to be back in Cresco.”

He talked about his new bosses. “I’ve watched how Sleepy Hollow operates. They are good people. They care about their employees. They like the family atmosphere. I’m excited about what they are going to bring to Cresco. The ideas Spanky has for the dealership will be great for the community.”

Sleepy Hollow will be new to Cresco, but its owners come with the attitude of taking care of the community that will be taking care of them . . . like a family is supposed to do.