About

Then

The Tipton family has a rich history in East Texas. James Tipton moved to Nacogdoches with his family when he was 13 years old. He graduated from the Nacogdoches Demonstration School in 1938 and received his B.S. in Business Administration from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1942.

Upon graduating, Tipton became a Marine and rose to the rank of captain. He was discharged in 1946 and later went to work for Standard Finance. He was soon transferred to Beaumont and started working for Dahl Motor Company. In 1956, he purchased an Edsel dealership in Orange, TX, but the business failed. Not to be deterred, Tipton began looking for another dealership to purchase just a year later. He had contacts in Nacogdoches who informed him that Mrs. Milton Gray was selling her husband's Ford dealership on West Main, and a deal was struck in the spring of 1959. In the 1960s, he bought Greater Lufkin Ford.

After Tipton's son graduated college, he became the general manager of the Lufkin store and later managed the Nacogdoches dealership. When he passed, his wife Margie ran the dealership for several years.

In 1994, SFA graduate Neal Slaten began working at the dealership as a salesperson. In 2007, he bought the dealership from Margie Tipton and became the Owner and Dealer Principal.

Now

Tipton Ford’s mission has remained the same throughout the years. We want to serve vehicle owners well and, more importantly, serve our community. We take pride in delivering fast, easy and convenient sales and service to everyone who visits our dealership. Whether you’re shopping for your next model or simply looking to maintain your current ride, we have you covered.

We find just as much joy in our community involvement. We provide scholarships to three FFA members from Nacogdoches County schools and sponsor many local organizations like SFA athletics, SFA Fine Arts, and the Helping House, to name a few. Many of our employees are also heavily involved in the community, which you can read and watch about on the Community Impact page.

In 2023, we even had the honor of saluting our nation’s heroes during SFA’s home football game on November 12. Our team and community shared so many great stories and celebrated countless heroes that week. You can read some of those stories by searching #TiptonHonorsHeroes on Facebook and Instagram.


Tipton Ford

1115 North St.
Nacogdoches, TX 75961
Driving Directions

Mobile Service 936-209-2438
Collision 936-305-7674