family to Somerset in 1965 and never looked back .
During his early days in business , Alton Blakley ’ s Ford car lot was basically the only business for miles on South Highway 27 . Alton Blakley ’ s commitment to his new business and his new hometown of Somerset quickly made him one of the most recognized business leaders of the local area . At the time of his passing in 1990 , Alton Blakley Sr . was well established in multiple ventures including Cumberland Valley Cable TV , First & Farmers Bank , and Bank of Cumberland .
“ My dad took over the dealerships upon my grandfather ’ s passing ,” Trey Blakley recalled . “ At that time , my grandfather had been sick for a long period of time and the dealerships had not been a priority .”
After nearly 25 years of Alton Blakley Sr . growing his business and his name in the local community , his son Al Blakley was tasked to try to fill his father ’ s huge shoes . Trey Blakley explained the difficulties his dad initially faced when he first took over the family business .
“ There is kind of an old folklore around the dealerships that a lot of people do not know , but when my dad ( Al Blakley ) took over my grandmother emptied the cash registers and told my dad , ‘ Your father and I started on zero and you will too ’,” Trey Blakley said . “ From that point on , my dad made it his mission to grow and expand and did just that . My dad was able to grow the automobile business and ultimately expanded into Alton Blakley Watersports , which was the # 1 Baja dealer in the country until the lowering of Wolf Creek Dam in 2008 .”
But it wasn ’ t long before Al Blakley found his strength and greatest contribution to the family business . The second generation Blakley continued to grow the family car dealership with his unyielding commitment to his employees .
“ Where my dad has had the most success is with his commitment to our employees ,” Trey Blakley stated . “ Currently , almost half of our staff ( 50 out of 110 ) have been employed at the dealership for over 10 years and with over 25 % having over 20 years . In a day in age where people move around from job to job , my dad has created a culture where people love to come to work every day and that is a true testament to the type of person and leader he is .”
From the beginning , Alton Blakley was always committed to giving back to the community of Somerset and Pulaski County . This commitment can be seen throughout the county including the Alton E . Blakley Health Sciences Building on the campus of Somerset Community College and the Blakley Aquatic Center inside the Somerset Independent Alumni Center . The Blakley family now sponsors and organizes the 5K to Beat Breast Cancer , with the proceeds going to support breast cancer research . The Blakley family has long supported the local school systems , numerous local charitable agencies and organizations .
“ It is extremely important to me to give back to the community that has been so good to our family over the last 58 years ,” Trey Blakley exclaimed . “ We are forever grateful to Somerset and excited to see its continued growth .”
The Alton Blakley Family of Dealerships , which includes Alton Blakley Ford-Lincoln and Alton Blakley Honda , occupy state-of-the-art facilities on one convenient campus .
Now , Lake Cumberland Motorsports joins this campus offering their customers the same level of service that they have come to expect from Alton Blakley . With Al Blakley still serving as the family dealership ’ s President , his son Trey Blakley will take on the task of overseeing the new motorsports division .
In a sense of family tradition , the third generation Trey Blakley is excited to take on the new family venture and challenge .
“ I would like to think that my grandfather would be extremely excited about this new opportunity , as he was an entrepreneur at heart ,” Trey Blakley stated while sitting in front of a large mural of Alton Blakley Sr . “ With any new business , there will always be ups and downs but I think [ my grandfather ] relished in the challenges and that ’ s what ultimately allowed him to be successful in multiple different ventures across multiple different industries .”
Somerset ’ s # 1 Compounding Pharmacy
Low Dose Naltrexone
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Pain Management
Pediatric
Sterile IV Home Infusion
Erectile Dysfunction
Dermatology Podiatry
Veterinary
Located in MedPark West 606-676-0199
1 / 2 OFF First Compounded Prescription
($ 25 Max . Value )
* Limit 1 coupon use per patient . Valid for new patients only
August 2023 SEKY - Life in Southeast Kentucky • 31