Page 158 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2017

BUTCH OUSTALET
Family Automotive Legacy
With multiple dealerships across the Gulf Coast, Butch Oustalet has become something of an auto mogul within the community. As a successful businessman, Oustalet now recalls the history of his family’s automotive legacy.
It all began in the late 1800s, even before cars were mass-produced in the United States. Oustalet’s great grandfather opened his own wagon making business
in New Orleans and once automobiles replaced horse- drawn wagons as the primary form of transportation, the next generations followed suit. Oustalet’s grandfather opened a successful paint and repair shop and his father, known by many as Bubba, followed suit as a mechanical engineer.
After working for Capital City Ford in Baton Rouge and eventually reaching the position of general manager, Oustalet’s father was offered the chance to open his own store and the first Bubba Oustalet Ford dealership opened its doors in 1952 in Jennings, Louisiana.
“My father was very successful there and expanded after buying the existing Gulfport Ford dealership in 1959,” Oustalet recalled. When Hurricane Camille hit, the new dealership was almost entirely wiped out. “My father was devastated,” he said. “Most of the inventory was lost, and to make matters worse, the insurance
company check for the loss bounced. Despite everything, my father was a ‘never give up’ guy and he came back strong.”
Oustalet joined his father’s business in 1969, working his way up from the position of service writer to general manager of the Gulfport location within five years. “I learned a lot during my time there,” Oustalet said. “I realized that I don’t change a thing, but my attitude and approach to business does. If you care about people and have a positive attitude, you can accomplish anything.”
After working at his father’s Gulfport store for a few years, Oustalet decided to branch out on his own in
the hopes of eventually owning his own store. Another dreamer was Oustalet’s long-time best friend, Rick Carter. “He and I both had these big dreams; mine was to have my own dealership and his was to sell his clothing store and open a restaurant in Louisiana.” The two joined forces to secure a financial backer for both ventures, but after Oustalet had quit his job and Carter has sold his store, their investor passed away unexpectedly.
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