History

It all began in 2002...

Key Nissan is part of the New River Auto Mall, a group of eight automobile dealerships with 12 franchises in the Hardeeville/Bluffton area, centrally located between Hilton Head Island and Beaufort, S.C, and Savannah, Ga. The Mall was established in 2002 by Don Mealey, who had spent his career as the owner of several car dealerships in Orlando, Fla.

 
Nissan came first... 

    Mr. Mealey and his partner, Warner Peacock, spent more than a year scouting sites to locate a car dealership. Along the way, they discovered that the Nissan dealership in Beaufort could be purchased, and received permission from Nissan to relocate the franchise from Beaufort to the Hardeeville/Bluffton area. He purchased the Nissan Car Mart on Aug. 1, 2001, and operated the business there for about a year.

     With a franchise "in hand," Mr. Mealey and Mr. Peacock began to look for larger parcels of land, and met the owners of the New River Center, a mixed use development along Highway 278, including the land where Super Wal-Mart is now located. Mr. Mealey and Mr. Peacock convinced the owners and Jasper County that the Auto Mall concept was an appropriate use for the land, and an agreement was reached. They purchased land, constructed new facilities, and opened during the last quarter of 2002.

Others followed...

    Mr. Mealey and his investors were awarded the other franchises over the years, eventually adding a total of 12 franchises.

Management and Ownership Change…

   Effective Jan. 1, 2007, Mr. Mealey, Mr. Peacock and their partners, reorganized their ownership interests in the New River Auto Mall dealerships under a holding company, NRAM Holdings, LLC. At that time, Mr. Peacock, a partner of Mr. Mealey’s and a veteran of the retail automotive dealership business in Orlando, became President and CEO of all of the dealerships and NRAM Holdings, LLC. Robert M. Kisselback (Bobby), also a veteran of the retail automotive business from Orlando who was affiliated with Mr. Peacock and Mr. Mealey there and in Tallahassee, became of the Executive Vice President and Executive General Manager for all of the New River Auto Mall dealerships and NRAM Holdings, LLC.

Potential for more dealerships...

    NRAM Holdings, LLC owns six acres of prime undeveloped land fronting on 278 at the western entrance of the New River Auto Mall. They continue to pursue additional franchise(s) that could located on the remaining parcel(s). 
    NRAM Holdings, LLC’s shareholders include President and CEO Warner Peacock, Don Mealey, future Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey, Jr., and Orlando attorneys Greg Humphries and Jay Brennan.