SUBLETTE — Long before computer inventories, online marketing and electric vehicle certifications, a Sublette family was selling cars in their hometown with handwritten paperwork, face-to-face conversations and a philosophy simple enough to fit on a note card: Treat people right.

Even though pen and paper has largely given way in the sales world to keyboards and computers, the approach of courtesy and trust has carried through four generations of owning a car dealership, from founder Ralph Vaessen to the family who’s followed and are still working the showroom, service and parts departments today.

At Vaessen Brothers Chevrolet, business has long relied on something less corporate and more familiar. It’s when customers are greeted by name and where family members work throughout the dealership — and every few years, anniversary open houses and classic car shows bring customers back not just to browse, but to reconnect.

It’s the kind of familiarity that has helped sustain the dealership across four generations of family ownership, and this year, the dealership is celebrating 100 years in business, marking a full century since Ralph began selling cars in 1926.

Internet manager and marketing specialist Kourtney Vaessen represents the fourth generation of her family to work at the dealership. For her, and the rest of her family, the milestone is more than just a business anniversary, she said.

“I personally feel this is huge,” Kourtney said. “Being in a small town, it just shows that we’re doing something right, bringing customers in from the suburbs and from local families.”

What started as a general car dealership that sold a variety of brands, became exclusively Chevrolet in 1933, when Ralph’s brother, Paul Vaessen, joined the operation. The dealership has remained a Chevrolet dealer ever since.

In 1952, the brothers built a gas station, service center and showroom on the northeast corner of U.S. Route 52 and Main Street, where the business operated for 25 years. The building is now the Roadhouse pub. The dealership moved to its current location about a half-mile northwest in 1977. Around that same time, Ralph’s son, Neal Vaessen, and Neal’s wife, Donna, purchased Ralph’s half of the partnership. Neal later bought Paul’s share in 1980, consolidating ownership under the next generation. Neal’s brother, Ron, also was part of the business for many years.

Over the following decades, three of Neal’s sons — Greg, Jeff and Nick Vaessen — joined the business during the 1980s and 1990s for a third generation, eventually helping usher in a fourth generation of family involvement in the 2000s, including Greg’s daughter Kourtney and Jeff’s son Reece. Today, Nick serves as general and sales manager, Greg oversees fixed operations, and Jeff manages parts.

For Vaessen Brothers’ customers, the family structure is part of what has kept people returning.

“The family aspect makes a big difference, knowing that it’s family-run, family-owned,” Kourtney said. “You’re going to get a good experience and we want everyone to be treated like family when they come in. It’s pretty much one or two people handling your entire process, which is nice. We try to make it a personalized experience.”

Greg Vaessen said that atmosphere is something customers notice immediately.

“When people come through the door, they can feel it and sense that it’s family-owned,” Greg said. “They feel comfortable when they come through the door, and won’t feel like it’s a big corporate thing or anything like that. You’re trying to help small-town America.”

That small-town approach to business has helped sustain a surprisingly broad customer base. Neal, who has gradually stepped away from the business in recent years but still pops in every now and again, has seen many changes in more than a half-century in the business.

In a town of about 350, where they sell about twice as many vehicles as there are people, the Vaessens’ name draws people from near and far.

“There are people who come in from all over the Midwest … ,” Neal said. “Last year, we sold 300 new and about the same number in used.”

Sublette’s agricultural roots have also helped shape the dealership’s business over time. The village’s farming community continues to drive strong truck sales, while other customers’ preferences have shifted significantly over the decades.

“It used to be a lot of cars that we’d sell,” Neal said. “Now there’s a lot of people buying SUVs, trucks, Suburbans, Tahoes and Equinoxes.”

Even as the dealership remains grounded in its rural customer base, it has adapted with the times. It is certified to sell and service electric vehicles, even if demand in the area has been limited so far.

“In our area, it’s not that big of a deal, but it will be eventually,” Greg said. “We don’t sell a lot of them because of the certain area we’re in. It’s how it is, but we can sell them and service them.”

Still, some reminders of the dealership’s earlier days remain tucked away. Greg said the business still has old boxes of handwritten paperwork stored on site. Across generations, however, one philosophy has remained largely unchanged in the family.

“Just treat everybody right, as best you can,” Neal said, referring to the best advice he got from his father.

It’s a lesson that’s been handed down from generation to generation, Greg said.

“Treat the customers right. If you screw something up, make sure you fix it. That seems to be working with how people seem to like us. People drive a long ways to come see us. They like our mentality, our attitude, and being easy going. There’s a lot of people who walk in the door who we know by first name.”

To celebrate the centennial, Vaessen Brothers is planning a 100th anniversary open house later this year, with details still being finalized. The dealership traditionally hosts an open house every five years, often featuring a classic car show with vehicles representing each decade the business has been in operation.

Kourtney is looking forward to the reunions and memories once again.

“This job, you meet and see so many people,” she said. “You make friends. I really look forward to the anniversary parties because you get to see everybody. Your customers come and want to say hi. It’s a good time for everybody to get together.”

For Kourtney, one of the biggest rewards of working in the business has been something that’s’ not measured in the ledger books, but the family album. It’s something she hopes she can instill in any future Vaessens who wish to be a part of the family tradition.

“Grandpa always says if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life,” she said. “It’s true. As a grandkid, I’ve had more time to spend with my grandparents than some people have, and it’s been something that I’ve been fortunate for.”

Vaessen Brothers Chevrolet, 505 North Pennsylvania Ave. in Sublette, is open from 7 a.m. To 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday; the parts and service department closes at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and noon Saturday. Find it on Facebook, go to vaessenbrothers.com or call 877-244-2457 for sales or 877-220-6199 for parts and service.