The Parker family has been in the automobile business in Morehead City for 71 years. It was created around the same time as our tournament.
We sat down with Brian Parker to talk about the past, present and future.
Parker sat behind his desk at their Buick/GMC dealership with a big smile. He has found the perfect partnership between his family business and the Big Rock tournament. “It is a lot to be proud of. It is a big deal for Morehead City,” he said. The Parker auto group is a diamond sponsor for our 60th anniversary. “It is a legacy he would be so proud of,” Parker says about his grandfather Dick Parker.
“We hold him as the patriarch of the family. He grew up in the depression era. And on his own he built a fantastic company from nothing,” Parker says of his grandfather. Dick Parker was also on the Board of Education and served as president of the North Carolina Auto Dealers Association.
Dick Parker was also instrumental in the early days of the tournament. “My grandfather and his friends saw the economic possibilities that came with the tournament. From the boats, to bait and tackle, really the whole deal,” he explained. Parker says his grandfather was a forward thinker and dedicated beyond measure. “In his 80’s he was at the dealership everyday,” he said.
Like grandfather, like grandson. The younger generation Parker is dedicated to keep his family traditions strong both at the dealership and the tournament. He takes his children ages 3, 4, and 7 to landing. “That is just a ball to discover when a fish is coming in. And everyone is hoping it is big. It is so exciting,” he explains. “We get to see a lot of folks when we are down there that week. We get to interact with our customers in a big (ROCK) way!” We look forward to seeing you and your family at the landing this year.