About Us
Welcome to Paul Miller Mazda
We've been proud to serve the people of central Kentucky for three generations, and we're honored that you're here. You're only a click away from finding your perfect vehicle, scheduling a service appointment, or starting the financing process. If there's anything we can help you with, please don't hesitate to contact us. We look forward to taking care of you and your vehicle.
Our Story:
Since 1953, Paul Miller Motor Company has been a frontrunner in the Lexington auto industry. In 1980, Paul Miller Motor Company opened the first Mazda dealership in Lexington at 1029 East New Circle Road.
Paul Miller Motor Company began with one small dealership that evolved and grew, now occupying a 27-acre campus with three dealerships, body shops, an upfitting service, an auto glass repair company, a dent repair service, and a truck service. In 2006, JP Miller became the CEO, representing the third generation of Miller family ownership and leadership. Many things have changed over the past 70 years, but Paul Miller Motor Company’s values remain true, and the company continues to offer the exceptional customer experience that put it on the map. Paul Miller Mazda is a proud part of that legacy, and it remains the only Mazda dealership in Lexington today.
Since its founding, Paul Miller Mazda has made its mark on Lexington and Central Kentucky, winning multiple awards for sales and customer service. Through it all Paul Miller Mazda has been guided by a commitment to the highest level of customer service, top-quality new and pre-owned Mazda vehicles, and giving back to the Central Kentucky community.
In addition to the charitable work and donations of the Paul Miller Motor Company as a whole, Paul Miller Mazda gives back through Mazda's Drive for Good program. The dealership has given more than $85,000 to the Kentucky Children's Hospital and other local organizations through the annual event, held from November to January.
Paul Miller Mazda has been a member of the Mazda President's Club, which was established to recognize dealers who consistently deliver exceptional customer experiences, and won the Mazda Gold Cup, which is given to select dealers based on their sales and customer service. Our sales, service, and management staff are constantly working to provide our customers with an extraordinary experience with every visit, every drive, and every sale. We hope to see you soon.
- Main:859-963-2625
- Sales:859-963-2625
- Service:859-255-4242
- Parts:859-244-4295
- Mon - Sat9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
(Our sales team is open 12pm-6pm on the last Sunday of each month to better serve our customers.) - SunClosed
- Mon - Fri7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Sat8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- SunClosed
- Mon - Fri7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Sat8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- SunClosed
EARLY DAYS AND FOUNDING VALUES
Paul E. Miller, universally known as Mr. Miller, led his dealership by example, taking time every day to talk to employees and customers alike.
"Mr. Miller was a real customer-focused person," says Harold Rainey, who has worked at the dealership since its early days. "He would get out in the showroom and meet everyone there."
Since the dealership's inception, Mr. Miller understood that success was deeply tied to the community. Mr. Miller brought in Nick Clooney–then a local news anchor–to serve as the Master of Ceremonies at the dealership's "Safety Shindigs," aimed at Lexington's youth. Today, those Safety Shindigs have been revitalized as in an annual Safety Day event, bringing together dozens of local companies to help keep Lexington's kids safe.
Mr. Miller also established a lasting relationship with the University of Kentucky Athletics. Adolph Rupp, legendary head coach of the UK men's basketball team, drove a vehicle from Paul Miller, beginning a tradition of UK coaches driving vehicles provided by the dealership.
Beyond UK athletics and dealership events, Mr. Miller also supported other local causes, from providing vehicles to daycares to donations to local hospitals and charities. "Mr. Miller did a lot of things people never knew about," says Lee Beall, former Paul Miller Motor Company CFO. "He just went out and did well. That's the type of person he was."
That strong commitment to service and doing the right thing was one of the hallmarks of a great customer experience from the earliest days of the dealership onward. One of the memorable slogans from Mr. Miller's era, "Sit on hard chairs and save hard cash," spoke to the straightforward, personal approach customers could expect at the dealership.
"Mr. Miller was all about fairness," says JP Miller Jr., Mr. Miller's grandson and Paul Miller Motor Company President. "'Always take care of your customers and your employees,' he'd say, and we still do."
"Customer experience has become a buzzword, but we've been doing it for a long time," says JP. "If my grandfather and father didn't get the customer experience right, we wouldn't have been able to keep our doors open. Staying focused on our customers has been a major part of our success."
SECOND GENERATION SUCCESS
John Paul Miller, the second-generation Miller to lead the company, guided the dealership to even greater prominence in the Lexington community. It was under his leadership that the dealership became known as "Kentucky's Big One," a phrase that's still familiar to locals.
It was during John Paul Miller's time that the dealership’s relationship with the University of Kentucky turned into a formal marketing strategy. The dealership created a special-edition vehicle for Coach Rick Pitino, complete with his signature on the doors, and made the vehicle available for order to customers. At the same time, the dealership began featuring UK coaches in its commercials–a practice that continues today.
TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY TRADITION AND INNOVATION
JP Miller took over leadership of the company in 2006. Under his guidance, the dealership has evolved to meet the needs and challenges of the auto industry in the twenty-first century, while staying true to its founding values: community involvement, customer service, and taking care of its employees.
In addition to the annual Family Safety Day, the dealership hosts and sponsors dozens of community events each year.
"We've stayed very committed to giving back to our community," says JP Miller. "That's been a part of our family for a long time, and it's in the DNA of our company."
JP Miller has also continued the tradition of supporting the University of Kentucky, bringing the dealership into the Coach Calipari era with multiple Coach Cal Mustangs, as well as commercials and social media videos starring all three UK head coaches. The dealership's current tagline, "Your True Blue Dealer," is a nod to its membership in the Big Blue Nation.
The dealership's commitment to customer service hasn't changed under JP Miller. Today's Paul Miller Motor Company is devoted to providing a five-star experience to every customer and continuing to build relationships with every person who walks through the door.
That commitment to service and community has helped Paul Miller Motor Company achieve more than 70 years of success and has positioned the company to continue to grow, innovate and build more relationships in the years and decades ahead.