A former Detroit police officer and federal agent-turned automobile dealership owner has been named the 2002 Small Business Person of the Year by the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce. Jim Johnson attributes perseverance and community support to his 30 years of success in the automobile industry. A small business needs a good accountant, good attorney and good banking relationships, Johnson said. When I first started, bankers would give character loans where you didnt really qualify, but they said, We think this guy can make it. Johnson made it and then some, finding his initial success in the automobile industry by turning around a struggling Ford dealership in Russellville. I had no experience in the car industry but I turned it around, not knowing that you couldnt do it, he said. That success led to latching on with a Datsun dealership just as the little car was getting ready to take off. His success has resulted in ownership of Jim Johnson Pontiac Nissan Mitsubishi, University Hyundai Subaru and Isuzu and the Jim Johnson Collision Center on Lehman Avenue. Combined, the businesses employ 87 people. The businesses have become a family affair with Johnsons children Kim Martin and Lynda Pawley employed at the dealerships. Along with praising his wife Darlenes encouragement, Johnson also thanked his staff. We cant be successful without a good staff and employees, he said. Along with awards from Pontiac and Nissan, Johnson also was nominated for Time Magazines Quality Dealer award in 1998. Chamber Chairman Curtis Sullivan, owner of Omni Meats who won the award in 1999, praised Johnson for his involvement in the community, including his 25 years of work on the board of The Salvation Army, where he co-chaired the fund-raising effort for the organizations new building. Fellow automobile dealership owner Cornelius Martin and Mayor Sandy Jones are among past winners. Nominees included Tim Earnhart of Liberty Printing, Janet Henderson of Project Tech, Ann Moore of BKD and Chris Thompson of Mancinos Grinders and Pizzas. Sullivan praised the group for their commitment to their employees. They are out there sometimes they feel like an island unto themselves, he said. But I havent met a small business person yet that making payroll on Friday afternoon wasnt one of their most gratifying experiences. This is quite a crop of business owners. Johnson, a native of Morgantown, said he got out of law enforcement and into the automotive industry when he was a federal agent and facing a move. Im from here and my wife, whos from Michigan, had come to love it here and didnt want to move, he said. Sheldon will be formally recognized during a luncheon May 7 at the Knicely Institute for Economic Development. Tickets for the 11:30 a.m. luncheon are $25. Reservations can be made by calling the chamber at 781-3200.