The Citron family of Hub City Ford has offered outstanding automotive sales and service to the Acadiana region for 76 years.  Brown Fortier, founder of Hub City Motors, Inc., was affiliated with Ford Motor Company for 25 years prior to the award of a Ford Motor Company Franchise in August 1943.

Fortier's only daughter, Marcelle, who attended Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School and later graduated from Ursuline Academy in New Orleans, would help him with paperwork. When Fortier moved to Lafayette to open the Ford dealership in 1943, Marcelle joined him, helping with employees. Over the years, she worked her way up to serve as co-owner and vice president of Hub City Ford.

“She grew up with Ford,” said Todd Citron, Marcelle’s youngest son and Hub City's general manager. She watched the books, signed paychecks, and did public outreach for the family-owned business.

That lifelong relationship with Ford enabled her to stay close to her father and later her husband, David Elroy Citron, and the couple’s six sons — Rusty, Mike, Randy, Scott, Andy and Todd — five of whom worked at Hub City Ford. Marcelle Citron passed away surrounded by her loving family on March 3, 2018, after a full life dedicated to family, local charities and community causes.

In this episode of Discover Lafayette, Todd Citron visits with Jan Swift about his family's history in the automobile industry and their love of Lafayette. For more information on Hub City Ford, please visit http://www.hubcityford.net.

To watch the video version of our interview with Todd Citron, please click the video box at the upper right of your screen.