The Lawson Chevrolet auto dealership is expanding its headquarters at 3365 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy.

The local dealership not only is about to extend its existing building by 6,000 square feet, but will be adding a showroom and delivery area.

Also, Lawson Chevrolet plans to move its Mountain Mazda dealership, now at the corner of the U.S. 11E Bypass and Rufe Taylor Road, across 11E to a site adjoining Lawson Chevrolet, which also sells Mitsubishi vehicles.

Lennie Lawson, the dealership's vice president, said this week that Lawson Chevrolet has arranged on April 14 to purchase the former John Deere store, which is next door but has closed recently, so that the former Deere store can be converted into the new local headquarters for Mazda sales.

He said that, as part of Lawson's expansion plans, the dealership will be consolidating its Chevrolet and Ford body shops at the new Mazda location, whose body shop will work on all makes of vehicles.

Lawson said that another positive change will be the linking of the Lawson Chevrolet site and the new Mazda building by a frontage road parallel to the 11E Bypass.

He noted that there is an existing crossover point on the four-lane highway facing the John Deere Store that is to become the Mazda dealership.

Lawson Chevrolet's customers also will be able to use that crossover, then go on via the planned frontage road from what will be the Mazda dealership to Lawson Chevrolet's adjacent headquarters.

Currently, Lawson said, motorists coming from downtown Greeneville must turn on U.S. 11E at a less convenient point, then drive back to the auto dealership.

Lawson Chevrolet's owners are Max Lawson, Lennie Lawson, Kent Bewley, Daniel Johnson and Susan Holzschuh.