For 35 years, Patty Webb has been a driving force in our warranty department, leading with steady guidance, unmatched work ethic, and a deep sense of ownership for the customers and team members of Sonny Merryman that she’s proudly supported.
Born in Lynchburg and raised in Concord, Virginia, Patty joined the company on February 18, 1991, as the primary warranty representative. She originally found the job through the Virginia Employment Commission during a time when the job market was challenging, but her decision to apply changed the course of her career and life. Patty has been known as an extremely dependable employee, guiding teammates and countless customers through the ever-changing world of warranty operations. In January 2001, she was promoted to Analyst Manager, continuing her commitment to excellence with every detail of every claim.
Reflecting on her early days, Patty is amazed by how much has changed. When she started, everything was handwritten and manual, and the company had only fourteen employees. Today, there are nearly two hundred employees. She also recalls the 1993 move from Rustburg to Evington as a major milestone, one of many reminders of how far the company has come since those early years.
– Brady Childress, Vice President of Parts & Service
When asked what has made her time at Sonny Merryman so special, Patty does not hesitate. It is the people and the relationships. She says she will miss the camaraderie most, including the daily laughs and the long-term customer relationships that have stayed constant through years of change. “The people of Sonny Merryman, along with the company’s genuine commitment to its employees, make it a remarkable place to work,” said Webb.
Among her proudest achievements was navigating the 2008 recall year, when she and her team completed 10,000 warranty claims, a clear testament to her perseverance and attention to detail. As the company’s school and commercial sales expanded, Patty managed the evolving warranty operations, adapting to a broader range of manufacturers and increasingly complex claims. Through it all, she remained committed to helping her customers and doing the job well. “After 35 years of persevering through lots of claims and overtime, the satisfaction of knowing I did my best through it all is a great feeling,” she shared.
– Dan Miller, Incoming Warranty Manager
Outside of work, Patty enjoys antiquing, dabbling in coin collecting, and working on diamond art projects. She also loves exploring new places throughout the state of Virginia and looks forward to doing more of this in her next chapter. Her personal story also comes full circle. She began her career as the mother of a two-year-old and now retires as a proud grandmother of three.
As she closes this chapter, Patty is excited for the next one. She looks forward to traveling out West to places like Montana, Utah, Wyoming, and Yellowstone, discovering more of Virginia, trying new hobbies including hunting, and embracing one simple joy she has earned many times over: the freedom of no alarm clock.
Her advice for those who follow in her footsteps is simple but powerful:
– Patty Webb, Warranty Manager
From handwritten forms to digital record-keeping, from a single Rustburg location to four Sonny Merryman branches and three NAPA shops, Patty Webb has seen the company transform. She has not only witnessed that growth but has played a meaningful role in helping shape it.
Thank you, Patty, for 35 incredible years.