Born and raised in Macon, Georgia, Marshall (Marsh) Butler Jr. grew up in the car business. In 1946, his grandfather, Milton Butler, opened the family’s first dealership in Alma, Georgia and then bought Butler Toyota in Macon, Georgia, in 1970 alongside Marsh’s father and his uncle, Marshall Butler Sr. and Milton Butler Jr.

Marsh began helping around the dealership at a young age, washing cars on the weekends and assisting in other areas. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 1993, Marsh worked for Mike Perrin, selling cars at Cobb County Toyota. “Mike runs a top-notch organization, so naturally, working for him taught me many valuable skills as I was learning more about the car business,” Marsh recalled. 

Marsh officially joined the business in 1994 as a third-generation Butler in the industry. In 2009, Marsh and his brother Morris became co-presidents and still operate the Butler Auto Group. Today, the Butler Auto Group has 15 locations serving communities in Georgia, South Carolina and Florida.

Marsh was sworn in as the 2025-26 GADA Chairman during the annual convention and brings with him a lifetime of experience to the chairmanship. We recently sat down with Marsh and learned more about his career, his thoughts on the industry and what he’d like to accomplish in his role as chairman. The following are excerpts from our conversation.

Have you had any mentors along the way, and what did they teach you?

My dad has been the most influential mentor in my life. I have had the incredible opportunity to observe and learn from him. He has always considered treating people well as his guiding principle. In his business life, that has played out by putting customers first and taking care of his associates. Surrounding himself with extremely talented people of high character and empowering that team to take care of their customers has allowed our business to continually grow and prosper. Operating his business with integrity and doing the right thing has been and continues to be a top priority. My father also taught me not to set limitations on myself or our business.

As I previously mentioned, I learned so much from Mike Perrin. He has not only been a mentor, but he has also been a friend to me throughout my career.

What has been the most rewarding part of your career?

Working with my family is extremely rewarding. It has been a blessing to be able to work with Dad and my brother, Morris, on a daily basis. We work well together as a team, and I’m very proud of that. Additionally, we have an incredible group of talented people, both in our management company and in our dealerships. It’s rewarding to see many of our associates grow within our organization.

What are the biggest challenges in the industry?

From a retail perspective, affordability is a major challenge in our industry. Cars have gotten more expensive across the board, which is something that all new car dealers are faced with right now.

Additionally, from a dealer’s perspective, we need to keep our eye on the direct sales model and make sure we protect our franchise system.

What inspired you to take on the role of chairman?

First and foremost, I love the car business. Preserving our future and protecting the franchise system in Georgia is important for many reasons. GADA is an incredible organization and partner to all of us in that effort. I am proud to be a part of it. 

Keeping our industry strong in turn keeps our communities strong. I have many friends who are car dealers who do such a great job supporting their communities. From employing local residents to charitable efforts and giving back, car dealers play a huge role in keeping communities strong.

What goals do you have as chairman, and what can members do to help you reach them?

One of my biggest goals is to increase dealer engagement with the association and get more dealers involved in GADA. GADA offers so much to dealers — from informational webinars, training and the workers’ comp program to the annual convention, political advocacy and much more.

How do you balance your professional responsibilities with your personal life?

It all comes down to time management, which can be challenging as the car business requires long hours. I’m very blessed to have such a great management team and associates to work with. I know they are going to take care of the customers and each other. That allows me to step away and spend some time with my family.

Tell us about your family.

I’ve been married to my wife, Jennifer, for 24 years. We have two children: our daughter, Jenny Belle, who graduated from the University of Georgia and just started working in Dallas, Texas, and our son, Marshall, who is starting his junior year at Wofford College. We attend Ingleside Baptist Church in Macon and are all big Georgia football fans, love most sports and enjoy traveling together.