Jack Kain Ford building on Lexington Rd. (Photo by Scott White)
Special to the Sun
After more than six decades of serving Woodford County and Central Kentucky, the Kain family has announced the sale of Jack Kain Ford dealership and its Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center in Versailles to Joe O’Brien and Mason Moore, owners of O’Brien Ford in Shelbyville, Kentucky. The change in ownership goes into effect Oct. 1, 2026.
The decision marks an important new chapter for one of Central Kentucky’s longtime family-owned automotive dealerships. For the Kain family, choosing the right person to carry the business forward was about much more than completing a sale. It was about finding someone whose approach to customers, employees and the community closely reflected the values upon which Jack Kain Ford was built.
When the Kain family began considering retirement and the future of the dealership, Jack Kain’s children – General Manager Bob Kain, Senior Sales Consultant Pat Kain and Operations Manager Vickie Kain-Fister – took O’Brien’s offer to purchase the dealership seriously. “Selling a family business is not simply a financial decision,” said Bob Kain. “Our family name has been on this dealership for generations, and our employees and customers have become an extension of that family. We wanted to know that whoever came next would appreciate what has been built here and would continue to treat people the way Dad believed they should be treated. Joe O’Brien was someone Dad respected, and that carried a great deal of weight with us.”
The Kain family believes O’Brien and his organization are closely aligned with that philosophy. Moore, currently managing partner of O’Brien Ford in Shelbyville and the incoming managing partner and general manager of O’Brien Ford in Versailles, said he is looking forward to becoming part of the Versailles and Woodford County community. “Jack Kain Ford has a long history in Versailles and has earned tremendous loyalty from its customers and the community,” said Moore. “We respect what the Kain family and their employees have built here, and we understand the responsibility that comes with following a family that has served this area for so many years. I’m looking forward to becoming part of the Versailles community, meeting Jack Kain Ford’s customers and getting to know the people and businesses that make Woodford County such a special place. Our goal is to earn their trust and continue providing the kind of honest, courteous and fair treatment they have come to expect.”
The Kain family expressed its profound gratitude to the generations of Central Kentucky customers who have trusted the dealership with their automotive needs, as well as the employees whose dedication helped build and sustain the Jack Kain Ford name. As the dealership moves into its next chapter, the Kain family is confident that the principles established by Jack Kain – honesty, fairness, hard work and treating people right – will continue to guide the dealership and remain at the heart of how customers are served.