Bradshaw Automotive Group sold to North Carolina company

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Bradshaw Automotive Group, founded by William Bradshaw 43 years ago, has sold its assets to the Anderson Automotive Group of North Carolina.

The transaction closed Jan. 30. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in Greer in 1979, Bradshaw Automotive grew into one of the bestknown auto dealership brands in the Upstate with more than 400 employees and Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC, Acura, Honda, Mazda and Infiniti dealerships, a news release stated.

William Donovan, Bradshaw’s son-in-law, joined the family business in 1998 and later became manager of Import Operations, according to the release. Bradshaw’s son, Wes, came on board in 1999 upon graduation from college. Wes later assumed management of Domestic Operations, reaffirming the family approach that has existed since the establishment of the business.

Bradshaw has been influential at local, state and national levels of automobile marketing and servicing throughout his career, the release stated. He served as chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association, a trade organization representing 16,000-plus franchised foreign and domestic automobile dealers before Congress, federal agencies, the media and the public.

A third-generation family-owned business founded in 1955 with a Chevrolet dealership in Waynesville, N.C., Anderson Automotive has grown to one of the largest auto groups in the Southeast with approximately 1,000 employees, according to the release. It is comprised of eight Toyota, Nissan, Subaru and Kia dealerships in Raleigh, Asheville and Sanford, North Carolina, and Charleston.

Bradshaw said the economic realities of the automotive industry necessitated continued expansion and that the best opportunity for success rested with an automotive group that had the same core values and business philosophies coupled with the scale to achieve growth, according to the release.

“Like Bradshaw Automotive, Anderson Automotive is a family-owned business that shares our dedication to giving back to the community,” Bradshaw said in the release. “Their commitment to our 400 employees and focus on customer service ensures that our customers will continue to experience unparalleled service. I want to thank our thousands of customers for their many years of loyalty.”

Bradshaw credited his employees as critical to building the business, describing them as “the most dedicated hard-working customer-centered group of employees we could ever hope for.”

The Bradshaw Automotive Group has enabled the Bradshaw family ¬ William, his wife Annette, and children Angie and Wes – to follow their natural inclinations and be supportive of the many different needs of the community, the release stated.

They have supported numerous causes dedicated to building a safer and healthier community, state and nation for children, according to the release. In addition to being vocal advocates for child passenger safety initiatives, their work includes the Children’s Museum of the Upstate in Greenville and the Prisma Health Children’s Hospital-Upstate SafeKids program.

Headlining these efforts is the establishment of The Bradshaw Institute for Community Child Health and Advocacy, part of Prisma Health Children’s Hospital-Upstate, according to the release. The vision of the institution is to create optimal health for children through innovative education and prevention programs, clinical research, academic partnerships and practices.

“William Bradshaw and his team have built an extraordinary business while having a profound impact on the lives of children and families,” said Fred Anderson, chairman, Anderson Automotive Group, in the release. “We are excited to build on that legacy and look forward to contributing back to the Upstate community.”