Emily Buckley, editor in chief
Wilson Motor Company celebrates its 77th anniversary this June. During their more than three-quarters of a century of selling cars in Cache Valley they have stayed true to their mission to “make car buying easy!” and have become Northern Utah’s highest-volume car dealer.
Floyd Wilson opened Wilson Motor Company in 1943 at the height of World War II. His original lot at 328 North Main remains their primary point of business, and they have since added a pre-owned superstore at 1140 North Main Street.
“Our business has always been centered around taking care of our customers and that hasn’t changed in all these years,” Nate Wilson, manager of Wilson Motor and fourth-generation family member in the business, said. “You can’t do business in a tight-knit community like Cache Valley for a long time without taking care of your customers. I truly believe our success comes down to treating people the way we would want to be treated.”
Still though, the way Wilson Motor operates has changed over time. “The internet has completely changed the car buying process and we have adopted marketing strategies to stay relevant,” Nate said.
Clair Wilson carried on the family tradition of selling cars when he purchased the business from his father, Floyd, in 1971. He added Lincoln, Mercury, and Nissan to the dealership, was recognized as Time Magazine’s Quality Dealer, and was inducted into the Utah Automobile Dealer’s Hall of Fame.
In 2009, current owner Chris Wilson bought the dealership from Clair. Chris is a state and national leader in his field of expertise, serving on the New Car Dealers of Utah Association (NCDUA) board of directors for the past five years (most recently as president), is a member of Ford advertising board of directors, and sits on the Nissan region marketing board. Locally, he serves on the Cache Valley Chamber of Commerce board of governors, the economic development alliance, and the legislative affairs committee as chairman of the revenue and taxation subcommittee.
Chris is currently making a bid at Utah State Senate with the campaign slogan, “It’s Time.” On his campaign website, Chris states, “Northern Utah has been a wonderful place to live and own a business, and the people of Cache Valley and the surrounding communities have been very supportive of me and my family. Giving back to my community through public service isn’t optional. It is the way I demonstrate my gratitude and a vital element of being a good citizen.”
Nate says their family has a lot of gratitude for the opportunity to live and do business in Cache Valley. “The people here are fantastic!” Nate said. “There isn’t a better place to live, work, and raise a family.”
