Company History
THE
FRIENDSHIP FAMILY OF DEALERSHIPS began operations on December 6, 1993,
when
FRIENDSHIP FORD OF BRISTOL officially opened its doors in Bristol,
Tennessee.
The previous Ford dealership in Bristol, Campbell Ford, closed in early
1991 after being in business for approximately 20 years.
After the
closing, Ford Motor Company controlled the franchise and was extremely
cautious in its search for a replacement dealer for the Bristol market.
Mitch Walters spent approximately eighteen months pursuing the
opportunity before being awarded the franchise.
The
Friendship Family grew
in late 1999 when Mitch purchased HIGH COUNTRY HONDA in Boone, North
Carolina, along
with long-time friend Steve Stefanovich. Mitch acquired Steve's share
in late 2007 and continues to operate High Country Honda of Boone
today.
Mitch
started pursuing the acquisition of Carl Gregory's Hyundai franchise in
Johnson City, Tennessee, in May 2003. This transaction was
completed in
August 2003, and FRIENDSHIP HYUNDAI OF BRISTOL was formed as the
exclusive Hyundai dealer for the Tri-Cities. Mitch was awarded an
additional Hyundai franchise in the Tri-Cities in November 2005, and
FRIENDSHIP HYUNDAI OF JOHNSON CITY opened for business on January 2,
2006,
giving Friendship representation in both Bristol and Johnson
City.
Mitch
was able to acquire the Bristol-area Volvo franchise from Tim Marburger
in June 2007, and FRIENDSHIP VOLVO OF BRISTOL joined FRIENDSHIP FORD
and FRIENDSHIP HYUNDAI on the Volunteer Parkway. In November
2008,
Mitch, along with partners Tom Hall (Vice President / General
Manager),
David Snyder (Vice President / Controller) and Bob Millsap (Vice
President / Parts and Service Director), purchased Marburger's
Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge dealership on West State Street, and FRIENDSHIP
CHRYSLER-JEEP-DODGE OF BRISTOL became part of THE FRIENDSHIP FAMILY OF
DEALERSHIPS.
Mitch has been active in the automobile
business
virtually all of his life. His father, Robert Walters, and
grandfather
Joseph Walters were the Chevrolet dealers in Hebron, Ohio, a small town
in
South Central Ohio. After working several years at Walters
Chevrolet
in just about every department and graduating from college in May 1976,
Mitch moved to Bristol, Tennessee, to further his experience in the
automotive
industry. Mitch started in sales at the local
Chevrolet-Cadillac
dealership and worked his way up to Vice President / General Manager and
partner in the Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Suzuki dealerships.
In 2007,
Mitch sold his interest in those dealerships to focus entirely on
building the Friendship brand. Both of Mitch's sons are also
shareholders in The Friendship Family of Dealerships, as is long-time
friend and CPA David Snyder.
Mitch and his wife,
Danea, have two
sons, Brandon and Dustin, both graduates of Tennessee High School in
Bristol, and six grandchildren. Brandon went on to attain his
bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee and his graduate
degree from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. He
and his
wife, Kim, have three sons, Sam, Mack and Hank, and live in Charlotte,
North Carolina, where Brandon works in the insurance
industry. Dustin is a
graduate of East Tennessee State University and is married to the former
Kelly Cole of Elizabethton. Dustin and Kelly have two
daughters, Kate
and Emma, and one son, Parke. Dustin is currently the Vice
President /
General Manager / Operating Partner of FRIENDSHIP HYUNDAI OF JOHNSON
CITY.
Both Mitch and Danea have been very active in
community and
civic affairs in Bristol over the years, and continue to support
various charitable
organizations.
GOALS -
VISIONS - DREAMSMitch
Walters hopes to continue to grow the business with his wonderful team
of employees, who provide award-winning service to all Friendship
customers. The expansion and renovation of our facilities is
an ongoing
process important to the continued success of Friendship.
Being a
leader in the marketplace in every aspect of business is important, and
it is Mitch's strong desire that each member of THE FRIENDSHIP FAMILY OF
DEALERSHIPS shares this
goal.
|
|
