In 1968 Dan Vaden arrived in Savannah to open "Dan Vaden Chevrolet, Inc." in what was then a rural area just outside of Savannah on "Abercorn Extension". Mr Vaden had begun his career in the car business fifteen years earlier as a sales-trainee in the Used Car Department of Riverside Chevrolet in Jacksonville, Florida just after graduation from the University of Florida. He learned the business of selling and servicing new Chevrolet's with experiences in all ares of sales and management. When he left Riverside (today "Nimnicht Chevrolet) he was part-owner and General Manager of the dealership.
Dan Vaden Chevrolet began operation with only a small, temporary four-office building. Today it is the largest dealership in southeast coastal Georgia. In addition to new and used sales and service, Dan Vaden Chevrolet operates a large parts distribution network throughout southeast Georgia from its Abercorn facility. Dan Vaden Chevrolet also operates a large, modern Body Shop repair and painting facility.
In 1980 Mr. Vaden became one of the first Isuzu dealers in the nation, opening the franchise on the Chevrolet property and later moving it to Stephenson Avenue. In 1983 Mr Vaden purchased the Datsun dealership at the intersection of Abercorn and Stephenson in Savannah and named it Daniel Datsun. Later it became Daniel Nissan. In 1988 Vaden Suzuki was opened next to Vaden Isuzu at the corner of Stephenson and White Bluff, and in 1991 Vaden Hyundai was opened on Abercorn, just south of Oglethorpe Mall.
The organization began its growth outside of Savannah in 1989. In that year Mr. Vaden opened "Chevy Truckland" outside Savannah on Highway 17 near Highway 204 and just north of Richmond Hill. Also in 1989, Mr. Vaden purchased the Chevrolet-Oldsmobile dealership in Brunswick. Operating in the heart of downtown Brunswick, Dan Vaden Chevrolet-Olds-Geo, Inc. quickly became an important part of the organization, and an Isuzu franchise was added in 1991. In 1999 Mr. Vaden acquired a former Lowe's Building Supply facility near Glynn Place Mall that was extensively remodeled. In late 1999 the Brunswick dealership moved into a beautiful, new modern Sales, Service and Parts facility.
In 1992 Mr. Vaden was chosen as one of the top eight new-car dealers in the United States, winning the prestigious
Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award.In 1993, several important relocations took place in the organization. Daniel Nissan moved to its present location on Abercorn and its name was changed to "Vaden Nissan" to take advantage of joint-marketing opportunities. Vaden Isuzu, Vaden Hyundai, and Vaden Suzuki moved to new locations on Abercorn and Mr. Vaden became the Volkswagen dealer in Savannah. Together these four import lines were known as "Team Vaden" with seperate showrooms for Vaden Hyundai-Suzuki and Vaden Isuzu-Volkswagen. As growth in sales in service continued, Mr. Vaden acquired a former dealership at the corner of Abercorn and Eisenhower and in 2001 relocated Volkswagen, Isuzu, Hyundai and Suzuki to this location.
In 1999 Mr. Vaden acquired the Oldsmobile franchise in Savannah. The original dealership at 9393 Abercorn became Dan Vaden Chevrolet-Oldsmobile.
In 2002 the companies continued their expansion. The growth of Chevy Truckland was recognized with the construction of an entirely new dealership facility with a showroom, service and parts departments. General Motors recognized the location as a new, independent Chevrolet dealership now known as "Coastal Chevrolet". Jane Vaden Thacher also brought General Motors' new Hummer line of vehicles to Savannah that year with the creation of "Hummer of Savannah" at 9393 Abercorn. Mrs. Thacher was also named the Hummer Dealer for Savannah becoming one of the first female Hummer dealers in the nation. The year 2002 also saw construction of a new stand-alone property, the acquisition of additional property adjacent to the import dealership with significant frontage on White Bluff Rd., and the start of construction on a new Used Car facility for the import dealership at the corner of Eisenhower and White Bluff Roads. These projects were completed in 2003. In 2004, Mr. Vaden completely remodeled Vaden Nissan's showroom building adopting the newest Nissan design standards with its distinctive polished aluminum finished exterior and bright red "front door"
The growth of the Vaden organization continued in 2005 with the acquisition of new property directly across highway 17 from Coastal Chevrolet. The 2005 year also saw Cadillac- Buick dealership. These franchises joined Dan Vaden Chevrolet in Brunswick. Plans were begun and in 2007 Hummer of Savannah opened a new Hummer showroom on this site. That same year a new modern Suzuki showroom was constructed and opened on Eisenhower. In August 2008 the company expanded into South Carolina with the acquisition of the Chevrolet-Cadillac-Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealership in Hampton and the formation of Vaden of South Carolina, Inc. This expansion into South Carolina continued a few months later when Mr. Vaden acquired the Chevrolet-Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealership in Beaufort, S.C. In 2009 Mr. Vaden opened the first import dealer in Hinesville, GA. with the arrival of Vaden Nissan of Hinesville to the home of Ft. Stewart and the US Army's 3rd Infantry Division.
Today Mr. Vaden continues to operate these dealerships through his family's second generation. His daughter Jane Vaden Thacher has become the Dealer Principal for each of the dealerships within the group and has been recognized for her leadership by General Motors Corporation. Son-in-laws Bill Daniel serves as Vice President and General Counsel of the companies and Peter Thacher serves as Vice President for Direct Marketing and Customer Affairs.
On October 14, 2008 Mr. Vaden received the Savannah business community's highest honor. At a black-tie dinner benefiting Junior Achievement, Mr. Vaden was inducted into the Savannah Business Hall of Fame in recognition of his quiet leadership and support of many community projects throughout his career.
Biography Points for Dan Vaden:
* He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and a graduate of the University of Florida.
* Married to Mrs. Jane Walton Vaden, they have two daughters: Linda Vaden Daniel and Jane Vaden Thacher.
* Mr. Vaden has been a long-time member of the Isle of Hope United Methodist Church where he has served on the Board of Tustees and the Administrative Board.
* He has been an active member of the Alee Shrine, serving in the Jesters for many years.
* He has served on the Board of the Savannah Golf Club for many years.
* He has been recognized for his service to the State of Georgia as a member of the Used Car Licensing Board and the Georgia Auto Dealers Association Board of Directors.
* He has served throughout his career on multiple advisory committees to the General Motors management including the General Motors President's Council, National Dealer Council for Chevrolet Motor division and National Merchandising Committees.
* He has served the community over many years with his service on the Board of Directors of the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, St. Joseph's Hospital Board of Directors, the United Way Board of Directors, and positions with the Better Business Bureau and the American Cancer Society. He was a member of the Savannah Vietnam Veteran Memorial committee and the Welcome Home Committees for the past community salutes to our Vietnam Veterans and the men & women returning from Desert Shield in 1991.
* He quietly spearheaded the creation of the Silent Witness Program in the early 1980's and helped it grow into a major asset for our law enforcement community.
* In 1993 Dan Vaden was selected as one of national recipients of the Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award by the National Automobile Dealers Association. The city of Savannah proclaimed April 1993 ad " Dan Vaden Month " in recognition of this national award.
* Mr. Vaden has consistently required the highest standards in customer satisfaction and integrity for the operation of his dealerships. This was most recently recognized in 2006 when Mr. Vaden was awarded the prestigious "Diane Wahrman Torch Award" by the Coastal Empire Better Business Bureau for "Market Place Excellence" in customer relations and business philosophy, the BBB's highest award.
Vaden Automotive Group
