For some families, the ties to transportation run deep. Such is the case for the Nelsons, a family that for more than a century has built a strong presence in the retail automotive segment in the Pacific Northwest.
The family’s story began in the late 19th century, when Hans Nelson and his son, Nelse Nelson, arrived in the United States from Sweden and settled in Ballard, Wash., which at the time was a small city north of Seattle. Their first enterprise wasn’t a car dealership, at all. But the family’s Ballard hotel, which the Nelson’s ran along with a livery and horses-for-hire service, set the stage for decades of growth in transportation-related businesses.
Now, more than a century later, Nelson Auto Group — which comprises five automobile dealerships provides a fascinating case study in long-term retail growth and success. In many ways, the company’s heritage mirrors the evolution of personal transportation, from horse-and-buggy service to taxis, from a single car dealership to a multi-store automotive group serving customers in the Seattle metro area and across Washington state.
Early Enterprises
After establishing the hotel, Nelse helped his son, Stan Nelson Sr., launch a jitney business, shuttling passengers by horse and buggy between Ballard and Seattle (roughly 24 miles) for 10-cent fares.
Greyson Nelson, who currently serves as Nelson Auto Group’s vice president, describes those beginnings as a natural progression that allowed the business to grow.
“As cars came out, they started using taxis,” Greyson said. “And then as that grew, to be able to maintain the taxis, they started a repair shop and then repaired other people’s vehicles.”
Then, in 1916, an ambitious Stan Sr. — who was just 20 years old at the time — purchased a one-pump gas station in Ballard for $168. Located on Leary Avenue, it provided what he needed to build a business: a gas facility and a small parts and tire shop. It proved to be an ideal service base to support his jitney service while also expanding revenue opportunities.
That was just the beginning. Stan Sr. ran the gas station, hired more drivers, bought and sold used vehicles and grew the gas and service operation to several locations across North Seattle under the Stanley Nelson Super Service moniker.
The family’s interests in the retail automotive industry grew yet again in 1922, when Stan Sr. co-founded Nelson & Kellogg Chevrolet in Ballard with David Kellogg. According to the company history, Stan Sr. became the youngest Chevrolet dealer in the country at that time. After Kellogg’s shares were bought out in 1930, the business became Nelson Chevrolet.
A Family Business That Adapted to New Opportunities
The Nelson organization continued to grow through the strategic leadership of successive generations. In 1938, Stan Jr. also scored a first when he became the youngest Chevrolet dealer in the country at age 23, after purchasing a Chevrolet dealership in Sedro-Woolley, a city in Skagit County. The business, for which he paid $2,000, operated as the Nelson Motor Company.
That dealership faced a major setback in 1951, when a fire destroyed the building. Stan Jr., who was also a volunteer firefighter, was among the responders to the blaze at his own business. Happily, the dealership was rebuilt and continued to grow.
A fresh round of major changes came in 1957, when ownership shifts took place at multiple family enterprises. Frederick Nelson, the second son of Stan Sr., purchased Nelson Motor Company in Sedro-Woolley from his brother and renamed it Fred Nelson Chevrolet. In addition, Stan Jr. purchased Nelson Chevrolet in Ballard from his father. Stan Sr., meanwhile, retired after 45 storied years in the automobile retail business.
One favorite family story illustrates the company’s growth mindset. Decades ago, when Fred Nelson was away on vacation, his son, daughter and brother made the move to purchase a large piece of property where the current dealership now sits. Greyson said the move was not impulsive; the family had been looking for room to grow, and the opportunity aligned with the company’s expansion plans.
“It wasn’t like a ‘shoot-from-the-hip’ thing,” Greyson says.
Since then, the Nelson family has continued to expand its reach and refine its approach to meet the needs of the modern marketplace. Among the strategic moves was the acquisition of Lynnwood Honda in 1981 by a group of shareholders led by Fred Nelson, including his children, Erik and Wendy, and his nieces and nephew Barbara, Fredricka, Pamela and Stan III.
More growth continued in 1985, when Pamela Nelson purchased Foothills Pontiac Buick Toyota in Burlington, and the following year, when her sister Barbara Nelson established Acura of Bellevue.
The Nelsons expanded their footprint even more in 2019, when Nelson Auto Group purchased Apple Valley Honda and Honda of Burlington from the Sims family. The acquisition reflected both business growth and continuity; the Sims and Nelsons had known each other for years through their shared Sedro-Woolley roots, and both sides valued keeping the stores family owned and operated.
That emphasis on the value of family stewardship has remained consistent. More than 30 members of Stan Sr.’s descendants have served in different roles across five generations since the jitney business first launched, with four generations working in the auto business.
Greyson is a perfect example of that. The retail automotive business was part of his life from an early age — but so was a broader family connection.
“It was always a summer job when I was in middle school,” he said, recalling time spent moving and cleaning cars. “But we’ve been lucky to have a decent work-life balance, too. I was definitely born and raised in the car industry, but we also go fishing and go on trips. We have a close family bond.”
Integrity, Service and Quality
Nelson Auto Group’s current business philosophy is rooted in the same principles that have guided the company for generations: integrity, service and quality.
Greyson says the company’s success begins with recognizing that the customer relationship is the core of the business. “Everybody’s kept to the ethos of those three pillars, where you recognize that you’re here because of your customers,” he says. “You have to take the best care you can of them.”
Greyson added the family’s approach is also about empowering employees to do the right thing for customers. “It’s really recognizing that you have to follow all those tenets and empower the people around you to serve the customers the best you can, so consumers keep coming back to you and your businesses,” he says.
That approach has helped the company endure through countless challenges: recessions, fuel crises, wars, brand changes, new technologies, shifting consumer expectations and a retail environment that’s a far cry from what the family first entered in the early 20th century.
Like many successful dealership groups, Nelson Auto Group has also enhanced its reputation — and shown its local dedication — through community involvement. The group supports local sports teams, booster clubs and Little League programs. It also holds annual Thanksgiving food drives and Christmas gift drives and has event sponsored a 13-year-old race car driver.
“We try to stay involved in our immediate local communities,” Greyson says. “When a local group reaches out to us, we’re usually all ears.”
A History of Success
Today, Nelson Auto Group owns and operates Honda of Burlington and Apple Valley Honda. Descendants of Nelse and Hans are involved in the Nelson Auto Group and operate Lynnwood Honda (Erik Nelson and Wendy Nelson Popke), Foothills Toyota (Pam Nelson and her son, now dealer, Tyler Steinman), and Acura of Bellevue (Rob Sesnon and Barbara Nelson).The company’s history showcases its longstanding ability to identify opportunities and successfully capitalize on them. Over the years, the Nelson family’s endeavors have managed to grow, while maintaining a consistent, family-business character that dates back to the early days in Ballard, more than a century ago.
Greyson draws a clear lesson from previous generations.
“Just being honest and being nice to people gets you a lot farther than you think,” he said.
