Our Story

Cooper Motor Company was founded in 1938 with $750 of borrowed investment by Lynn Cooper, Sr. as the only salesman and had an inventory of three automobiles. The Dodge and Plymouth franchised dealership was located in a two bay cotton warehouse on West Main Street in Clinton which is still family owned today. Lynn Cooper, Sr. started and maintained business through the Great Depression and World War II with honesty and integrity. His son followed those same business ethics. They have carried brands such as Oldsmobile, AMC, International Truck and Massey Fergusen.

 

Cooper Motor Company began a second generation of business under Lynn Cooper, Jr. in 1956 and continued to grow business with the same business principles. During these years, Lynn Cooper Jr. added Clinton Ford in 1986 with his partner Bob Cason, and the Chrysler and Jeep lines to the Dodge dealership in 1998. Surviving the oil embargo of the 1970's and the recession of the early 1980's, Lynn Cooper, Jr. made it through with the same honesty and integrity.

 

Now as a third generation family business, Cooper Motor Company continues to run strong with great employees and great customers. Today, Cooper Motor Company, owned and run by Cooper's grandson Lynn "Chip" Cooper III, is one of up South Carolina's oldest dealerships and one of the county's best known family businesses.

 

Today, Cooper Motor Company has a sales staff of six and an inventory of over 250 new and used cars. "Very few dealerships in this day and age have been in business 10 years, let alone 70-plus years," says Chip Cooper. "I have a lot of pride in that and in continuing what my grandfather started and dad continued."Nowadays the family business is a forgotten practice. In the age of Wal-Mart, Lowe's and Home Depot, the family business is often overlooked because they can't compete in advertising." Competition is fierce in the car business, but Chip has an idea for why Cooper's has been able to survive into its third generation. "Most dealerships operate with high pressure, but we do things differently here. We try to a have a one-on-one experience between salesperson and customer. We've built a relationship with our customers. We like to say 'when we sell a car, we haven't created a customer, we've created a relationship.' That is what has helped us succeed in business and survive the hard times. Those business ethics and the loyalty of our long time customers is the reason we have been in business since 1938." "We depend on customer loyalty".

 

It's a small town. You won't survive in a small town unless you treat people right," says Cooper. "We know our customers. They're our neighbors. We go to church with them and see them socially." Word of mouth advertising has also helped the company generate up to 50 percent of its business from out-of-town customers.