Hey YAG Family,

We’re excited to announce that the grand opening celebration for the Young Automotive Group’s headquarters will be held on March 29. As the big day approaches, we wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on our organization’s storied, 100-year legacy.

History

The Young Automotive Group was founded by a mechanic in Morgan county named Seldon “Jack” Olsen, who operated a repair shop. In October of 1925, he signed his first selling agreement with Oldsmobile to turn his business into a dealership.

Olsen quickly expanded his operation. Within five years, his dealership had gained a second rooftop and a Chevrolet selling agreement. Though off to a successful start, Olsen would soon face the challenges of an economic collapse.

The Great Depression brought several challenges to Olsen’s dealership. He was forced to repossess 41 cars in 21 days, resort to bartering to keep inventory moving and recover from the burning down of his business. That said, Olsen fought through the challenges and kept his focus on expansion.

In 1948, Olsen Chevrolet of Layton opened its doors to the public. It was at this new location where Olsen hired his son-in-law, Sam Young, as a bookkeeper.

Young worked his way up the dealership, running the business alongside Olsen. During this time, the two brought more people into the family business, including Sam’s sons — Spencer, Roger and Seldon Young.

Near the end of the 70’s, Olsen stepped away from the company, selling his Layton dealership to Sam Young. In 1979, Olsen passed away, leaving behind a legacy of grit, determination and passion.

Expansion

Sam Young owned and operated the dealership until he passed it on to his son Spencer Young Sr. in the 1980’s. Alongside his brothers, Spencer formed the Young Automotive Group and became our organization’s president.

Following the leadership change, Olsen Chevrolet became Young Chevrolet of Layton. We also acquired a new Pontiac dealership across the street. Before the turn of the millennium, the Young Automotive Group had four dealerships, a tractor division and the iconic Rocky Mountain Raceways track.

During the late 2000’s, we were forced to brave the challenges of another financial crisis. While this was a time when many dealerships had to scale back and even shut down their businesses, we were able to keep all of our locations intact. Following the crisis, Spencer made diversification a top priority for our company.

In a five-year span beginning in 2009, the Young Automotive Group doubled in size, adding locations in Ogden, Morgan and Logan. During 2014, Spencer stepped down as president of the Young Automotive Group and appointed his son, Spencer Young Jr., as the new leader of our company.

Today, we have 21 automotive locations across three states as well as eight powersports dealerships. Our rapid growth has been recognized by several organizations, including Utah Business, Mountain West Capital Network, City Weekly and Automotive News.

Community

As our business expands, we work to keep our commitment to communities at the forefront of our efforts. In 2007, Spencer Young Sr. and his wife Sherry founded the Young Caring for Our Young Foundation — an organization that’s dedicated to solving issues related to youth clothing needs, hunger, literacy, and homelessness.

Since its inception, the Foundation has donated over $6 million to communities in Utah, Idaho and Montana. They hold and participate in over 50 charitable events each year with the help of our dealerships and other outstanding partners.

In 2022, Young Caring for Our Young started a new initiative called the KIND Fund. Standing for Kids In NeeD, the program has educators identify children who require clothing and essentials assistance. The Foundation then provides a volunteer with a $150 gift card to shop for the child.

To date, the program has helped over 3,550 children, providing for 2,141 kids in need in 2023 alone.

As we celebrate and cut the ribbon for our new headquarters, we hope you will take some time to dwell on the tremendous impact you’ve had on helping us reach this point as well as what the next 100 years of the Young Automotive Group will look like.