Damian Mills, the 52-year old president and CEO of Mills Auto Group, now owns 14 car dealerships in four states – Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Earlier this year, he acquired his first ultra-luxury dealership, a Maserati franchise in Fort Mills, SC.
Mills got his start as an entrepreneur in 2004 when he used his life savings to purchase a Ford dealership in Smithfield, NC. Two years later, he purchased a Chrysler dealership in Fort Mills, SC. By the year 2009, he already had several profitable dealerships that were generating almost $100 million in annual revenue.
But now, in 2019, with 14 car dealerships, he has grown his annual revenue by more than 379%, making him the owner of the the fifth largest Black-owned auto dealership network in the country. Black Enterprise reports that his annual revenue is now upwards of $474 million, and has named him the 2019 Auto Dealer of the Year.
Mills says that his interest in the auto industry started when he became keenly aware of the absence of African Americans in leadership positions. For this reason, he currently sits on the board of the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (NAMAD) and also once served as president of the Chrysler Minority Dealers Association.
He says his secret weapon to success is his “ride-or-die management team”.
This article was originally published by BlackBusiness.com.