About Us

Our Beginnings

We are proud of our long tradition of family involvement in the automobile industry. Our owners Michael G. MacDonald,President, along with his brother, Paul R. MacDonald, Vice President, were involved with the family Chevrolet dealership located in downtown Detroit. Louise Eliason MacDonald’s father was an Office Manager for several automobile dealerships in the Salt Lake City area for many years. Louise is the Secretary Treasure of the company.  M.J. MacDonald, Mike's son, is the General Manager of our Bountiful Mazda Dealership.  Dan Christensen, Louise's son, is the Controller at Bountiful Mazda.

Our Story

Mike's and Paul's grandfather, Gordon Wilson Sr., was raised in the Detroit “Corktown” area of Detroit. He, at the young age of 15, was an elevator operator in the General Motors building with his good friend Ed Cole. Ed Cole later became an automotive engineer and President of General Motors. Gordon started selling Chevrolets to the local cab company, Checker Cab. Gordon’s father, John, was a cabbie and through his many connections with his father’s friends, acted as a broker for the sale of Chevrolet cabs. At the young age of 23, he was offered the Chevrolet franchise located at Trumbull and Michigan Ave., in downtown Detroit.  Gordon and Ed Cole remained lifelong friends.

Gordon opened his Chevrolet dealership just as the country was coming out of the great depression in 1929.  Gordon's sons, Paul and Gordon Jr., both worked at the family dealership until 1964, when Gordon Jr. left Detroit for Salt Lake City, Utah to open Gordon Wilson Chevrolet located on State Street in Murray, Utah.  Many people in Salt Lake City remember his advertising slogan, "Gordon Wilson, what a great great guy!".  Paul Wilson left the family dealership in 1968 and opened Paul Wilson Chevrolet in North Tonawanda, New York. Later, he sold his store and moved to Florida to opened Paul Wilson Chevrolet in Miami, Florida.

Louise Eliason MacDonald started work at Gordon Wilson Chevrolet in Murray,UT following her father's footsteps as a bookkeeper and office manager.  It is there that she met and eventually married Michael Mac Donald.  She has almost 40 years experience in automotive accounting and management.

Michael MacDonald moved from the family dealership in 1978 to Salt Lake City to work for his Uncle Gordon at his Chevrolet dealership in Murray.  Mike worked for his Uncle for many years until he accepted a new position as manager of the new Jerry Seiner Chevrolet in Salt Lake City.  Mike continued his relationship with the Seiner Organization, accepting partial ownership of the Jerry Seiner Buick GMC Dealership in Midvale, Utah. He eventually went to work for Garff Enterprises,Inc. and was soon a partner with the Garff Organization at Bountiful Lincoln Mercury Mazda in Bountiful, UT. 

Mike was just about to realize his goal and dream of being a full owner of his own dealership when Ford Motor Company decided to use Salt Lake City as an experiment to own all the dealerships in a certain market.  This experiment was called the Ford Retail Network and it purchased the assets of all Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Mazda dealerships in the Salt Lake area, including Bountiful Lincoln Mercury Mazda.  Mike, based on this exemplary track record, was offered the Vice President of Fixed Operations for the new Utah Auto Collection in the Salt Lake Market.  Mike worked for the Auto Collection until 2001, when Ford decided that the experiment was not going to work and offered him the Mazda franchise at the Bountiful Location. 

Mazda wanted to re-energize its place in the Salt Lake market. They chose Mike and Bountiful to be the pilot for its new marketing strategy for dealerships and called it "The Mazda Retail Revolution".  In December of 2001, Bountiful Mazda was opened.  In November of 2002, the brand new Bountiful Mazda Retail Revolution Building and sales concept was introduced to the world.

Since the Grand Opening of Bountiful Mazda in 2002, the Dealership has been awarded the Mazda Presidents Club 8 straight years.  It has received the highly coveted Gold Cup award for customer satisfaction in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.  Bountiful Mazda, today, remains a showcase for the Mazda brand not only in the Salt Lake Market but for the entire country.

In September 2009, We added our second Mazda Dealership, Orem Mazda, in Orem, Utah.  We are proud to serve the Wastach Front with two locations.  Orem Mazda is located at 55 E. University Parkway in Orem. 

Mike is very active in his community as well as the auto industry.  Mike has been a member of the Utah Automobile Dealers Association and is currently President of New Car Dealers of Utah.  Mike is also a member of the Mazda National Deaerl Coucil. Mike also is very active in the cycling community.  He is an active member of the highly successful Bountiful Mazda Cycle Team.  Mike likes to cycle, ski, cross country ski, snowmobile and hike in the mountains.

Paul MacDonald entered the automobile business at his Grandfather's Chevrolet Dealership in Detroit, Michigan in 1972. He left the family store to purchase his own Chevrolet Dealership in Hays, Kansas in 1981. Paul Mac Donald has held Volkswagen, Porsche, Audi, Mazda and Chevrolet franchises. He sold his Chevrolet-Mazda Dealership in 1998.

In 1999, Mr. MacDonald formed a consulting group TriMac Automotive Advisory Group. With over 40 years of automobile retail experience, TriMac Automotive can assist dealers with every single phase of their operations, including technology.

Paul MacDonald has served in his community as United Way Co-Chairman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of St. Anthony Hospital, Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce, Chairman for the Auction for Christian Education, Board of Director for the Fort Hays State University Endowment, Chairman of the Economic Development Corporation of Ellis County Kansas and a member of the Strategic Planning Committee for the City of Hays.     He also has served diligently in the automotive business as well. He was a member of the General Motors President's Advisory Council, Member of the National Chevrolet Dealer Council, President of the Western Kansas Chevrolet Dealer Association, Member of the Board of the Chevy Team of Kansas, Member of the General Motors Auction Planning Committee, President of the Kansas Automobile Dealers Association, Chairman of the Kansas Automobile Dealers Workman Compensation Fund.

Paul Mac Donald's notable awards have been: "The Blue Chip Enterprise Award" Recipient (Nation's Business and US Chamber), "The Employer of the Year" for the hiring of the handicapped (State of Kansas), Paul Harris Fellowship (Rotary International), "Optimist of the Year Award" (Two Time Recipient, Hays Optimist Club), TIME Magazine Quality Dealer Finalist (NADA and TIME Magazine).

Daniel E Christensen, part owner and controller at Bountiful Mazda was born and raised in the Salt Lake valley.  He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah and is also an NADA Dealer Academy graduate. He has 20+ years of automotive industry experience in sales, accounting and business management.  Dan is married and has five children. He enjoys running, golf, travel, and watching his children play sports. 

Michael "MJ" MacDonald was born in Detroit, Michigan and raised in Salt Lake City.  MJ graduated from St. Michaels College in Colchester, Vermont with a degree in Business Administration.  MJ is also a recent graduate of the NADA dealer academy in McLean, Virginia.  MJ is part owner and Operations Manager of both Bountiful and Orem Mazda.  MJ has over 10 years of automotive experience in sales, service, parts, and business management.  In college, MJ was part of the National Championship Hockey Team at St. Michaels.  He ejoys playing and coaching hockey today.  In his pare time MJ enjoys the mountains, fishing, exercising, and spending time with his wife and their twin daughters and their two dogs.