Fred Caldwell elected to serve as President of the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association
June 24, 2026
H. Fred Caldwell, Jr. of Fred Caldwell Chevrolet, located in Clover, SC, has been elected President of the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association (SCADA) for the 2026-2027 term. He was inducted on May 30, 2026, with the unanimous support of the SCADA franchised Dealer body. Caldwell has served on the SCADA Board of Directors since 2011, when he was first elected as a Director. In 2021, he was elected as a Vice President on the Executive Committee and then became Treasurer in 2024, rising to 1st Vice President in 2025.
Fred was born in Gastonia, NC, and after graduating from high school, enlisted in the U.S. Army, completing specialized training before deploying to Vietnam in 1968 as a Maintenance Crew Chief. Receiving Battalion Soldier of the Month, he was promoted to Specialist Fifth Class before returning home and then receiving an honorable discharge in 1970 before going on to attend Gaston College. While in college, Fred co-founded a retail furniture store that operated successfully until 1975 when it sold as part of a downtown redevelopment initiative. It was then that Fred transitioned into what would become his lifelong career in the automotive industry, first joining Earl Tindol Ford in Gastonia.
In 1985, Fred became a minority partner in a Ford Dealership in Lenoir, NC, followed by an acquisition of a Chevrolet Dealership in Granite Falls, NC. In 1997, he acquired a Chevrolet Dealership in Kings Mountain, NC, followed by the acquisition of Clover Chevrolet in March 2003 – now Fred Caldwell Chevrolet. Fred Caldwell Chevrolet has received multiple honors including Business of the Year from both the Clover & Lake Wylie Chambers of Commerce – organizations where Fred has also served in leadership roles. The Dealership also maintains a close partnership with the Clover School District, providing the “Teacher of the Year” with use of a new vehicle for a year.
Fred is married to his high school sweetheart, Vicki, and the two have 2 daughters, Kristi (Nathan) Hamm, and April (Martin) McKinley. Fred & Vicki have 3 grandchildren. In their spare time, Fred and Vicki love to travel, and in 2022 – visited their 7th continent, Antarctica. Fred is deeply committed to his faith & community, serving as an Elder at First ARP Church of Gastonia, 40 years in Rotary, and participating in 7 community Honduras mission trips.
Other Officers elected to the SCADA Board of Directors for the new term are 1st Vice President, Robert Crews, of Crews Chevrolet & Crews Subaru in Charleston and Treasurer, David Walters, Jr., of Jones Ford in North Charleston.
The 5 Vice Presidents for the SCADA Board of Directors are Robert Jones of Jones Chevrolet in Sumter, Jake Odum of Big O Dodge CJR in Greenville, Karyn Heimes of Jim Hudson Ford in Lexington, Pro Prothro of Prothro Chevrolet GMC in Manning, and Ryan Norris of Toyota of Easley in Easley.
The South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association (SCADA), founded in 1937, is the only statewide lobbying force in South Carolina dedicated to the economic and political interests of the owners of automobiles and the Dealers of new cars and trucks. SCADA represents new car and truck franchised Dealers across the state of South Carolina and advocates on behalf of its members and consumers of automobiles in public policy, regulatory issues and economic development impacting the automotive industry. SCADA works to forge meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships between auto Dealers and their local, state and federal representatives. SCADA also provides a wide range of publications, educational opportunities, networking and business improvement services to its Dealer members to help them excel in a dynamic and ultra-competitive business environment.
