Two generations, one philosophy
Together, Mark Sr. and Mark Jr. have built Mason Automotive Group around a straightforward principle: take care of employees, take care of customers, and invest in the community.
Photo: Bowtie Photography
Mark Mason Sr.
Mark Mason Sr. began his career in the automobile business in 1979. After decades of experience in automotive retail, he became a dealership owner in 2008, when his investment group acquired Lugoff Ford. His leadership philosophy focuses on the people behind the business, not simply the number of vehicles sold.
At Lugoff Toyota, Mark Sr. has described the dealership business as a people business, emphasizing investment in employees, customers, families and the surrounding community. He has built a workplace culture in which employees can put faith, family and health first while receiving training and opportunities to build meaningful careers. He believes that when a dealership takes care of employees, those employees can better care for customers.
In 2026, United Way of Kershaw County honored the Mark Mason Family with its Jake F. Watson Award, which celebrates servant leadership and “service above self.” About the award →
“Sometimes we make this business too complicated. If you genuinely care about and invest in people, things work out.”
Mark Mason Jr.
Mark Mason Jr. is the Dealer Principal of Mason Automotive Group and of Lugoff Toyota. The son of automotive veteran Mark Mason Sr., he joined the family business after graduating from the University of North Carolina Greensboro in 2006.
In September 2008, in the depths of the Great Recession, his father’s investment group acquired the financially struggling Lugoff Ford dealership. Mark Jr. began as Inventory Manager and was promoted to General Manager in 2010 while enrolled in the NADA Dealer Academy. Facing serious operational challenges, he introduced decisive changes: line-by-line vendor cost reviews to eliminate unnecessary expenses, aggressive internet marketing that drew customers from as far as Augusta, Columbia, Savannah and Charleston, and a customer-first policy called the Three R’s.
The Three R’s
Mark Jr.’s policy to guarantee customer satisfaction and earn customer loyalty. If something isn’t right, we:
- RRepair itRepair the problem
- RReplace itReplace the vehicle or part
- RRefund itRefund the customer
Transformative results
The turnaround earned national recognition. In 2012, at age 29, Mark Mason Jr. was named to Automotive News’ “40 Under 40” list of the industry’s top young leaders. Read the Automotive News profile → (opens in a new tab)
Under his leadership, Mason Automotive Group has grown from a single dealership into a regional group: Lugoff Ford; Lugoff Toyota, which has set new sales records every year since opening and has been named a Toyota President’s Award winner and a Southeast Toyota Elite Dealer; Lugoff Chevrolet Buick GMC, acquired in 2019; Carolina Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, a Circle of Excellence Dealer; Midlands Volkswagen; and additional locations.
Mark Jr. serves on the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association. He is known for a people-first philosophy, a focus on employee development and deep community involvement, and he continues to champion innovation, exceptional customer service, sustainable growth and the family legacy that built the business from the ground up.
- 40 Under 40Automotive News, 2012
- SCADA BoardSouth Carolina Automobile Dealers Association
Honored by United Way of Kershaw County
In 2026, the United Way of Kershaw County Board of Directors presented the Jake F. Watson Award to The Mark Mason Family “for exemplary volunteer service to the citizens of Kershaw County.”
United Way of Kershaw County instituted the Jake F. Watson Award in 1992 to celebrate a life and legacy of servant leadership and the spirit of “service above self.” Just one honoree is recognized each year, which makes it a rare honor, and the Mason family now joins a distinguished list of honorees since 1992.
The award is named for Jake Watson, a lifelong community servant. In the United Way’s early, all-volunteer years, he served as its treasurer for more than 17 years. He was “the staff when there was no staff,” a true “volunteer of volunteers.” He was also a past president and District Governor of the Camden Lions Club, the Charter Chairman of Christian Community Ministries and a lay leader at Lyttleton Street United Methodist Church.
“They would never expect it, never aspire to public recognition... It is simply who they are.”
The group supports free community festivals, anti-human-trafficking efforts, teenage suicide prevention, United Way programs, children’s toy drives, and donations to law enforcement and local missions.
See our community work →Join the family team
We tell our people that their faith, family and health come first. You’ll get training, a clear career path and real chances to grow, and our stores are closed on Sundays so you can spend time with the people you love.