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North Carolina Dealer Wells Elected NADA Chairman

21 October 1999

North Carolina Dealer Wells Elected NADA Chairman

    MONTEREY, Calif., Oct. 21  Harold B. Wells, president of
Wells Automotive Inc. in Whiteville, N.C., was elected 2000 chairman of the
National Automobile Dealers Association at the association's board of
directors meeting here this week. He will assume office on Jan. 24, at NADA's
2000 convention and exposition in Orlando, Fla.

    "This is an exciting -- and challenging -- time to be a franchised
dealer," said Wells. "I will work vigorously to expand and strengthen NADA's
primary mission: to protect the franchise system and serve as the Voice of the
Dealer!"

    A new-car dealer since 1956, Wells represents North Carolina's franchised
new-car dealers on NADA's board of directors.

    NADA represents more than 19,500 franchised new-car and -truck dealers
holding nearly 40,000 separate franchises, domestic and import.

    Wells currently serves on the association's Automotive Trade Association
Executives/NADA Ad Hoc Committee, the National Automobile Dealers and
Associates Retirement Trust board of trustees and the National Automobile
Dealers Insurance Trust board of directors. In 1998, Wells was an NADA vice
chairman representing dealers in the South. He has served two terms as
association treasurer and has been North Carolina chairman of the Dealers
Election Action Committee, NADA's political action committee. A past president
of the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association, Wells has also chaired
that association's Charitable Trust. A graduate of the General Motors
Institute, he has been a member of the Oldsmobile National Dealer Council, the
GMC Truck Regional Council and the Carolina Oldsmobile Dealer Marketing Group.

    Wells received Northwood University's Dealer Education Award and was a
1988 winner of the Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award, sponsored annually by
Time, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. and NADA to honor professional excellence
and community leadership.

    Wells was named Boss of the Year by the American Business Women
Association's local chapter in 1984.  He is chairman of the Columbus County
Committee of 100, and a member of the boards of directors of the Southeastern
Community College Foundation and Branch Banking and Trust Corp. Wells was
named North Carolina Civitan District East Distinguished Citizen of the Year
in 1989, and was named Volunteer of the Year for 1998-1999 by the North
Carolina Economic Developers Association.  He is a trustee of Campbell
University.