Four generations keep Hatfield Buick GMC rooted in Redlands

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PART I

REDLANDS — Hatfield Buick GMC has operated in Redlands for more than a century, remaining family-owned through four generations as the dealership navigated economic downturns, industry shifts and major global events.

Now, as a fourth generation begins to step into leadership, the Hatfield family reflects on the resilience that sustained the business and the values they say continue to define it today.

Bill Hatfield, third-generation owner of Hatfield Buick GMC, has spent decades immersed in the history of the family business.

The dealership traces its roots to 1908, when founder Bert Hatfield arrived in Redlands as a railroad electrician from Ohio and entered the emerging automobile industry through early electric vehicles. Partnering with a local businessman, Hatfield helped operate what was then known as an “electric laboratory,” Bill Hatfield said.

Bert Hatfield sold early electric models, including Columbia electrics, as well as custom-built vehicles, as part of a growing segment of the early auto market. In the early 1900s, electric cars accounted for around a third of all vehicles on the road.

Then in 1913, he shifted to the Buick franchise, as gasoline-powered vehicles proved more affordable and practical for customers at the time.

“Part of the reason they went into selling Buicks was because they were gasoline-powered and a lot less expensive than electric,” said Bill Hatfield. “Some things sort of have a way of repeating themselves,” he added, referring to the industry’s ongoing evolution.

More than a century after Bert Hatfield first sold electric vehicles, the dealership returned to that segment when GMC launched the Hummer EV and Sierra EV in the early 2020s, though Bill Hatfield noted that momentum has slowed recently amid changes in policy and production.

Adapting to generation-defining challenges 

From its earliest years, the business faced challenges tied to the region’s economy. A devastating freeze in 1913 nearly wiped out Redlands’ citrus industry, followed by the hardships of the Great Depression, when customers sometimes paid for repairs with produce.

“They raised seven kids through the Depression,” Hatfield said of his grandfather. “And my dad would talk about coming home to boxes of fruit and eggs and milk on the front porch when someone could not pay their repair bill. They knew Bert had seven kids to feed.”

World War II brought another disruption, as automobile production halted nationwide and workers left for military service. Three of Bert Hatfield’s sons served in the war, including John and Robert, who later returned to Redlands and took on leadership roles in the family business. Despite the disruption, the dealership continued operating through the war years.

The dealership’s original location was in downtown Redlands, placing it at the center of the city’s early commercial activity. In 1962, the business relocated to make way for the development of the Redlands Mall — a project that reshaped the downtown landscape and displaced several longtime businesses. Hatfield Buick GMC has operated from its current location on Redlands Boulevard ever since, expanding alongside the city while maintaining its family ownership.

Bill Hatfield continues family legacy

Over time, each generation encountered its own defining moment.

For Bill Hatfield, who joined the family business after graduating from the University of Redlands, that included the oil crisis of the 1970s and, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.

When car dealership sales departments were initially classified as nonessential businesses, Hatfield Buick GMC closed its doors in March 2020.

“I locked the doors and stood there and thought, ‘OK, what do we do now?’” Hatfield said, recalling the early days of the pandemic as staff were sent home and uncertainty spread across the industry.

During that time, the service and parts departments were considered essential and remained open.

Dealerships were later allowed to resume full operations, a shift Hatfield said reflected the continued need for transportation.

“People still need cars. They need to get to work, they need to get around,” he said.

The reopening brought a different challenge: inventory shortages driven by global supply chain disruptions. At one point, only a handful of vehicles remained on the lot, with many cars sold before they even arrived.

“I don’t ever remember that before COVID,” Hatfield said, noting that supply issues for certain parts continue to affect the industry.

Customer-centric approach

Despite those disruptions, Hatfield attributes the dealership’s longevity to a consistent approach to customer relationships.

“We try to treat our customers the way we’d want to be treated,” he said. “If we don’t get it right, we take ownership of it.”

That philosophy has translated into long-term connections, with some families returning to the dealership across multiple generations.

“We’re very proud of being able to serve generations of customers,” Hatfield said.

The dealership’s roots in Redlands have also played a role in its success. Unlike larger corporate-owned dealerships, the Hatfield family has remained locally based and actively involved in the community.

“We’ve been very blessed that this is a nice place to do business,” Hatfield said.

Family members across generations have participated in local organizations, from Rotary to nonprofit boards, reflecting a belief that businesses should contribute to the communities they serve.

Hatfield, along with his wife Lori, serves on numerous boards including the Redlands Community Hospital, the A.K. Smiley Public Library, the YMCA of the East Valley, Bonne Mares, the Redlands Community Foundation and Redlands Family Services. 

That local presence extends into the dealership’s day-to-day operations, where relationships with customers often extend beyond transactions.

“Once we sell somebody a car a second time, we’ve all kind of become friends,” Hatfield said.

Today, the dealership continues to emphasize a relationship-based model, including a sales process in which customers work with a single representative from initial contact through purchase and follow-up.

“Whoever you meet is your person through the whole process,” said Crista Hatfield, part of the fourth generation now involved in the business.

That approach, combined with long-tenured employees and a focus on service, has helped differentiate the dealership in an industry often characterized by high turnover and transactional sales.

As the business looks ahead, leadership is beginning to shift to the next generation, marking a new chapter in its history.

“It’s all the world,” Hatfield said of seeing that transition take shape. 

That next chapter is being led by daughters Crista Hatfield and Kailey Hatfield-Odero, who are stepping into leadership roles and bringing new perspectives to the family business.

For Crista Hatfield, Director of Fixed Operations and Marketing, the business remains rooted in relationships built over time.

“For me, it’s family,” she said. “It’s both the Hatfield family and the family we’ve built around the business with employees and customers.”

Kailey Hatfield-Odero, Director of Variable Operations and Human Resources, added that the tradition of honesty and quality carried through four generations continues to define the organization.

But even as those values remain, one Hatfield tradition is about to shift under a new generation of leadership.

This story is part one of a two-part series on Hatfield Buick GMC. Part two explores the next generation of leadership.