COOPERSTOWN – The tradition of "family ownership" will continue at Cooperstown’s Smith Ford.

It was announced Tuesday, March 20, that Kevin and Fran Harris of 2 Chestnut St., Cooperstown, will purchase the Cooperstown institution from the family of brothers H. William (Bill) Smith and Edward C. (Ed) Smith.

The closing date will be on around April 16, at which time Kevin and Fran Harris will become the sole owners of the dealership. The business will be called Royal Ford of Cooperstown, and will do business as Kevin’s Royal Automotive Ford.

“This sale represents the continuity of values, service and a commitment to employees and customers that Smith-Cooperstown has embodied for almost 100 years,” said Patsy Smith of Cooperstown and Norwich, Bill’s wife.

Kevin Harris agreed, adding, “We look forward to continuing the relationships of the many loyal Smith Ford owners and employees. We intend on keeping the entire Smith staff and intend on growing the base of satisfied customers through improved and expanded services and vehicle inventory availability."

Harris and his extended family have owned numerous businesses in Upstate New York over the past 75-plus years, at one point including a chain of 18 supermarkets in Binghamton, Vestal, Endicott, and all through the Southern Tier.

The Harris family entered the automotive business in 1968 with the founding of Royal Ford in Owego, and Kevin joined the family business in 1976, after college.

Since then, he and other family members built the business into 26 franchises, in eight locations throughout the Upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania, employing more than 200 people.

In 2007, Kevin and Fran became sole proprietors of two dealerships, Royal Ford Inc. and Royal Chrysler Motors Inc. in Owego. Two of their four sons, Jason and Ryan, help manage the Owego locations and will assist their father at times in managing the Cooperstown location.

By combining the Cooperstown and Owego dealerships resources, Kevin's Royal Automotive will be able to offer access to more than 1,000 cars, vans, SUVs and trucks, including new and like-new Chryslers, Dodges, Jeeps, Rams and, of course, Fords.

In addition, Kevin's Royal Automotive will offer repair service, collision service and parts availability for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Ford, and will double the Ford stores parts inventory in Cooperstown.

Kevin and Fran have owned a home in Cooperstown for the past 18 years, and have lived here fulltime for the past four. During that time, they have actively supported many community organizations, and they intend on continuing doing so into the future, especially now being part of the local business community.

The Smith family has operated local auto dealerships for almost a century since Harry W. Smith Sr., born in Minneapolis in 1893, arrived in Richfield Springs in 1911 to live with his sister and brother-in-law, Ethel and Edward Baker.

Harry Smith started out owning a service station for travelers on the famed Cherry Valley Turnpike, which he operated until 1926, when he was awarded the Ford dealer franchise for Northern Otsego County. All of Smith Sr.’s children soon followed him into the business.

Bill, the eldest, worked for the Ford Motor Co. in Detroit before buying his Smith-Norwich dealership in 1949. He expanded the dealership in 1967, and operated it until its sale in 2003. He also built and sold Nordic Ford in Burlington, Vt., and was a partner in Smith-Cooperstown. He passed away in 2016.

Robert F. Smith (Bobby) followed his father into the Smith-Ford dealership in Richfield Springs, operating it until 1975. Sister Rosebelle Smith Broeffle worked at the Richfield Springs dealership in its early days, as did sister Shirlee Smith McCabe.

Ed Smith, who passed away in 2017, owned the majority stake in Smith-Cooperstown, which he opened with his father in 1957. Patsy Smith and Norma Onyan are the remaining principals.

Harry Smith’s youngest son, James D. Smith (Jim), ran the Leasing and Rental Department at the Norwich dealership until its sale in 2003.

“For every Smith-owned location, core values existed and were paramount: integrity, excellence in service, and a commitment to the community,” said Patsy Smith, adding, “Kevin Harris’ experiences and training share much with core values of the Smith-Cooperstown; both families are steeped in small business creation, management and ownership.”

“We plan to operate the former Smith Ford in the same time-honored traditions,” said Kevin Harris, “with the same loyal employees, while making some improvements to the facilities, services and vehicle and parts inventories."

Submitted Photo.