The Treasure State is blessed with locally owned, generational small businesses. Montana recognizes its Centennial Farm and Ranch Program, local chambers honor businesses for decades of consistent positive impact in their communities, and Montana State University’s business college acknowledges family-owned businesses throughout Big Sky Country.

Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen is also proud to highlight such businesses. In a recent sit-down Q&A session, Secretary Jacobsen visited with Erick Anderson, owner of Placer Motors, to discuss the rich history of Anderson’s family business and its impact on the Helena community. Anderson, who has owned Placer Motors for nearly a decade, is a fourth-generation dealer, following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, who established the dealership in the early 1900s.

“As the story goes, somebody came through Helena with a car in the early 1900s, and I guess the world just stopped. People wouldn’t quit talking about it,” Anderson said. “My grandpa thought, ‘Well, I’m going to get on the train, go to Detroit, and I’m buying a car.’ He went and bought a Chevrolet, drove it back, and immediately sold it. He had all these orders for cars because back in the day, there were more millionaires per capita in Helena than anywhere in the world.”

“According to what I was told, pretty soon he was trying to buy trainloads of cars because driving them, a lot of them would break on the way, but on the train they would get stolen, so he had to run guards,” Anderson continued. “Supposedly, he was one of the first General Motors franchise dealers in Montana.”

The dealership was passed down and eventually split in half, with Anderson’s great uncle leading the Chevrolet side and his grandfather moving the Oldsmobile dealership around the corner to Placer Avenue, hence the Placer Motors name it wears today. The family became associated with Subaru in the 1970s, and Anderson says it’s believed to be one of the top 10 oldest Subaru dealers in the United States.

When asked about the key to maintaining a successful family business, Anderson emphasized the importance of “consistency” and “taking care of employees.” He stated, “If you take care of your employees, they take care of your customers. The plan of the day almost never works; you have to have a long-term plan to make sure that you’re taking care of your employees.”

Anderson highlighted the significance of community involvement in his business model. Placer Motors has participated in various initiatives, including Subaru’s Share the Love program, donating approximately $20,000 to the Montana Independent Living Project (Ability Montana). Anderson also mentioned the dealership’s commitment to numerous local causes.

“We’re a golden rule store: You take care of people and they take care of you,” said Anderson. “You can give back to your community, help people out and do some really cool stuff.”

Secretary Jacobsen praised Anderson for his contributions to the Helena community and the positive presence of Placer Motors in Montana. “We love your business and appreciate the reinvestment into the Helena westside presence,” she noted.