Before we get too nostalgic, here’s the big news: Mountain Motorsports has officially announced the acquisition of America’s Motor Sports. By adding the three AMS stores located in Nashville, Madison and Dickson, the move brings Mountain Motorsports’ reach to 12 stores throughout Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia; making the dealer network one of the most prolific in the Southeast.
Launched 41 years ago, the Watts family grew America’s Motor Sports into one of the premier dealers in Middle Tennessee. For The Watercraft Journal, AMS was one of our earliest advertising partners – as well as our conduit to test ride and review dozens of Sea-Doos over the years. For Chris Watts, the move is bittersweet but anticipated, telling WCJ, “The timing couldn’t have been better.”
While we at WCJ are excited to see Mountain Motorsports expand these stores to include other watercraft brands, we are sad to see this chapter close. All of us at WCJ are immensely grateful to the Watts family and the team at AMS for their years of support, cooperation and good times. The community we share is surprisingly small and we’re blessed to have such quality people in it.
Here’s the full press release:
Mountain Motorsports announces the purchase of generational powersports dealership group America’s Motor Sports. With 9 locations in Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia, the Mountain Motorsports team sees a seamless transition for the three landmark stores in Nashville and the vibrant middle Tennessee market.
“We are excited to continue the impressive growth trajectory the Watts family has produced,” said Justin Price, President and Co-founder of Mountain Motorsports. “We plan to continue the legacy of a great business developed by the Watts family over the last 41 years. Our business philosophy is fully aligned, and we expect a seamless transition over the coming months. Culture is a major focus at Mountain Motorsports. It energizes us to acquire businesses that share our same enthusiasm around culture, and we are grateful that our long-time relationship with the Watts family has made this opportunity possible.”
“We have always had a great relationship with Justin and Ryan and respect their operation,” added Chris Watts, President and CEO of America’s Motor Sports. That made the decision to partner with Mountain Motorsports a slam dunk, rather than a case of March Madness, quipped lifelong Volunteer fan Watts. However logical, it was not a decision taken lightly.
“The Watts Family spent the past four decades building values and integrity into our dealerships. These strong values have become the backbone of America’s Motor Sports’ culture, ensuring our customers as well as our employees are treated with respect and dignity.”
Watts believes that Price will continue to uphold these values and prioritize growth within the company as well as with the powersports industry. “The Watts family is proud to be a part of this opportunity with Mountain Motorsports,” he said.
In the coming months Mountain Motorsports leadership will be learning more about the already impressive Nashville market and how to best integrate into it. They will concentrate on finding new real estate for the downtown location to build a world class themed superstore more similar to their current locations. “The long game plan is to bring the Mountain Motorsports experience to the Music City without compromising the current culture,” concluded Price.
