GREENVILLE, S.C. — Champion Coach, the Greenville-based luxury motorcoach company that has carried Super Bowl and World Series teams, has been acquired by Hoffmann Family of Companies, a family-owned private equity firm based in Winnetka, Ill., the buyer announced Oct. 22. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Craig and Hazel Dance founded Champion Coach in 1998 with four motorcoaches aimed at sports teams. The company now runs 47 vehicles, a number set to rise to 49 with two new Prevost coaches, and employs more than 50 drivers along with office staff, mechanics and bus washers, according to Bus & Motorcoach News. Its fleet ranges from Mercedes Sprinter vans to 56-passenger executive coaches, and it is serving both teams in this year’s World Series, SCBIZ reported. Hoffmann said Champion’s clients include NFL and MLB franchises, Clemson, the University of Georgia and the University of South Carolina, as well as Upstate corporate names such as BMW and Michelin. The company also designs custom motorcoach wraps.
Champion will join Hoffmann Transportation, the firm’s ground transportation division, which offers luxury ground, medical transport and valet services in more than 350 cities, according to Hoffmann’s release. The parent company reports more than 200 brands, about 28,000 employees and operations in 30 countries. The Capital Corporation served as Champion’s exclusive investment banking adviser, according to a Business Wire release.
The Dance family is staying on. Craig Dance remains CEO, and family members continue to oversee safety and compliance, fleet purchasing and sales and marketing, Bus & Motorcoach News reported. The Champion name will remain, owners including Dance keep stakes in the business, and the company plans to expand its reach nationally. Dance told the trade publication that Hoffmann gave the family “the autonomy to continue to run the company as we’re running.” Tim Rose, president of Hoffmann Transportation, said in the release that he was glad to welcome the Dance family into the division.
The deal is the latest example of outside capital buying into established Upstate businesses rather than starting from scratch. Because Hoffmann keeps local brands and management in place, the arrangement leaves a Greenville-headquartered company under local leadership while giving it a larger parent to support growth beyond the region.
For commercial real estate professionals, the acquisition is worth watching on two fronts. Fleet-based service companies depend on maintenance, storage and office space, and a well-capitalized owner pursuing national expansion could eventually translate into demand for additional industrial or flex facilities. More broadly, private equity interest in homegrown Upstate firms supports the region’s reputation as a place where locally built companies can attract national investors, a factor that underpins demand for office and industrial space across Greenville County.
Sources: Hoffmann Family of Companies, SCBIZ, Bus & Motorcoach News, Business Wire
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