The original company named Ward’s Radiator, was established in 1979 by founder L. Clifton “Cliff” Ward. Cliff was a Hartsville native who worked at Sonoco until he moved to Columbia SC in 1969. While in Columbia Cliff learned the radiator trade, and in 1979 moved his young family to Hartsville and opened Ward’s Radiator. The original shop was a 2-bay service station located on Carolina Ave. Cliff repaired radiators off all sizes while his wife Cristie pumped gas.

The small family operation moved to a different location on 5TH Street in 1994, and then again to its current location on November 1, 2004. The business has come a long way since its simple beginnings in 1979. Cliff’s middle son Ryan now owns the business with his mother, and operates it with the help of his wife, Danielle. Radiator repairs are still done the way his dad did them, those many years ago, and many other services have been added over the years. Though the location is larger, the scope of work more complex and varied, Ward’s still retains its family atmosphere and commitment to customer service.