Pub. 1 2019 Issue 6

How did you become a car dealer? Did you always aspire to be part of the automotive industry? I didn’t; becoming a car dealer was actually a coincidence. I was in col- lege and took a part-time job selling cars at a Ford dealership in Massa- chusettes. I liked the job and stuck with it, and over the next 25 years, I came up through the ranks to GM. In 1988, my oldest son graduated from college and wanted to come work at the dealership. He fell in love with the business. In ’89 and ’90, the economy was in tough shape. At that time, there were two of us in the business — me and my son — and I had that conversa- tion with him (and possibly myself) about whether this was a job vs. a career my son envisioned for himself, and was I willing to stake my life’s savings to own a dealership. The timing was right, the answers were good, and I decided to look for a dealership. At the time, I could have ended up anywhere in the country, but I found a Ford Chrysler Dodge dealership on the Franklin/Tilton line, just inside New Hampshire. The price, the financing, the deal, it all came together. That was in 1990, and we’ve been here ever since. Do you have familymembers in the auto industry? I do. It’s a family business. I have three of my four children working in the deal- ership; Dennis, Donna and Paul, Jr. Plus we have my children’s spouses, and a couple of granddaughters as well. Working with family is a joy for me. However, I have a philosophy; everyone is entitled to a chance but not a job. Describe your education background. What did you study? I attended Wentworth Institute and studied civil engineering. Are there any specific individuals that had amajor impact on your career? My first sales manager was Paul Husson. Mr. Husson has since passed, but my foundation in the car business can be traced right back to him. He was a good deal maker and a very good mentor. He knew what was important. What is themost rewarding part of your career? The opportunity to work with my family. I get a lot of joy out of that. In addition to my three kids, their spouses, and grandkids, there was a period of about 10 years when my two brothers worked at the dealership as well. One of my broth- ers has since passed away, and the other has retired, but those were great years, and I consider myself very lucky to have had the time I did with them. What do you thinkwill be some of the dominant trends within the auto industry in the next 5-10 years? Electrification of cars, ride-sharing, and of course, autonomous vehicles. We all hear it. I think it will be a while before we as dealers feel the full Nominee Paul Gaudet Sr. D R I V E 10