Balise Celebrates 100 Years of being a Driving Force in the Region

It all started in 1919, when Paul Balise went into business fixing farm equipment in his garage in Hadley.

The company that still bears his family name has come a long way and evolved considerably since. The fourth-generation family-owned and operated business is now one of the largest automotive dealer groups in New England and the country.

Today, Balise is a billion-dollar company that employs more than 1,500 associates at more than 30 locations throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

Owner Jeb Balise, Paul’s grandson, attributes this growth, evolution, and the ability to celebrate the company’s centennial to remaining true to the values and principles on which the company was founded. Then, as now, the foundation of the company is “great associates and great customers,” he said.

One of the primary guiding principles, or core values, at Balise is — and always has been — to exceed customers’ expectations and create an environment where people feel comfortable working and doing business, said Jeb Balise. Since the start, the company has been guided by these tenets:

The mission is to continually exceed the expectations of customers and associates;

The goal is to be the benchmark for excellence in every aspect of the business. Balise is dedicated to delivering exceptional service and value;

The promise is to create an environment of mutual trust and respect; to promote personal and professional growth; to foster teamwork and associate involvement; and to demand from ourselves the highest ethical standard.

The commitment to this mission makes this company a place where people want to work and do business. This is why “You’ll do better at Balise!” is a phrase that applies to customers and associates alike.

For 100 years, the Balise family has prided themselves on finding new and better ways to serve their customers and communities — a philosophy that is not only great for business, but a surefire way to cultivate passion among associates, said Jeb Balise. “When you put the customer first, growth is inevitable.”

In today’s competitive market, serving the customer is more than simply making a sale, he went on, and this is why Balise continually strives to be a one-stop-shop for all of one’s automotive needs.

In addition to the company’s 26 new and used car dealerships across Western Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Cape Cod, and Southern Connecticut, Balise has expanded over the years to include collision repair centers, full-service car washes, a finance company, and an insurance agency.

Along with the centennial celebration, exciting changes are on the horizon for the Balise Auto Group, including plans for a new Balise Mazda location opening in the South End of Springfield early next year, he said, adding that Balise is excited to be part of the revitalization of Springfield and to continue giving back to the community that welcomed it a century ago.

So much has changed in 100 years, he noted, but what matters most, the company’s guiding principles, haven’t.