Page 55 - BusinessWest February 20, 2023

“For 61 years, I heard, ‘Gary, it doesn’t cost any extra to be nice.’ And that’s why I have an excessively positive outlook on things. If you tell me there’s a 70% chance of rain, I don’t even hear you; I just hear there’s a 30% chan”ce of
sun.
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Rome
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business.
By 1985, he was general manager of Jerry Rome Nissan, which
would eventually move to Riverdale Street in West Springfield.
In 1997, Gary bought the old dealership in Holyoke and opened Gary Rome Hyundai, at a time when that brand was more of a punchline than the respected name it is today. In 2006, he bought a Kia dealership in Enfield, thus creating the Gary Rome Auto Group.
In 2016, the Hyundai store was moved to its present location on Whiting Farms Road, where it has become one of the most successful Hyundai dealerships in the country — ranking fifth
in sales in the Northeast and 28th in the country, out of 820 dealers. It has also become a model for others in the brand, he said, noting that Hyundai’s regional manager recently brought his entire team of 65 to Holyoke for a day in October “so they could see what this dealership looks like, take photos, and show their other dealers what a dealership should look like.”
Those numbers, and those tours (there have been many
over the years), help explain how Rome has gone from his humble beginnings to TIME’s Dealer of the Year. His work in the community — make that his team’s work in the community — and the culture he has created at his dealerships are perhaps even bigger reasons.
Let’s start with that culture. It is embodied in those newsletters and that monthly calendar of events. It’s an attitude more than anything else, encapsulated by that core value, ‘we have fun.’
As for his work in the community, he said it takes many forms, from his involvement at Holyoke Community College, which he called a ‘crown jewel’ in the region, to support of Providence Ministries, to the Trees of Hope program for Ronald McDonald House, which this past year raised more than $175,000. On a shelf behind his desk is an array of stuffed dogs that resemble Daisy, Jack, and another predecessor, Buddy. The dealership sells them for $25 each, with proceeds going to the Jimmy Fund; more
Gary Rome (and Jack) read to fourth-graders at Peck Middle School in Holyoke as part of the read-aloud program created by the nonprofit Link to Libraries.
Dedication is Strong Medicine
Congratulations to the 2023 Difference Makers!
And thank you to all the healthcare professionals who make a difference in our community every day.
Holyoke Medical Center • Holyoke Medical Group Holyoke VNA Hospice Life Care • River Valley Counseling Center
HolyokeHealth.com
Congratulations
DIFFERENCE MAKERS!
The power of your commitment to our communities makes a difference to all of us.
www.nickforsheriff.com
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FEBRUARY 20, 2023 55