Nucar Gives Back with Community Support for the Lakes Region

Dan Dagesse of Gilford, co-owner of Nucar in Tilton, arrived late in the morning to enter two cars in the Lakes Region Rotary Club’s 12th Annual Charity Car Show in July. It would cost $50 to register his 1968 Corvette Stingray and a 1965 Chevy Corvette—but the club couldn’t take credit cards, and he was $10 short.

After the registration crew graciously accepted the $40 he had, a thankful Dagasse pledged a $5,000 donation on the spot, saying somebody could come by his office on Monday, and he’d have a check ready.

“That was a very nice surprise and was very generous of him,” said Pat Tarpey, Rotary Club president.

Then the story got even better. Rotary member Jeffrey Graham, a retired businessman in the area who knows Dagesse, went to Dagesse’s house the day after the car show to pick up the check—at Dagesse’s request.

“Dan asked how the car show went in terms of dollars raised. I told him we did well, but because there was another car show the same time with a raffle and no fee, we lost about 20 percent of the cars we would normally have seen,” Graham says, adding that Dagesse said, “Well, if that’s the case, I’d like to double my donation from $5,000 to $10,000.”

“It was unexpected,” Graham adds, “but I’ve known Dan and his wife, Elaine, to be very gracious when it comes to supporting local organizations.”

It’s no surprise that Dagesse would be so generous; he’s no stranger to giving to nonprofits across the region. Earlier this year, after Jersey Mike’s Subs in Tilton donated $25,000 to Belknap House in Laconia, Dagesse matched the gift with $25,000 in support from Nucar, prompting a third gift of the same amount for the housing nonprofit from Melcher & Prescott.

Dagesse also donated $300,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of the Lakes Region at their 5th Annual Classic Car Gala this August, which will have a profound impact on local youth.

As chairman of DCD Automotive Holdings, the parent company of Nucar, Dagesse is a skilled businessman who is familiar with the New Hampshire market. As one of the most respected family auto dealership entrepreneurs in the Northeast, he founded the Berlin City Auto Group in the late 1970s in Berlin, NH, later forming DCD Automotive Holdings 2015 with his son, Christopher “Chris” Dagesse, who serves as the group’s CEO.

Together, they bought dealerships under a new group called Nucar, now a family-owned auto business with more than 30 dealerships across New England, Delaware and Pennsylvania.

“One of the pillars of Nucar is giving back,” said Chris Dagesse. “Nucar believes in family, fun and civic mindedness. Nucar has invested more than a million dollars in charities and causes in the communities where we do business, including the Boys and Girls Clubs, sports teams and various nonprofits. Nucar is also the proud sponsor of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a supporter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Rainbow Pride, Save the Bay, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and many local girls and boys softball and hockey leagues.”

“Nucar makes a difference wherever we show up and that includes the Lakes Region,” Chris adds. “I grew up here and we are part of this community. So, it’s not just about doing good business it's about doing good. It’s about being part of the community because this is where our employees live and work. We want them to be proud of supporting and building the communities that make New Hampshire so great.”

Shawn Hanlon, president of Nucar, says Nucar makes it a point to invest in the communities where it does business to be a good corporate citizen.

Customers applaud Nucar not only for its community support but for its customer service and quality.