50 years of selling Chevys

It may not be quite accurate to refer to Eddie Cantin as a "Bad Bowtie".

Nevertheless, 50 years as a dealer and his genuine good humor certainly qualify him for the complimentary moniker — which roughly translates to "Great Chevy" — many apply to his favorite marque.

It may not be coincidence the Cantin’s favorite Chevrolet model is the 1958 Impala, since that was the year Cantin purchased the Sanford, Maine, Chevrolet dealership. In 1971, he purchased Cantin Chevrolet in Laconia.

Yesterday, General Motors Northeast Regional Zone Manager Jill Malloy presented Cantin with a memento of his 50 years as a Chevrolet dealer. In making the presentation, Malloy commented, “It’s always a lot of fun to visit Eddie. He knows a lot of truly great stories about dealers from throughout the region and the country. He also knows a great deal about General Motor’s zone employees. His stories and his long time devotion to Chevy make doing business with Cantin Chevrolet Cadillac a true pleasure.”

The Laconia dealership — already known as Cantin Chevrolet — was owned by E. J. “Clyde” Cantin. It was located on Main Street from 1929 to 1947, when it was moved to its present location on Union Avenue. The younger Cantin was surprised to learn that he was purchasing the dealership from his father’s half-brother.

Over the years the Union Avenue dealership has grown from a single building with the service bays facing the street to a facility comprised of a half dozen building spread over four and half acres on both sides of the avenue.

The most recent additions include the 1999 service and parts department renovation, the environmental improvements designed to prevent oil and other contaminants from entering the ground water, and the 2002 construction of the 11,000-square-foot body shop on Mechanic Street at the rear of the dealership.

In 2002, Cantin purchased the Cadillac franchise. The name of the dealership was changed to Cantin Chevrolet Cadillac.

Cantin is proud to note that his son Tom has been named the Chevrolet/Cadillac franchisee for central New Hampshire. According to Cantin, “that means that the second and third generations of the Cantin family will continue to be the backbone of the 70-year-old dealership.”

“We are a family owned business,” he continued. “We have based our success on exceeding our customer’s expectations. We do business in a very competitive atmosphere. We are successful because of our customers and our employees.”

Cantin, who is 76, and his wife of 47 years, Mary Lu, have three daughters, one son, and ten grandchildren. He is an avid skier and golfer, and he is proud to be a senior member of Laconia Kiwanis. His is also a past chair of the Holy Trinity School board of directors.

And by the way, the 1958 Impala may be Cantin’s favorite Chevy, but he is quick to point out that the 2008 models are the best General Motors has ever made. As the TV ads say, Cantin notes, “The new 2008 Chevy Malibu is a car you cannot ignore.”