'Buy local' not just words when local Laconia auto dealer put together plans for major expansion & facelift

LACONIA — This winter, Cantin Chevrolet is undergoing a reconstruction and renovation to its Union Avenue auto showroom and service building. And the dealership is making a point to utilize locally-based contractors whenever possible.

Tom Cantin said the practice makes good sense, both from a businessman's perspective and as someone who cares about the welfare of his neighbors.

Cantin Chevrolet's roots in Laconia go back to 1929, when Clyde Cantin, Tom's great-uncle, founded the company, then located on South Main Street. The dealership moved in 1947 to its present location. Tom is the third generation of his family to run the business.

The dealership built a stand-alone collision center in 2003, a truck center in 2004 and a used car center in 2005, all on the same Union Avenue campus, leaving the showroom and service center untouched since a facelift in the 1990s.

Cantin said a major reconstruction/renovation of the showroom and service building has been a topic of discussion at the dealership for several years, however, the project had been on hold until General Motors could develop its latest design standards for Chevrolet dealerships. Once those standards were released, Cantin set out to hire engineers, architects and contractors to do the job.

The project is considerable. The original building will be partly demolished, with the remaining structure treated to a top-to-bottom renovation. Joining the renovated section will be a newly-constructed, two-story building. When the showroom and service building re-open, the building will contain 17,000-square-feet of space, about half of which will be new. Ground was broken in October and the new building is expected to open in June.

The rebuilt/renovated structure will be about 3,000-square-feet larger than the old structure, however, due to more efficient design, Cantin said, "it will play a lot bigger than 3,000-square-feet." The old building had been renovated a few times, resulting in a few odd and underutilized spaces. "We're cleaning up all those renovations and making them efficient. . . We went as close to a clean sheet of paper as we could."

The additional space will grow the showroom from two cars to five, though two-thirds of the overall space will be dedicated to service. Cantin said the new facility will offer all the modern amenities expected by service and new car customers.

Helping to create those amenities this winter is a small army of construction professionals. With few exceptions, the companies hired for the project are based either in Laconia or a neighboring community. And that's no mistake, said Cantin, explaining that his company is a strong proponent of the "buy local" movement.

Cantin estimated that 95-percent of contractors working on the project will come from Laconia or an adjacent town. Whenever feasible, the company hired a local outfit to do the job. "That was an absolute goal," he said. "We live and breathe in this community, being part of a community is not just saying you are." Actions backing up his words are the years of sponsorship of athletic teams, support for school projects and contributions to the Boys & Girls Club of the Lakes Region.

"I truly believe that is the right thing to do," Cantin said.

The list of contractors includes: architect firm Misiaszek-Turpin of Laconia, general contractor Bonnette, Page & Stone of Laconia, Piscopo Construction of Belmont, Sears Brothers Demolition of Belmont, Persons Concrete of Winnisquam, engineers Rist-Frost-Shumway of Laconia, Laconia Refrigeration, Giguere Electric of Laconia, Ron Johnson Survey of Gilford and Granite State Glass.

"If we all did business locally, I think we'd all be better off for it." Cantin's argument is one based on principle but which also resonates with his business sense. He insists that he won't have to sacrifice quality, or swallow a greater cost, for his hire-local philosophy. "Probably the opposite is true," he added.

Cantin invited any relevant company on his customer list to bid on the projects. The local companies offered to do the work for prices that were at least competitive with if not for less than out-of-towners. He is assured that the contractors will take special pride in their work because it's in their backyard. Additionally, working with local companies has proven convenient when Cantin needs to meet with several different contractors about an issue – something that might have taken days to resolve as proposals and responses were e-mailed back and forth can instead be settled in an hour-long meeting with all parties sitting around the same table.

One more factor for his consideration is that pickup truck sales and service are a major part of his business. Local contractors make up a large portion of those sales, and those contractors and their employees need work so they can buy and service trucks. "It's much easier making a payment to someone you might later be doing business with. The payment's not greater and the product is not less. You have the choice to do business locally, try to."

CAPTION for CANTIN PROJECT in AA:

Rich Gilbert, a Belmont resident and Bonnette, Page & Stone employee removes a fascia from the Cantin Chevrolet showroom and service building, which is undergoing a major renovation and reconstruction this winter. The dealership has made a point to hire, in as much as possible, only local contractors for the job. (Laconia Daily Sun photo/Adam Drapcho)