Car deal: Cantin selling to Irwin Automotive Group

LACONIA — The city’s two new-car dealerships — Irwin Automotive Group and Cantin Chevrolet — will soon be under the same ownership if a purchase-and-sales deal goes through as scheduled Monday.

The deal, the subject of rumors for weeks, was confirmed Thursday by a post that Tom Cantin shared on social media.

‘Who’ and ‘when’

Cantin Chevrolet dates to 1929, according to the dealership’s website. E.J. Clyde Cantin started the dealership at 536 Main St. in Laconia. The business moved to its current location, 623 Union Ave., in 1947. Tom Cantin, the grand-nephew of Clyde Cantin, noted in his post that knew he would be the last in his family to run the business.

“This decision was not without challenges,” Cantin wrote. “But ultimately, I do not have a successor in my family with a passion for the automobile business. Knowing this set the stage for selling one day, but when? ... When the ‘who’ became clear, it was a matter of creating a winning transaction for everyone.”

Cantin wrote that he wanted to find a deal that would work for not just his family, but also for his employees and the customer base that the dealership had built over nearly a century of business.

“The new owners, the Irwin family, will continue on the tradition of a local family representing the Chevrolet brand,” Cantin wrote. “My family has had the pleasure and the privilege to be a part of your families’ transportation needs for several generations. It certainly is humbling and rewarding to hear the many stories of you and your family buying and servicing their vehicles from my father, Eddie Cantin, and grandfather, Willie Cantin. Your many years of loyalty and friendship were certainly never taken for granted, and will always be appreciated and never forgotten.”

Once the deal goes through, Cantin Chevrolet will become Irwin Chevrolet.

‘A lot of pluses and pros’

Chris Irwin, the third generation of his family to run Irwin Automotive, said Friday that he and Cantin have been talking about a deal “for the better part of six months or so.”

Irwin said the Cantin family built a respected name in the market, which was part of what appealed to him.

“They’ve got a terrific customer base and a lot of terrific employees, employees that have been with the company for a long time, they do business the right way,” Irwin said. “We can bring to the table a lot of economies of scale. We’re right in the Laconia market, there are a lot of pluses and pros for customers, as well as our employees, meaning our existing employees and the employees at Cantin’s.”

Irwin Auto, which sells Ford, Toyota, Lincoln and Hyundai, has a staff of around 150, Irwin said. Cantin employs about 50 people. Irwin said there wouldn’t be any layoffs resulting from the deal. However, operational savings could be achieved through bulk wholesale purchases, such as through materials needed for the collision centers that operate at both Irwin and Cantin.

Irwin said consumers shouldn’t expect many changes.

“They’ve got a good, strong staff. The names on the signs eventually get changed out, but the service and the people all remain the same,” Irwin said.

Another appealing aspect of the deal for Irwin was the proximity of the two dealerships. Cantin Chevrolet is about a half-mile from Irwin’s headquarters on Bisson Avenue, which will allow him to easily interact with employees and customers at either location.

He said it also strengthens Irwin Automotive to bring a new brand into the operation.

“That provides a level of diversification. So, maybe Ford isn’t doing as well, and Chevrolet is doing great,” Irwin said. It also enables Irwin Automotive to greatly expand its pool of used vehicles they can offer to customers.

While the two dealerships have certainly been competing for some of the same sales and service customers, Irwin said the negotiations over the past several months have felt more collegial than competitive.

“Tom’s been great to work with and get to know," he said. "The staff, I’ve been able to spend some time with them, it seems like a great group of people. We’re looking forward to getting started, building on what’s there.”

A competitive marketplace

Generally speaking, manufacturers aren’t adding new sales points, which means that if a dealership wants to grow, they’ll need to acquire an existing sales point, according to Dan Bennett, president of the NH Automobile Dealers Association.

“The last brand-new point I can think of being added was in Tilton, when a Honda point was added,” said Bennett, referring to the Planet Honda dealership, which was announced in 2020.

He said there are “a handful” of dealership transactions in the state each year, as a way for existing dealership groups to expand their market reach.

“We like when the businesses stay local, and the employees stay employed,” Bennett said.

The two dealerships likely weren’t as closely in competition with each other as one might presume, Bennett said. Although they both sold new cars just around the corner from each other, their true competitors were likely farther away, in the form of other dealerships selling the same make of cars.

“I know they are healthy competitors, but customers are pretty brand loyal. A Ford person likes their brand, and a GMC person likes their brand, too,” Bennett said.

“We wish the Cantin family the best of luck. They’ve been a long-term fixture in the Laconia marketplace,” Bennett said, adding that, from the association’s standpoint, it’s good news that the sales and service points will stay open, the employees will all keep their jobs, and, as much as the Cantin family has been a strong community supporter, “I know the Irwin family is, as well. It’s great to know that all of those things will continue.”

Andrew Hosmer, mayor of Laconia, celebrated the pending transaction.

"My family and I have known Tom and his family for many years and we're very happy for them," Hosmer said. "Tom and his father, Ed, ran an extraordinary business and have been integral to the fabric of our community. Their generosity has left an indelible mark on Laconia and the entire Lakes Region. Cantin Chevrolet has been a very important part of our local economy and I'm pleased that the business and jobs will remain in Laconia."