Story of Grappone's 4th-generation family business reaches Senate committee

On the evening of the last Sunday in April, Amanda Grappone Osmer opened an email from Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).

The New Hampshire lawmaker was inviting Grappone Osmer, president and chief vision officer of Grappone Automotive of Concord and Bow, to testify before a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship — three days later. 

The committee was hosting a series of panels on innovation and entrepreneurship to honor the country's 250th anniversary. Grappone Osmer was asked to take part in “American Entrepreneurship for 250 Years: Driving Innovation, Growth, and Opportunity” on April 29.

The busy, fourth-generation owner of her family business had two days to plan what she wanted to say and travel to Washington, D.C., to be heard. She got some insight from a conversation with Ken Burns, a family friend who, in 2025, unveiled a six-part documentary series he directed called “The American Revolution.”

Grappone Osmer says she didn’t have much time to let the enormity of it all sink in, but she wasn’t nervous presenting the history of Grappone Automotive, or speaking about the value she places on entrepreneurship.

“There are 19 senators on the committee, but only four were there,” she said. “It was quite intimate.”

The hearing took place not in the Senate Chambers at the U.S. Capitol, but in a much smaller meeting room. “It was a huge honor,” Grappone Osmer said. “It’s a high watermark in my career that Sen. Shaheen thought to call me to help the world understand why entrepreneurship matters. It was meaningful.”

Honoring entrepreneurship

As the panel began, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, reflected on the importance of immigration and entrepreneurship in the country’s history.

“Our American story is one of courage, determination and resilience. It’s impossible to tell the story without the entrepreneurship,” Ernst said. “Bold Americans have created transformative innovation, pioneers turned constraints into opportunities.”

She talked about innovations from lightbulbs to the spinning wheel to air travel.

Grappone Osmer was one of four invited to testify, three from the 13 original colonies. Each had 5 minutes to share their thoughts.

Before Grappone Osmer spoke, the panel heard from Rosie Rios, of Washington, D.C., the 43rd treasurer of the United States and current chair of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, on her role with America250 and its ongoing efforts in 2026; Liz Sweet, of Boston, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, about her organization and the contributions immigrants have made to small business growth throughout the nation’s history; and Catherine S. Dority, of South Carolina, vice president of marketing for Explore Charleston, about her state's entrepreneurship, its continuity across generations, and its capacity to blend cultural heritage with commercial vitality.

A voice from New Hampshire

Saying she was speaking on behalf of the 235 team members at Grappone Automotive, Grappone Osmer told the story of the company’s founding 103 years ago by her great-grandparents Rocco Grappone and Emanuela D’Orlando, who came to the country in 1891, in search of opportunity.

“An entrepreneurial spirit has gotten us to where we are, and I have faith that it will lead us soundly into the next century of business,” she said.

In her remarks, Grappone Osmer emphasized the broader impact of local businesses, saying across New Hampshire, auto dealers employ nearly 12,500 people, and contribute more than $700 million in annual payroll.

“The auto industry is dynamic, and is arguably as entrepreneurial an industry as our country has ever produced,” she said. “It is not an overstatement to say that the word ‘Grappone’ is as tied to community support in my home state as it is to selling cars, trucks and parts. For many years, we’ve committed 5% of our annual net profit to charitable causes.”

She also highlighted the importance of creating opportunities within the workplace, where team members feel connected to their work and empowered to grow.

“To me, the presence of entrepreneurialism is a sign of a healthy business ecosystem,” she said. “Entrepreneurs are, by nature, creative people, and where creativity exists, so does a sense of optimism.”

Grappone Osmer pointed to examples across the Granite State — from agriculture to advanced manufacturing — where innovation and hands-on learning are shaping the next generation of workers and business leaders.

As a fourth-generation leader, she spoke to the responsibility of continuing the legacy her family began more than a century ago, while looking ahead to future generations.

“Because they followed their entrepreneurial spirit, the fifth generation of Grappones can step into the business, and carry on the tradition of caring for our team, guests, and community with integrity, kindness and respect.”

Grappone Automotive Group was founded in 1924, representing Ford, Honda and Mazda brands. They also maintain a wholesale parts operation serving northern New England. For more on the dealership's history, visit grappone.com.

To watch Grappone Osmer testify, visit, sbc.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings?ID=02AB38D5-12B7-411F-B3FB-7783921DCC3E.