Senior Living: Generations follow Hare in car dealership business

From left, Phil Hare, Elmer Hare and Garrett Boedeker pose with a plaque presented in May 2008 by Ford Motor Company officials to recognize Elmer Hare's 50 years as a Ford dealer in Marshall. Phil Hare took the reins of the business from his father and has since turned over much of the day-to-day operation to his son, Matt Hare. Garrett is Elmer Hare's great-grandson, son of company bookkeeper Abrea Boedeker, Phil's daughter. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

He doesn't quite remember the first car he sold, but he definitely remembers the first demo car he was given.

"It was a 1948 Ford four-door. I'd have worked for them for nothing for that car," he laughed.

The United States was in the midst of a recession in 1958, and automobile companies were having a tough year. All three major manufacturers watched sales decline as much as 35 percent, and Ford suffered through three straight quarters of losses.

It wasn't an ideal year, perhaps, to buy the Ford dealership in Marshall, but Hare said he thought the experience he'd had in sales would carry him through.

But even though Ford recovered in the last quarter of that first year, selling cars still wasn't an easy task in Marshall.

The dealership, then located on the northeast corner of the downtown square, wasn't a bonanza at first.

"I could've made just as much money if I was standing on the street corner with a tin cup," he said of those difficult initial years.

Eventually though, business improved and the dealership grew to the point that moving it out of the downtown location became necessary. Part of the reason for the move was the need for dealers to have more stock on hand, and the downtown space didn't have room for the needed expansion.

For more stories about people and issues relevant to area seniors, including a feature on Carl O'Dell of Marshall, see our special "Senior Living" edition, an insert in today's edition of The Marshall Democrat-News.

Hare said when he started out as a dealer, "You only had to have a few cars and a few trucks on hand" to sell. Most car buyers ordered the car they wanted and waited for it to arrive.

"Now," he said, "Buyers don't order a car the way they used to. Most of them prefer not to wait for it to come in. It's up to (the dealer) to stock what we think customers will buy."

Customers have a better idea of what they want when they come in to look at cars, he said.

"We do trade with other dealers (if a customer wants a specific car we don't have), but not as much as we used to, maybe," he said.

That's just one of the changes Hare has seen in his 50 years as a dealer.

Another big change is in the number of women who buy their own cars.

Fifty years ago, though women had an influence on the purchase of the family automobile, most car buyers were men, and in rural areas like Marshall, many were farmers buying a pickup truck.

"A lot of (farmers) would buy the cheapest truck they could find, without even a heater," he said, "but today, trucks are as 'fancy' as cars, with all the lights, bells and whistles."

How cars are financed has also changed a great deal, Hare said.

"We used to do our own financing, and banks carried the paper," he said. "But today, Ford Credit does that work for us."

Surprisingly, Hare said he doesn't have a particular favorite among the many models Ford has produced in the last 50 years.

"I always just drove whatever was on the lot," he laughed. "I didn't want to always drive the best seller -- those were the cars we wanted to sell!"

But he did point to the Mustang, introduced in "1963 1/2" as a continuing standout in the product line.

"It's (still) a big seller, always a great car to sell. People really like it," he said. "It's just a great car."

Hare began to pull back on his day-to-day work at the dealership when his son, Phil, came into the business more than 20 years ago, but he still comes to work almost every afternoon, including Saturdays.

In earlier days, some of his leisure time was spent flying.

He took lessons from Sam Dyer when the Marshall Airport had only a grass runway and earned his pilot's license in 1961.

"That grass runway was nice. But my first landing on a hard surface was a lot different," he said.

He bought his own plane not long after, the first of several he owned, and flew with family and friends to vacation or business destinations such as California and Colorado, the Bahamas and Mexico, and to Canada on fishing trips.

"It was faster -- and a lot cheaper -- than driving," he laughed.

Hare is especially proud that Phil's son, Matt, and daughter, Abrea, are both now deeply involved in running the business, too. It's very much a family business, he said.

"Matt has always worked here at the dealership, part-time when he was in school and full-time later on. And Abrea is 'key' to the dealership in the accounting area," he said. "Whenever we need to know something, we have to ask Abrea."

With six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, it's possible the family operation will continue well into the future.

Hare said his duties as the family patriarch don't include babysitting, however.

"I let their parents take care of them. They all know their 'Papa Elmer,' though."

In May 2008, the dealership celebrated its 50th year in operation.

It may be one of the oldest private family-owned businesses in the area.

Summing up his many years in the business, Hare said he always wanted to treat customers "like gold."

"I like to think (our customers) know we'll give them what we tell them they'll get. We would rather give them something free than make them angry."

Contact Kathy Fairchild at marshallhealth@socket.net