Mitchell Auto Group Celebrates a Century of Service
It’s often said that companies don’t make products like they used to. A modern phone is designed to be obsolete within a few years, whereas an early 20th century rotary could double as a weapon against a home intruder and still maintain reliability for decades.
Modern businesses seem to share a similar fate – they come and go as fast as a winter storm. But over at Mitchell Auto Group, they’re built like that rotary – made to last. This year the company celebrates a century of service, a testament to their tenacity and ingenuity in the ever-changing and ultra-competitive world of automotive sales.
What’s the secret to their longevity?
“It’s trust,” said Mark Mitchell, company president.
“It’s the speed of trust,” added his brother, Steven, vice president.
“And we’ve always had fun,” Mark shot back.
That might be their secret sauce – building trust and enjoying every minute of it.
Family-owned for three generations, the Mitchell Group owns six dealerships across Connecticut, representing nine different brands. Never a company to rest on its laurels, the Mitchells are adding Jeeps to their lineup when their new store opens up on Route 44 in Canton later this year. They’re also renovating three other dealerships, and Mark is extremely proud of building his allnew, state-of-the-art Subaru Dealership in Canton.
There is certainly a family vibe at their Volvo showroom in Simsbury, which used to be their grandparents’ auto shop, a place where they’d pluck around as kids, busting knuckles on monkey wrenches and learning the business and the products. In the back room, there are two cars older than most of their employees. Sepia-toned family photos line the walls, and a steamer trunk that once carried their grandmother’s belongings overseas now houses family ephemera and heirlooms.
Mitchell Auto Group has weathered the Great Depression, the 1970s energy crisis, and now a global pandemic, which has hit auto manufacturing particularly hard, leaving inventories at the lowest levels in decades and inflating the used-car market. At Mitchell, the challenge has simply been another reason to redouble their efforts to put their customers first by focusing on service.
“That’s where we value ourselves as a dealership – working with the customer,” said Dawson Tefft, Mitchell’s marketing and advertising manager. Direct-to-consumer models like Tesla or Carvana are enticing for people who don’t want to work with a dealership. But that leaves out the most important aspect of any business: relationships. For a purchase as significant as a vehicle, which requires routine maintenance, establishing trust and building relationships sets Mitchell apart. It’s what has helped the company stay profitable and continue to grow, despite the challenges.
These relationships extend beyond the showroom floor. The Mitchell Group has supported roughly 200 charities over the years, including Connecticut Children’s Hospital, East Coast Greenway, and many arts and music events and organizations. And just this year, to celebrate their centennial, they became the official auto group of the UConn Huskies.
“We are part of the community here, and we have been for a century,” Mark said. “We’re not going anywhere.”
