Honesdale's B&B Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram sold to N.J.-based auto group

B&B Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, historically known as "B&B Dodge" and a mainstay automotive dealer in Honesdale run by the Carmody family for a couple of generations, has been sold.

Its new name will be Honesdale Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. B&B was led by John F. Carmody, 83, and his brother, Stephen (Steve) M. Carmody, Sr., 73, who are retiring. Steve's son, Steve Carmody Jr., is staying as general manager.

In June 2022, the Carmodys decided to sell. They located a buyer using a brokerage firm. The new owners are Artem (Arthur) Boguslavskiy and Yan Chertok, business partners since 2001. They lead Dunhill Auto Group, Ltd., South Amboy, New Jersey, which has multiple dealerships in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The closing was held Oct. 16. The sale price recorded in the deed was $2 million.

All of the staff, close to 40 full- and part-time employees, were invited to stay, Steve Sr. said.

"My opinion is they [the buyers] look at that and ... see that we were successful, and they were a dang important part of it. ... It would be foolish to change that,” John said. “They look around at anybody that is working here, they can say, 'They must be good.'"

Their longest, Bill Kelly, is a mechanic who has been there over 50 years.

As the owners, they were "hands on," working with the employees, Steve said. "We know them by name, not by their company number." John was service manager; Steve was sales manager.

John Korkowski, executive manager of Dunhill Auto Group, said this is their second Pennsylvania dealership, the other being in Quakertown.

"With our ability to get used cars... We want to bring in vehicles that are going to be priced correctly for the environment," Korkowski said. "Finding a car that is less than $20,000 is good for the dealership and the person purchasing it."

"We want to be the home-grown kind of what they {B&B} has already done, just add a little bit more used here and obviously increase the new," Korkowski said "We will be a little more aggressive in our pricing and try to be the best price in town... That is one of the luxuries of having multiple stores, you can get a car that can fit the needs here at this location." Customers will have access to an expanded inventory. "We foresee having the largest inventory in Pennsylvania," Korkowski said.

Upgrades are planned in the auto service building. "Obviously as we get bigger, we look forward to hiring more people and grow with you guys," Korkowski said.

John Carmody said that he and Steve and their brother Robert bought the existing Dodge Toyota dealership on April 26, 1970, from Robert (Bob) McKinnell.

McKinnell and William (Bill) Malti were the original owners. They operated B&B Body Shop at 309 High St., Honesdale. By 1968, McKinnell was on his own, operating it as B&B Dodge at the present location, 125 Grandview Ave. (Route 6).

"When we bought it, he (McKinnell) didn't feel we could keep it together," John recalled. The Carmodys only had seven employees when they started.

They continued selling Toyota for about a year.

Robert became a county commissioner in the 1980s, following the legacy of their late father John D. Carmody, who was a commissioner. In 1988, Robert sold his share in B&B to brothers John and Steve and became a realtor.

Steve said there were eight siblings, and each worked at B&B. Their sister Susan Springer has been their bookkeeper for 45 years.

The large building on the lower end was original. In 1985, they bought an adjacent five acres. In 1990, a new body shop was erected.

In 2009, Dodge Corporation split off Ram as a separate brand. In 2012, B&B submitted a successful request to Chrysler to sell Chryslers and Jeeps. On July 2, 2014, B&B sold the first car in the new showroom building that Chrysler required.

Steve Carmody Jr. was added as their third partner then.

Asked why they have been successful, Steve Sr. said, "I think catering to the customer. Our customers, a lot of them, became close friends. The relationship we developed with a lot of our customers. Treat the customer like you wanted to be treated, that was kind of our motto." John added, "You can't be taught that; it has got to be in you. Then if that is the way you are, then others will follow."

One of their cherished honors, Steve Sr. said, was in 1991 when People Magazine rated B&B Dodge as one of the nation’s top five dealerships.

John Carmody smiled at how they learned about it. A daughter of Bill Schwartz, of the Edward J. Schwartz Buick and GMC dealership down the street, was in California about to board a plane when she happened to flip through the magazine and saw the article. She told her father. "Billy called us," John said.

Steve Sr. said they have always had close relationships with other Wayne County dealerships. He noted it is a small town, where they all know each other.

Steve Sr. reflected that the national economy has been "a roller coaster" in terms of vehicle sales. "We've seen many cycles, up and down," he said. He ventured a guess at how many vehicles B&B Dodge ever sold: "Probably over 30,000, new and used."

Steve Jr. has worked there full-time since 1995. He attributed their success to "finding solutions to problems, being proactive and not repeating the same mistakes." He added, "I am very excited and looking forward to the next phase. I look forward to the growth."

He said the employees are in this transition together and have the goal to be "positive and energetic and hopeful for the future."

"We still have Steve Jr. here; he's not going anywhere. That's a huge thing for us during this transition," Korkowski said. "He's been a staple... We don't want to change anything. We want to have that same home-grown feel. We just want to add to that experience and make it a little bit better if we can."

Korkowski said, "What Steve and his brother built on is a great foundation. With a little bit of tweaking, not having to reinvent the wheel, is something we look forward to." Adding some new technology to help customers find what they want is part of it.

"I would like to thank all of our great customers, many of whom have become dear friends," Steve Sr. said. "They kept us in business for 54 years... I hope they continue. They will recognize the same faces, except John and I won't be here."

As for retirement plans, Steve Sr. said he and his wife Beth love to travel. He also loves golf. John is wed to Constance. John has a private pilot license and is preparing for his commercial rating. With the demanding, long hours of work, John added, "You start thinking about that lady you've been married to for ... 60 years."

"I talked to Steve about it, it was time," he said, adding they were leaving a good workforce and worthwhile investment for the new owners and are proud of their heritage.

"I think 54 years, doing the same thing, is pretty good," Steve Sr. said of his decision to retire.

John reflected, "I am surrounded down there by a lot of good people so I don't have any fears" affirming he knew the employees would be OK. John said they spoke at length with the new buyers that they have some good employees, telling them, "We want them taken care of ... and treat the customers like family."

Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Honesdale's B&B Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram sold to Dunhill Auto Group