In 1973, Tim and Dave
Hare (Harbro is short for Hare Brothers) first opened the doors to Harbro Auto Service, a 2 bay gasoline
station and repair shop located at 110 Linwood Ave in Whitinsville,
MA. The OPEC Nations' oil embargo of 1973 soon stopped the flow of oil,
and Harbro was out of the gas business quickly. Not to be defeated
easily, Tim and Dave focused on repairs only, adding used car sales in late 1974, and by 1976 Harbro
had outgrown their small rented location, and made the decision to purchase
property at 546 Providence Rd (Route 122) in Whitinsville, Ma.
Tim and Dave
were raised with the golden rule of "treat other people the way we want to be treated" and decided early on that their auto repair business would be based on
integrity, and were dedicated to becoming a major part of the
community. They had seen other automotive businesses come and go, and
wanted to create a company in which they could develop life-long
relationships with their customers.
Struggling to survive after the OPEC oil embargo, Tim became increasingly interested in
selling used cars. In late 1974, with help and guidance from his good
friend Gordon Hathaway, he decided to test the waters of the used car
business. Since he had very little money, he asked his new wife Jane (April 1974)
to let him sell her Chevy Malibu that she had bought brand new and paid for before
they were married to raise the capital to buy one used vehicle that he
could resell. Jane answered "yes" and thanks to her confidence love and
support, 40 years later there are thousands of used cars and used
trucks on the road with the Harbro sticker proudly fastened to the trunk lid.
Since
moving to Harbro's current location on Rt. 122 in Whitinsville, Ma, Tim
bought 3 adjacent lots, in the process moving 2 houses, and converting
another building into a recon department and professional office
building. Harbro now sits on nearly 600 feet of frontage at 546 Providence Rd, Whitinsville, Ma providing ample space for their inventory and for future growth.
In 1984, Tim saw a need in the Webster,
Oxford, Dudley, Ma area for a trustworthy used car dealership, and
bought a corner lot on Rt. 12 just off exit 3 in Webster, Ma.
Currently our Webster, Ma location serves customers from all over the
Worcester, and Central Ma area, as well as the northern Connecticut
area.
Tim Hare's experience in the Auto Industry began in high
school, as an auto tech student at Worcester Boys Trade in Worcester,
MA. He soon followed his passion for auto sales, building Harbro
literally from the ground up along the way. In 1992, Tim introduced an
Industry Exclusive 30-Day Buy-Back Promise, giving used car customers
peace of mind that they would be treated fairly, honestly, and provided
with exceptional service and products. To date, we are not aware of any
other dealer in the country who offers a similar program. "We have seen
other dealerships try a similar program, but they have all cancelled
them after a relatively short time. Our Promise is here to stay." In
2005 Tim become New England's first NIADA Certified Master Dealer. Tim has
served on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Independent Auto
Dealer's Association and is a Corporator at Unibank for
Savings based in Whitinsville.
As early as age 10, Tim's sons Mike and Mark could be
found working at the dealership, beginning with the essential training
of washing and reconditioning cars. "Once you have recon'd cars, you can spot a
nice car across a parking lot," Mike claims. In 1998, Mike and Mark
took over management of the Webster Harbro Branch, which Mike managed
until moving to Whitinsville in 2009 to fill in for long-time salesman
Harry Malkasian. In 2005, along with Tim, Mike also became a Certified
Master Dealer. Mark left the Webster branch in 2002 to become Inventory
Manager, spending his time traveling throughout New England, and on the
internet, in search of the highest quality pre-owned vehicles. Mark
also acted as Service Manager from 2005-2008, becoming ASE Certified
while learning another facet of the ever-changing Auto Industry.
In
2009, Harbro was recognized by the Massachusetts Independent Auto Dealers Association MIADA as Massachusetts Quality
Dealer of the Year, an honor that earned them a nomination as National
Quality Dealer of the Year, and a trip to the NIADA convention in
Orlando for the Award Banquet.
Harbro
has won the coveted National Used Car Dealer of the Year award
from DealerRater.com for two years in a row, 2010 and 2011, and the Massachusetts Used Car Dealer of the Year award in 2012 and 2013. Dealerrater is the #1 source for customer reviews of auto
dealerships in the country. This award puts Harbro at the top of a list
of nearly 50,000 used car dealerships nationwide. Learn more about dealerrater.com award
Tim
Hare's philosophy has always been simple: "To treat other people as we
would like to be treated ourselves." This motto has carried Tim and
Harbro from humble roots in a crowded 2 bay shop selling a few used cars
in Whitinsville, Ma to becoming recognized as an elite Pre-Owned Dealer
on a national level.
Harbro at Whitinsville
546 Providence Road (Rt. 122)
Whitinsville, MA 01588
Harbro at Webster
103 Worcester Road (at Rt.12)
Webster, MA 01570
1-800-877-HARBROS or 1-800-339-4511
With
locations in Whitinsville, Ma and Webster Mass, we are easy to reach
from all of Central Mass, as well as Northern Connecticut and Rhode
Island. Providing auto service and the highest quality used cars and
used trucks for the Worcester, Ma area towns of Northbridge
Ma, Whitinsville Ma, Mendon Ma, Upton Ma, Sutton Ma, Douglas Ma, Grafton
Ma, Millbury Ma, Webster Ma, Oxford Ma, Dudley Ma, Auburn Ma, Putnam
CT, Grosvenordale Ct, Thompson CT, Southbridge Ma, Charlton Ma, Spencer
Ma, Holden Ma, Shrewsbury Ma, Milford Ma, and with our website and
customer referrals, many other parts of Massachusetts, New England and
beyond. We invite used car buyers from the Worcester, Ma and Milford, Ma
area to stop in for a visit. We are located just 15 minutes from
Worcester, Ma, 10 Minutes from Auburn, Ma and 15 Minutes from Milford,
Ma. Visit Harbro often at www.carjoy.com