Above: The Southborough business “family owned and operated since 1981” is now globally owned. (Image from Farrell Volvo website)
This week I shared news that the local Volvo dealership changed hands. That tidbit focused on the new owners and selectmen’s efforts to promote economic development in town.
A member of the Economic Development Committee asked me to share something I missed from that part of the Board of Selectmen meeting. (Frankly, I missed the whole meeting. I relied on Southborough Wicked Local coverage of it so I could focus on other things this week.)
At the meeting, selectmen thanked the past owners of the car dealership for providing valued jobs in town for over 30 years.
EDC member Chris Robbins wrote to me:
a special tribute was made by the BOS for Jim Farrell’s contribution to the community for the last 33 years. They are an important employer and local contributor that has helped to improve our town’s quality of life.
This is a classic story of a family owned business that started with a small repair and sales shop and grew to a dealership that has sold over 10,000 new and pre-used cars – right here in Southborough.
Robbins also shared the letter from selectmen to Farrell:
On behalf of the Town of Southborough, we thank Farrell Volvo very much for being a part of our community for 33 years. Founded in 1981 by your father, Bob Farrell, your brother Robert and yourself, as a premier retailer of new and pre-owned Volvo vehicles, you have provided a tradition of high quality service to your customers and many to Southborough residents. Your outstanding success has been recognized by the national office, Volvo Cars of North America, with the presentation of the prestigious dealer of excellence award on three occasions.
As a family owned and operated business, you have been an important contributor to the success of our local economy selling over 10,000 new and pre-owned cars and consistently providing valuable jobs to over 30 employees. You have made enumerable contributions to our community in terms of personal time and donations to various organizations which have made a difference in our town’s quality of life, and for that we are very grateful.
With special appreciation, we wish you, your wife Nena and your family many more years of enjoyment and success.
With new owners, perhaps now they will see that the old Andrea restaurant property and 245 Turnpike Road are cleaned up. They are an eyesore and have been ever since Mr. Farrell purchased them,
You’ll be happy to hear that Robbins also shared with me: “They have plans to complete a major renovation of the current site. This will entail tearing down of the collapsing structure nearby that was once the Andrea Restaurant which is adjacent to an office building on the corner of Parkerville Road and Rte. 9 West.”
That is good news! Keeping my fingers crossed that it will happen.
Sure wish they’d do a new version of Andrea.. a place where we could drop in for a Sunday night dinner with kids and see other people we knew. That and White’s Corner were the informal places to eat out and not spend a bundle. A lot of us miss that chance to hang out a bit with Southborough folks.
I suppose I’ll hear all the reasons it can’t be done but… well, one can hope that someday…