For the past several decades, husband and wife Rick and Linda Familo owned and operated Concord Ford on Route 31 in Newark. Now a new, but familiar name has taken over the dealership.

Tradition Automotive, owners of Tradition Buick Chevy GMC and Cadillac located just up the road, have added the Ford brand to their growing auto group which currently includes 10 other stores up and down the east coast.

Dario Hodge, along with his brother Makis, have operated the family’s Newark and Geneva stores since 2014. Dario says that when the chance arose to take over the local Ford dealer, he and his family jumped at the opportunity.

“We had been asking about the store behind the scenes for some time,” Dario shared. When asked why they wanted another local dealership, Dario simply stated “It’s what we do.” The addition of Ford to the family’s portfolio rounds out their already robust offerings including Chevy, Cadillac, Infiniti and Lexus.

The dealership officially changed hands at the end of January, with Dario noting the Familo family’s long dedication to Newark and the surrounding community. “Linda has been awesome and I admire her tremendously for her and Rick’s commitment to the business,” adding “They’ve got an awesome team of people and so do we, and we’re thankful for how they’ve all stepped up and pitched in during this transition.”

Dario says they’ll be gradually renovating the Ford dealership over the next several months and that he and his family take great pride investing in the local community. “I’m happy to generate tax dollars to help Newark continue its growth.”

A completely new dealership is likely on the horizon in the next few years.

While the car industry as a whole is undergoing a shift to digital, Hodge notes there are some things that still haven’t changed. “We welcome it (online buying). People still want to test-drive vehicles and they still value personal service,” something Hodge says Tradition and its employees strive to provide every day. “Throughout my years in this industry, I have come to find that success is never a given, but rather something that is earned through hard work and a persevering commitment to excellence.”

Stop in and see what’s new at 274 State Route 31 in Newark.