MIDDLEBURY — Mackey Auto Group of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., has closed on its purchase of Middlebury car and truck dealership Denecker Chevrolet.
The business, which as Denecker Chevrolet called itself Vermont’s largest franchised Chevrolet dealership, will now be known as Middlebury Chevrolet.
The 24,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art dealership, which sits on 9.5 acres on Route 7 a quarter mile south of McDonald’s, was built in 2018 by Tom Denecker, who founded the business in nearby Vergennes in 1991.
Terms of the deal were not announced.
Mackey Auto Group already owned an operated two auto dealerships in Saratoga Springs, New York — Saratoga Ford and Saratoga Subaru — along with commercial, vintage and performance vehicle divisions. Chris Mackey and his son Christopher purchased the two dealerships in February 2019. Middlebury Chevrolet will be the first addition to their growing dealership group.
“We are excited to have the Mackey Auto Group family join forces with the Denecker team, and together build upon Tom Denecker’s respected legacy in Middlebury,” said Mackey Auto Group Managing Member Chris Mackey. “I have enjoyed working with Tom during the transition, and look forward to continuing his tradition of making a difference in the community — as he has done for the past 30 years.”
Tom Denecker will remain onboard, joining the Mackey team as general manager in Middlebury, handling the day-to-day operations of the dealership into the future.
“I’ve been thinking recently that this was the right time to make a change,” Denecker said in a press release. “Working with Chris, Christopher and the rest of the Mackey team in recent months has made me completely confident that the dealership and our customers are in good hands. I know that people in Middlebury are going to see them as a great addition to the community, just like I already do.”
This past spring, when the Independent reported the impending sale, Denecker told our reporter that he didn’t want to sell a national company.
“I didn’t want to have that kind of a culture come to Middlebury,” he said at the time.
Denecker told the Independent that the Mackeys were looking for one more dealership within 90 minutes of Saratoga Springs that was successful and “with a team in place … So it was pretty natural.”
The deal grew out of a dinner that came about after the Mackeys reached out to Denecker last fall, Tom Denecker said.
The Mackey family itself has over 30 years of experience leading one of the region’s largest and most successful dealership groups. The company bragged in a press release that their hands-on approach turns customers into “raving fans” not just of their vehicles, but of their dealership experience and people as well.
“Everyone at Mackey Auto Group works hard to provide each customer with a world-class dealership experience,” said Christopher Mackey. “We treat each customer like family and we invest in important community causes, too.”
“We’re very pleased that Tom will be staying on at the dealership,” Mackey added. “We look forward to combining his proven approach with our family-like atmosphere, and continuing to make Middlebury Chevrolet the place to buy a new or pre-owned vehicle in Addison County and surrounding areas.”
Mackey Auto Group has been a committed member of the Saratoga Springs and Capital District communities of upstate New York since the company’s founding. During the COVID-19 pandemic Saratoga Subaru donated 51,153 meals to Feeding America to support those affected by the COVID-19 crisis in the Capital Region. This initiative, in partnership with Subaru of America, helped Feeding America respond to increased food insecurity in the upstate New York region by providing donations to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. The group has also provided significant support for local education and school groups, the arts at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), and animal welfare groups including the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society; it has also collaborated with local merchants on various community programs.
Mackey Auto Group officials said they look forward to supporting the Middlebury community in similar ways.
Mackey Auto Group is one of the leading Ford and Subaru dealership in the Capital region of New York. The Mackeys have over 30 years experience leading one of the nation’s largest and most successful dealer groups. They sell everything from new Fords and Subarus to Mackey “New-To-You” used cars and commercial vehicles. More information is online at mackeyautogroup.com.