Dorchester Illustration of the Day no. 1755
Don Rodman of Rodman Ford grew up in Dorchester near Franklin Park
The following is from the company website: http://rodmanford.com/displayContent.asp?keywords=history
The “History of Rodman” began in Dorchester with a young man’s love of automobiles. Don Rodman’s major interest as a child was solving the complexities of the machine that to many represented both mobility and wealth. His interest in auto mechanics started by working after high school and weekends on the cars of friends and relatives. Approximately one year prior to his graduation he made the decision to drop out of school to make auto mechanics his chosen field, and took a full time job as a laundry truck mechanic. His quest for knowledge led him to enlist as a mechanic in the U.S. Army where he received his first formal training. While in the Army, Don met and married his wife, Marilyn. Following his time in the service, Don worked at a number of dealerships where he moved from mechanic to salesman to general manager. His growing reputation in the industry led to an offer from Ford Motor Company to take over a small, struggling dealership in Foxboro Center. He accepted that offer in 1960 and quickly recruited his brother, Gerry, who left a career in the Air Force to become a partner and salesman extraordinaire. This was the start of Rodman Ford Sales, Inc.
In 1964, Don and Gerry’s success enabled them to expand to a new location on Route One, the present location of Rodman Ford. In 1972, Don acquired a Lincoln-Mercury franchise, which was located with the Ford franchise. In 1988, the Rodman Lincoln-Mercury franchise moved to a facility of its own – one mile south of Rodman Ford on Route One in Foxboro.
A commitment to health and fitness led to the opening of the Rodman Health & Fitness Center in 1989. Located behind the Foxboro Lincoln-Mercury dealership, the center features all of the amenities you’d expect from one of the region’s premier fitness clubs.
In 1990, Rodman expanded beyond Route One with the opening of a second Lincoln-Mercury dealership on Route 44 in Raynham.
The Rodman’s exemplified their commitment to total automotive care by opening the technology-driven Rodman Collision Repair Center and Rodman Car & Truck Rentals in 1996. The Collision Repair Center is located on Route One, between the Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealerships.
New Year’s Day 2001 marked the grand opening of the new, state-of-the-art Ford store and Quick Lane, which replaced the original Route One Ford dealership.
In 2002 Lincoln Place, a commercial business and office building, opened on Lincoln Road across from the Health & Fitness Center. The building houses the Ride for Kids headquarters, Rodman’s primary philanthropic endeavor
Rodman Ride for Kids. It would be a gross understatement to say that Don Rodman has many charitable affiliations. In fact, there are literally too many to mention. However, you should be aware of the most visible one. The Rodman Ride for Kids began in 1989 with the idea of creating a fun bike-riding event to raise money for inner-city kids at risk. The first Ride raised $10,000 to support the work done with over 200 children. Currently, the yearly event hosts thousands of riders who, along with many corporate contributors, raise over three million dollars annually to improve the lives of thousands of kids and their families, and communities across Massachusetts.
In June of 1996, he received an Honorary Doctorates Degree in Commercial Science from Suffolk University for charitable endeavors. In June of 1999, he received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Massachusetts, Boston for his most remarkable rise in the business world in conjunction with years of dedicated charitable activities on behalf of the needy in Massachusetts and beyond.
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