Mike Marcotte, president of Marcotte Ford in Holyoke, holds the Salute to Dealers award he received in January. With him are (left to right) Sue Marcotte, his sister and the dealership’s marketing director, his aunt, Jeannie Filomeno, the dealership’s community relations manager, and Mike Filomeno, the dealership’s general manager.
Reminder Publishing photo by Mike Lydick
HOLYOKE — Marcotte Ford’s motto, “We’ve got your back,” is more than just an advertising slogan for customers. It also describes the dealership’s long-standing tradition of giving back to the Holyoke community.
The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, the Children’s Museum at Holyoke and Providence Ministries/Kate’s Kitchen/Margaret’s Pantry are among the community organizations that have been beneficiaries of this tradition.
Located in Holyoke since 1961, Mike Marcotte is the third-generation president of the dealership that was founded by his grandfather Al Marcotte. His dealership is one of six global Ford and Lincoln dealers recognized by Ford Motor Co. for exceptional contributions to their communities.
The dealership is one of just three in the U.S. to receive Ford’s prestigious Salute to Dealers award that was established in 2011.
The award ceremony took place in New Orleans on Jan. 24. Dealer principals were nominated by their dealership or regional representatives. Recipients were selected by a panel of judges based on their individual community service activities, duration of involvement and personal motivation.
He also received a custom portrait showcasing his dealer’s philanthropic endeavors. The portrait will be displayed for a year at Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. In addition, Ford Philanthropy — the company’s global philanthropic arm — will donate $10,000 in each honoree’s name to a charity of their choice. Marcotte said they are waiting for Ford to reach out to them to officially announce the recipient, which will be one of the charitable organizations their dealership currently helps.
Marcotte is one of eight family members at the dealership involved in community initiatives and charitable events. The Marcotte family and its employees have been dedicating time and resources to support charitable organizations in the Paper City for more than 20 years.
“It’s not just the money that’s contributed, but it’s the time, the energy and other resources that are a big part of it. The stronger we are, the more we can do. Our team keeps building, which creates even more tentacles to help the community,” he said.
“Our whole family feels truly honored. When we found out, we called each other and we were all on speaker. We just couldn’t believe it,” said Marcotte.
“We’ve always said were not doing this for any kind of recognition, but it was unbelievable to get recognized by Ford globally. We’ve been doing this for so many years because the community has been so good to us. We just want to keep giving back to the community and helping the community grow as we grow,” he added.
Family members meet twice a month to decide on all donations and charity events/activities. They discuss what more they can do, what organizations in the area need help and pinpoint a couple to get behind to do something bigger and more impactful for them.
One example of how the Marcotte family works together is the creation of a state-of-the-art, hands-on interactive automotive tech exhibit at the Children’s Museum where children play and learn.
Marcotte’s father, Bryan Marcotte, had the idea for the exhibit — TECHnichian Automotive Center — before he passed away in 2019. After his death, his daughter, Sue Marcotte, the dealership’s marketing director, took over the project and brought it to life — bigger and better than expected.
Mike Filomeno, the dealership’s general manager, was involved in the project, too. He found a Ford Fiesta that could be put into the museum exhibit. The museum had certain dimensions and it took him two years to find a vehicle what would fit.
“We call it the Green Machine — its bright lime color really pops and it’s nice,” said Sue Marcotte. “We get a lot of friends and people in the community texting us when they go — whether it’s through a school trip or just a personal visit with their children. We constantly get people reaching out to us, saying what a wonderful exhibit it is and how much fun it was for their children. That’s great to hear.”
Filomeno added, “One day, some kids could become auto technicians from what they are learning at the exhibit.”
The dealership also has a long-standing relationship with the Boys & Girls Club as consistent donors and volunteers. This began when Bryan Marcotte joined the club’s board of directors. Mike and Sue Marcotte then followed in their father’s footsteps on the board.
It’s relationship that continues to grow as the dealership’s 150 employees donate a portion of their income to sponsor club memberships for deserving children. One recent endeavor was the dealership’s purchase of hundreds of new sneakers for children attending the club’s annual summer camp.
“It was fun to watch the kids’ faces light up,” said Sue Marcotte. “It was pretty amazing. There were lots of comments. Many of the kids had never had a new pair. They were holding the boxes up like they were teddy bears. They were so happy.”
This past Christmas, the Marcotte family and the dealership’s management team went shopping at Target for 12 needy Holyoke families using holiday wish lists from Margaret’s Pantry, a program of Providence Ministries. They delivered more than 400 toys and gifts to deserving children and parents.
Family members and employees can also be found volunteering together at Kate’s Kitchen, a local food pantry that helps prepare meals for those in need. “We have a great relationship with them – they are dear to our hearts,” said Filomeno.
Mike Marcotte said giving back to those in need in the community is part of his family’s and dealership’s culture. “Our father really got involved in giving back to the community even when we had tough times at the dealership. We’re still trying to find ways to give back and continue this family tradition.”
