Bob Moran of Acton Toyota made his dreams come true
“Great Road has been a great road for me,’’ says Bob Moran referencing the address of his highly decorated and award winning dealership, Acton Toyota in Littleton.
In the real estate business the mantra is location, location, location, but in this case the name of the road is like a metaphor for the path Moran’s life has followed.
The 73-year old tanned and soft-spoken business mogul and philanthropist, who was recently married to his wife Nataliya, grew up in Concord, and has spent his entire working life around cars. But calling him simply an automobile dealer is like calling Michelangelo a painter.
Sitting in a first floor office of his state-of-the-art, customer-friendly dealership, Moran, dressed in a lemony-colored sweater that drapes over a pair of blue jeans, shares his Hollywood-worthy story.
Born in Boston, but abandoned by his parents, this one time ward of the state was adopted, at age four, by the Moran family of Concord. Along with his adopted brother and two sisters, Moran was raised in a white house on the grounds of the Concord Reformatory because his new dad was a corrections officer who would later become an assistant deputy.
It was from those humble beginnings that Moran, who exudes the calming presence of an old-time Western movie sheriff, has built an empire of 18-different companies, including shopping centers, residential and commercial buildings, a construction company, and a web-building company. But Moran’s true passion remains the automobile, and this Toyota dealership is the showpiece of his empire.
Moran got his first whiff of the car business at age 13, working at a local gas station. He eventually moved to Middlesex Motors, rising to the position of mechanic. “I stayed with them until I was 29 years old,’’ says this father of three.
Always restless, and with an eye focused on the future, Moran decided to try a different road. He worked as a salesman for a dealership that had to have had the worst name in automotive history: “I worked for a Ford Dealership owned by Mr. Bumford, that’s right Bum Ford,’’ says Moran with a laugh.
But Moran learned a great deal about how to run a dealership and, never afraid to take a chance, he purchased a two-and-a-half lot in Acton, where he opened a used car dealership in 1969. It became the foundation of what was to come.
“I sold used cars for a couple of years, and in doing so, I would go back and forth to the car auctions,’’ Moran recalls. “The owner of the auction, Roy Cox, took a liking to me.’’
Cox introduced his protégé to some established dealers, but it was the service he provided to one of his customers that actually got him launched. Moran’s customer happened to be the mother of Ben Bidwell, the CEO of Lincoln Mercury.
“I got to talking to him and he thanked me for taking care of his mother,’’ says Moran. “Then, he asked if I would like to become a Lincoln Mercury dealer.’’ Moran, whose only education included a single year of night business courses at Harvard and a welding course at Wentworth Institute, eagerly agreed.
Eight years later, Moran purchased a Chevrolet dealership located down the street and ran both until 1985, when he sold the Lincoln Mercury dealership. He leased out the Chevy dealership in 1993.
But the big break came in 1989, when he was awarded a Toyota dealership. “Toyota just carried out my dreams. They are unbelievable to work with,’’ says Moran. Since that time, Moran has built his 18-acre store into one of the most respected and award winning Toyota dealerships in the country.
After 25 years under Moran’s guidance, Acton Toyota of Littleton ranks third in the nation in customer satisfaction, has the biggest service department of any Toyota dealership in New England, and, of those 72 New England dealers, it does more parts and service than anybody in the region.
“I’m among the top 50 dealers, out of 1,500 in the country, in parts and service,’’ he says proudly.
“The backbone of my business has always been service,’’ says Moran. “You have to remember that if it wasn’t for the customer, you’d be lost, says the auto dealer, who has 170 very loyal employees, many of whom have been with Moran for over 25 years. Moran has set himself an ambitious 2015 benchmark: selling 7,000 cars (4,000 new and 3,000 used). Last year’s number was 6,000.
Moran’s idea of service includes an in-house restaurant that is free for his customers, as well as a workout facility and second-floor shower that are available to customers and staff.
One of Moran’s earliest, and, as he says, best customers is Nancy Ellis, the sister of former President George H. W. Bush, to whom Moran sold a Ford Falcon. Another customer, and now friend, is former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu, whose first purchase was a ’67 Ford Country Sedan.
In appreciation for his great life on the Great Road, Moran has done a lot of work with Lazarus House, a homeless shelter in Lawrence. He also is opening a food bank in Acton and is currently paying the college tuition for 10 children from the area.
“I’ve been very lucky,’’ he says. “Everybody has to have some mentors, and mine always kept me on track. I’ve always loved business and always loved cars.’’ When Moran is ready to retire, he will turn the auto business over to his son Rob, who has already been approved by Toyota.
What will Moran do in retirement? “I built my dream come true,’’ he explains. “It’s a 50×80 foot four-season barn, and I have 40-50 cars in it. They’re all the cars that I used to work on at the Ford dealership: a ’55 and ’56 Thunderbird, a ‘64 Mustang, Corvettes, and a 1932 and ‘39 Ford convertible, all in mint condition. Working on those cars keeps my sanity; they bring back so many memories.’’
“My work is my life,’’ Bob Moran explains. “I just love cars—and I value my reputation, so I do what is right.’’
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