Rowell’s Garage general manager purchases longtime business

DOVER-FOXCROFT — For 71 years Rowell’s Garage has been owned by three generations of the Rowell family. In mid-August the dealership was sold by third generation owner Karen Pomeroy to General Manager Scott Moulton, who has been in the position since 2010.

Moulton and his staff of about two dozen will continue to serve the region with vehicle sales and service along with customer service. Rowell’s Garage, which also provides school bus transportation for RSU 68 and Foxcroft Academy, will continue its commitment to giving back to the surrounding communities.

“My husband (Bob) was the owner and GM of Rowell’s, so this was his business and I have my own career,” Karen Pomeroy said. Pomeroy is vice president of the Affiliated Laboratory in Bangor — part of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems — where she has worked since 1981.

“When he passed away in 2008 I needed to make a decision, do I continue on with the business or do I close?” Pomeroy said. “I decided it was too important to the community and to the family, and because we had 24 employees. So with the help of an interim general manager I continued the business. I continued working my full-time job and this.”

“We started to look for a general manager and it was suggested we talk to Scott Moulton because of his experience,” Pomeroy said. She said in addition to Moulton’s experience in car sales — he was at Hartley’s in Newport before coming to Rowell’s Garage and has well over two decades in the industry, “He’s local and it’s the best thing that I could have done.”

“He stepped right in like he was an owner and he certainly shares his community spirit for all the surrounding towns in Piscataquis County,” Pomeroy said about Moulton, who lives in Abbot and graduated from Piscataquis Community High School.

“He was very instrumental in starting the car wash, that was his deal from start to finish recognizing there was a need for the community,” Pomeroy said.

“So as I looked to my future and retirement at some point, I felt that Scott was the right person to take over the business,” she said. “He has the same ethics and family values that my family has and he is like family, so it was the right time for all of us.”

“Everything we did before we are going to do now,” Moulton said. He said this includes providing quality pre-owned vehicle sales, service, rentals, school busing, the car wash, ACDelco products and parts from other sources, Boss Plows, FLUID FILM items and more. Moulton said the name of the bus portion of the business will be changed to Rowell’s Transportation, LLC in the future.

“It’s always been a very charitable company and we plan on continuing that same level of giving that we always have done,” Moulton said. Among the numerous organizations Rowell’s Garage supports are the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce, Piscataquis Regional YMCA, Center Theatre, Piscataquis County Economic Development Council, the Squaw Mountain Ski Resort, the House in the Woods military family retreat in Lee, area schools and more.

“It it’s good for the area we try to help,” Moulton said.

“We buy local as much as possible,” he said. “We do support as many local businesses as we can.”

“We look forward to serving the area with the same level of excellence that we always have and continuing the same level of community support” Moulton said.

Pomeroy’s grandfather Amos B. Rowell and grandmother Gladys E. Rowell started the business on June 1, 1946. Pomeroy’s father Gene Gammon came on in 1953 as the sales and service department manager. Her mother joined her father in 1963 as the bookkeeper and they purchased the business in 1971. Pomeroy’s parents both retired in 1995, selling Rowell’s Garage to Karen and Bob Pomeroy.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
NEW OWNER FOR ROWELL’S GARAGE — Rowell’s Garage General Manager Scott Moulton is now the owner of Rowell’s Garage on East Main Street in Dover-Foxcroft. The purchase was finalized in mid-August with Moulton assuming ownership from third-generation owner Karen Pomeroy. Under Moulton, who has been general manager since 2010, Rowell’s Garage will continue to offer pre-owned vehicles and service, transportation for RSU 68 and Foxcroft Academy and more as well as giving back to the surrounding communities.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
OWNERSHIP SWITCH — General Manager Scott Moulton is now the owner of Rowell’s Garage on East Main Street in Dover-Foxcroft, taking over from third-generation owner Karen Pomeroy.

Photo courtesy of Karen Pomeroy
FIRST TWO GENERATIONS — Rowell’s Garage founder Amos B. Rowell, right, is pictured with his son-in-law and business second-generation owner Gene Gammon.

Photo courtesy of Karen Pomeroy
SECOND- AND THIRD-GENERATION OWNERS — Rowell’s Garage second-generation owner Gene Gammon, right, is pictured with his son-in-law and third-generation owner Bob Pomeroy.