Hartley’s began operating in northern Maine in 1947 with a two bay filling station that started selling Chryslers. Steven Hartley, nephew of the original owner, has operated the dealership for 40 years.
Darling's Auto Group is a fourth-generation family-owned business that started in 1903. Their highly successful group of dealerships in the northern Maine sector includes seven dealerships and numerous other businesses within the community. The newest dealership is now known as Darling’s Newport Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram.
What Steven Hartley says about working with Nancy Phillips Associates:
"When the time came to think about retiring, the only call I made was to Nancy Phillips Associates because of the firm’s stellar reputation in New England and the recommendations of my dealer friends who had sold through the company.
I wanted to pass my dealership on to a buyer who would treat my employees and my customers well so that I could be proud of how I exited the business. I worked with Carrie Forbes who was very professional and extremely helpful. She put together a sale with Jay Darling of Darling's Auto Group who was my preferred successor. Throughout the negotiations, the three of us worked well together. Carrie was on top of each step of the transaction and kept everyone moving forward. Her company has great relationships with all of the different manufacturers, which is very important. It was easy for me to work with Carrie because she not only understood me, but she kept me moving forward and no problem was too difficult for her to handle."
