Mitchell Subaru becomes first Subaru Eco-Friendly Dealer in Connecticut

CANTON -- When Mitchell Subaru underwent a renovation project last year, the dealership incorporated energy-savings into its plans. Those measures, combined with an effort made this year to comply with the Subaru Eco-Friendly Program, have resulted in Mitchell being certified as a Subaru Eco-Friendly Dealer.

Officials from Subaru New England traveled to Canton Sept. 5 to present the award to brothers Steven and Mark Mitchell of the family-owned and operated Mitchell Auto Group.

“Congratulations, you took the steps sooner than others,” said Jeff Ruble, marketing development director for Subaru New England.

Mitchell Subaru is the first dealership in Connecticut and one of four in New England to be certified eco-friendly and nationwide, there are only 19, he said.

Also on hand for the celebration was Daniel C. Esty, commissioner of the state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection.

“Mitchell Subaru is a model of energy efficiency, a great example,” he said. “Thank you to the Subaru organization for recognizing dealerships with eco-friendly practices.”

The company advises its dealers to become eco-friendly for reasons beyond environmental. In the process of saving energy costs, dealership overhead costs are reduced and profits increase.

Esty concurs with that philosophy. He has authored or edited numerous books and articles on environmental policy issues and the relationship between environmental and corporate strategy, including his prizewinning book, “Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage.”

Becoming eco-friendly matches the dealership’s mission: “Our mission at Mitchell Subaru is to provide our customers with the safest and most reliable vehicles available in the market, and do so with attention paid to sustainability and protection of our immediate and regional environment.”

Steven Mitchell spearheaded the effort and organized a “Green Team” of employees to help develop, promote and communicate the program.

During the ceremony, he expressed thanks for the award and to the “Green Team” that spent months striving to meet Subaru’s criteria.

“Money was spent on improvements and a lot of work was done but it’s a good outcome to be eco-friendly,” he said.

Mitchell Auto Group, the parent company, plans to continue its environmental efforts by installing solar panels at their various Canton and Simsbury dealerships and to eventually have electric car charging stations.

Steven Mitchell has long been an environmental activist. He is on the East Coast Greenway board and his wife, Susan, serves on the Farmington Valley Trails Council board.

“I’m happy for Steve and his team for achieving this,” Mitchell Auto Group President Mark Mitchell said, describing himself as the “longest-selling” Subaru car salesman in the United States.

He was referencing the fact that the Mitchells launched the first Subaru dealership in the country in 1972, putting them ahead of the curve. No one else wanted the small Japanese-made cars until 1974 when the energy crisis hit and people began trading in big cars for smaller ones, he said.

It seems that things have come full circle now that Mitchell Subaru has become an eco-friendly dealer.
For information, visit http://www.mitchellsubaru.com.