AVON – O’Neill’s has been a landmark in the Farmington Valley since its 19th century blacksmith days. The business transitioned from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles in 1920, when the Rte. 44 dealership was built, and several alterations later, O’Neill’s Chevrolet Buick has undergone its biggest change ever. An extensive $850,000 renovation project that began last August has transformed the dealership, both inside and out. The rehab, which was overseen by PDS Engineering & Construction, Inc. in Bloomfield, is now complete and it’s time to celebrate. Customer Appreciation Days are scheduled for Friday, May 24 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, May 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Special deals on automobile sales will be offered both days and on Saturday, refreshments catered by The Meat House will be served and country music radio station 92.5 will broadcast live, adding to the fun. “We hope our customers enjoy their experience in our modern facility that has been updated in every way,” O’Neill’s Chevrolet Buick Chairman Larry Sullivan said. “We will also be giving out door prizes on Saturday and there will be a raffle for an iPad,” said O’Neill’s Chevrolet Buick President Sean Sullivan, one of Larry’s sons. All three sons are involved with the business. The festivities are not just for existing customers but are also open to members of the general public who are interested in touring the renovated facility. Attendees can also view a gallery of historic photos showing all changes made through the years. Larry Sullivan bought the dealership in 1986 from his father-in-law, John B. Kenney, who had purchased it from John H. O’Neill in 1954. O’Neill opened the business as a Chevrolet store in 1920 and added Buick in 1921. Given the changes made this past year, Mr. O’Neill certainly wouldn’t recognize the dealership today. “The exterior was removed and the entire interior of the building was gutted, leaving only the skeletal framing of what was originally built in 1920 and the addition constructed in the 1940s,” Sullivan said. The exterior of the building hadn’t changed since 1972, except for paint, he said, and the interior was last redecorated in 1996. “The building was in great need of updating,” Sulllivan said. Interior upgrades include renovations to the showroom, offices and customer waiting area, complete with new furniture. Customers now have a comfortable area in which to sit during repairs or emissions testing – O’Neill’s does 500 tests per month. There’s a choice of chairs, some with built-in tables – and “waiters” can peruse reading material, watch TV or surf the Web using WiFi, all while enjoying a cup of Starbucks coffee. “Our showroom exterior was rebuilt in a colonial mode, consistent with our historic location in the village of Avon, across from the ‘big ole’ white church,” Sullivan said. “The design was approved by the town boards after rejecting the typical big, bold, bright blue Chevrolet design that is getting a national rollout.” Chevrolet’s corporate design would not have been feasible in Avon because of O’Neill’s proximity to Rte. 44. The building’s interior does conform to the Chevrolet décor, Sullivan said, and makes for a spacious presentation. “It’s more comfortable and open,” he said. “Our rest rooms have also been modernized and we are now handicapped-accessible.” O’Neill’s Service Department was also redone. It was totally repainted and fitted with new lighting fixtures, which make it a much brighter place to work, Sullivan said. In addition, new heating and air conditioning systems were installed. “It should pay off for our staff in the hot months ahead,” he said. “Not many local service and parts departments are air conditioned.” In addition, the Service Department’s 1955 eastside windows were replaced with ones that are more attractive and energy-efficient. “People who are stopped at the light at Old Farms Road and Rte. 44 have told us it looks great,” Sean Sullivan said. “We’ve had positive feedback from everyone, even those who aren’t our customers,” Larry Sullivan said. “They say we’ve really dressed up the corner.” During renovations, the business operated out of two trailers parked in the West side lot, and a temporary waiting room was set up in the detail shop – a separate building that is situated in the dealership’s East side lot. “It began as an adventure but became old quickly, as constraints on normal operations took hold,” Sullivan said. “Our staff was terrific in dealing with all the impediments and our customers were mostly very supportive of our situation.” The adventure included discovery of artifacts during the demolition, he said. “Parts tags used in the 1940s were stapled to some inner, covered walls and saved for a scrapbook for a later date,” Sullivan said. “Old tools and parts were found hiding in the partial basement that was dug and built over in the 1940s.” The original facia of the building was revealed in its skeletal form, he said, and some old windows that were buried in walls were uncovered. “In all, it was a fond experience for those of us who have been around for a few years, like me,” Sullivan said. He began working at the dealership in 1968 after marrying Brenda Kenney, who actually has seniority over him. Because her father owned the dealership, she worked in the office during her teen years. Sullivan is semi-retired now, staying involved with the business but not its day-to-day operations. It is now a family business involving his three sons, Sean, Kevin and Tim. He and his wife, as well as their sons, live in Canton. Their two daughters are out of state. The family also owns and operates the Car Biz Autobody shop on Sandscreen Road in Avon and two dealerships in Torrington: Northwest Hills Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac, and Northwest Hills Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep. O’Neills is the oldest continuously-operating business in the Farmington Valley, starting as a blacksmith shop run by John. H. O’Neill’s father.
