George Segal Named Citizen of the Year

Success in business and life often come from modest beginnings. Hard working, dedicated to family, and soft spoken with a dry sense of humor are attributes that best describe our honoree.

The individual we honor tonight is someone we all know and love, but not someone who is interested in publicizing their philanthropy and contributions to the community. So it is fitting that we give due recognition to someone who has contributed greatly to our community.

Our honoree was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts but spent his life in Concord, beginning at a young age. The inception of the family business started with trips to the family junkyard on Hall Street, with his grandfather as a young boy, in the early part of the 20th century.

After graduating from Concord High School, and a tour of duty in Germany at the end of World War II, the person we recognize tonight returned to Concord and joined the family business. Decades of hard work and dedication resulted in substantial growth and business success. Our honoree rose through the ranks of his family’s business to become the company’s chairman of the board. This year marked the company’s eightieth year in the business which has resulted in remarkable growth. The company started as a local salvage yard and has grown into a thirty-nine store chain that operates in three states.

The time and effort required for this type of growth and success did not keep our honoree from pursuing numerous philanthropic endeavors that have improved the lives of many. His company became a founding member of the Concord Boys and Girls Club in 1944. Since then, it has continued to be a major supporter both financially and with multiple generations of family members in leadership roles.

Our honoree fosters an environment of giving within the company, encouraging employees to give and be involved.  As a long time staunch supporter of the United Way, our recipient has nurtured one of Merrimack County’s most successful annual company campaigns. Each year at Thanksgiving, the company and its employees donate dozens of turkeys and food baskets to those in need in our community as well as the communities in which the honoree serves. In addition, the company organizes an annual toy drive for those less fortunate children to have presents to open for the holidays.

Throughout the past decades, tonight’s honoree could always be counted on to be a supporter of the region’s important projects. The list of the organizations for which our honoree is a generous benefactor is impressive. These include Concord Hospital, Capitol Center for the Arts, the Audi, the Grappone Conference Center, The Friends Program, The Friendly Kitchen, Concord SPCA and the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. In addition, as a long- time supporter of Concord youth sports, a local ball field bears the company’s name, the land having been a donation.

He has been a member of Rotary for nearly 50 years. During this time, he has been recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow. Our honoree is also a quiet but long-standing leader in his faith community. His family is one of the founding members of Temple Beth Jacob. He is a past president of the temple, and continues to be a strong supporter of the temple.

For more than half a century, he has been an important leader in our business community, a significant benefactor to numerous causes, a loving patriarch to his family, and the type of person who would never seek out this type of recognition. It is an honor to recognize George Segal as the 2013 Distinguished Citizen of the Year.