Dealership History
Our Founders
Pothier Motors was founded in 1957 by Tom and Jackie Pothier. Tom grew up in the small Acadian fishing village of Wedgeport, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. Growing up in the depression-era 1930's there was not a lot of money to go around, and he recalls working hard from a very young age to help support their family of 13 children. During the Second World War some older boys decided to head to Halifax to enlist in the military. Tom decided to go with them, and rode all the way on the rumble seat of an old Ford roadster. After stretching the truth about his age to enlist, he joined the army and served "overseas" in Newfoundland.
After the war Tom began a career as a bodyman, and met his wife Jackie while working for a body shop in Bedford. They were married in 1950, and not long after moved to Falmouth where he was employed by Tom Haley Dodge.
Tom had an enterprising spirit, and he eventually opened his own body shop in Falmouth. He proudly recalls being turned down by the bank when he attempted to borrow $100 to get started. He did not have a proper garage to work on vehicles, and would pull panels off of cars and bring them into his home at night to repair them. Using scrap lumber (and even pounding bent nails straight) he managed to build his first body shop. This bodyshop eventually grew to include a Volkswagen franchise in 1961, then a Jeep/AMC franchise, then the Chrysler Franchise that is still here today.
Jackie was his business partner and biggest supporter, and will tell stories of using their home to facilitate customers and visiting businessman. She was beside Tom through thick and thin, and helped guide the business to where it is today. Tom literally worked around the clock, and she recalls finding him asleep in vehicles that he had stayed up all night to finish.
Pothier Motors now has three generations fully immersed in the business, and operates on the same principles of top-notch customer service it was founded on. Tom and Jackie have instilled their hard working values into every one of us, and we work tirelessly to ensure you are satisfied. We look forward to continuing this tradition with you!
After A Hard Fought Battle With Stomach Cancer Philip Passed Away Peacefully Sunday May 20th Surrounded By His Family. Philip Will Forever Live In Our Hearts And Minds And Will Be Dearly Missed By All Those Who Knew Him.