'A great 52-year run': Hashem family sells Strafford Tire & Battery in Dover

DOVER – Dan Hashem, 79, has spent a lifetime in the automotive industry in Dover. He has been at the helm of Strafford Tire & Battery, Inc. since it opened in May of 1969.

Before starting his own business on 118 Broadway, he worked at places like Montgomery Ward Tire Service Center on Pierce Street, the Shell Station service center, and Gauge Hill Motor Mart in Dover.

While working at Shell, he met the manager at Montgomery Ward, who offered him a job. That led him to an interview in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with the owner of 22 Cambridge Tire locations. While he recalls he arrived way overdressed in a suit and tie, it landed him the financial backing for his own tire store.

“He asked me why I thought I could make it in business, so I told him: all I've ever done is work on cars,” Hashem said. “I said ‘I'm not afraid to work.’ And so he put his hand out and shook my hand. He said, ‘OK, if you're not afraid to work and if you can find a place, I’ll give you whatever you want.’”

Hashem had no interest in uprooting his family, so he found a small lot in Dover at 118 Broadway. He paid $6,000 for the lot, and his old friend from Montgomery Ward, who also did construction work, helped him build Strafford Tire from the ground up.

“And we've been going strong ever since,” Hashem said. “When I first started in business, there were other tire stores nearby on Broadway, Washington Street and Central Avenue, and all of them told me I wasn't going to make it. But I was pretty well-known in Dover from working for Montgomery, so I had that customer loyalty right away.”

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After 52 years of serving the Dover community, Hashem has sold the business, which will remain open under the new ownership of David LaRoche and his son Kevin.

Hashem said that while it was a difficult decision to sell the business, he joked that he “isn’t getting any younger.”

LaRoche said that he had been looking to go into business with his son, and they've been on the hunt for a property with an automotive repair garage. When 118 Broadway was listed, even though they didn't at first expect to take on the business, too, this seemed like the perfect spot and opportunity.

"My son and I have worked on cars a lot in our lives," LaRoche said. "We wanted to give our own shop a shot. We're happy to take over the business, and we hope to continue to keep it going like Dan did."

'It's about the people'

In the second year of business, Hashem was able to double sales. As time went on, the business continued to see success, and for some time he had a partner, Reece Allard, helping make it happen. Later, Hashem’s children would step in and help around the family business.

Hashem credits a lot of the success of the business to his late son David, who played a big role in the shop from the '90s through 2019, when he died of a heart attack.

“David was a big part of this,” Hashem said. “He had a heart for people that were down and out, and he helped a lot of people who needed it. He had worked for the Navy Yard before working for me. He had an unbelievable heart for giving and lending a helping hand. He embodied what a family business really means. It’s never been about the money, it’s about the people.”

As the city of Dover rapidly grew over the last few decades, so did the need for tires and service. Hashem said there’s been times it was hard to keep up with the demand, and he’s seen a lot of change, not just in Dover, but in the industry.

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“Back then you could buy four tires for $100, but things have changed so much,” Hashem said. “We started out with tires being our biggest seller, but over the years it shifted to more mechanical and service work because tires last so much longer than they used to. People used to have to buy new tires every 8,000 to 10,000 miles, basically every year, and now you can get upwards of 60,000 miles out of the average life of a tire, which is an average of four to five years.”

He said that even the way they service vehicles has changed, since manufacturers made parts more complicated and, in turn, more expensive to fix. He said when he started, most parts could be easily taken apart, and fixed with small inner parts that were readily available, but eventually it got to a point where it was cheaper to replace the part entirely.

A farewell from the Hashem family

Hashem is ready for retirement and to spend time with his five daughters and two sons, 25 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Hashem has had some health complications the last few years, and his son-in-law and two of his daughters have been keeping it going. He said that it feels like the right time to move on.

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“All my kids all have their own businesses, so they just didn't have the time to carry on an automotive business like this full-time,” Hashem said. “It’s been a great 52-year run for me. I can’t wait to see what the new owner does.”

He signed the papers on Dec. 20, officially handing his family business over to the LaRoche family.

“All I can say is that people have been so good to us and so faithful over the years,” Hashem said. “I really thank them for sticking with the small guys all this time.”

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Dover's Strafford Tire & Battery sold by Hashem family