Ernie Boch, Jr.
| Ernie Alexander Boch Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Ernie Boch Jr. February 15, 1958 |
| Occupation | CEO, president, and spokesman for Boch enterprises |
| Known for | Automobile sales, philanthropy, Ernie and the Automatics |
Ernie Boch Jr., born in 1958, is the CEO, president, and spokesman of Boch Enterprises, a $1 billion business consisting primarily of automobile dealerships in Norwood, Massachusetts. Boch is a local celebrity in the Greater Boston area who has a passion for music, makes television cameos, and has a creative approach to advertising and selling cars.
Ernie Boch Jr. inherited the automobile sales and service business started by his grandfather, Andrew Boch, who began the family business in 1945 by purchasing a Nash Motors franchise in Norwood, Massachusetts.
Andrew's son, Ernie Boch Sr., built the Norwood operation into the top ranked Rambler dealer in the country by the early 1960s. This was accomplished on the strength of his drive and often "outlandish" television commercials with the catchphrase for anyone shown a new or used car without a Boch mini-sticker in the window: "ask for the keys it's your car, my name is Ernie Boch." Later, Boch began using the Northeast Airlines tag "Come on down!" which the airline used to promote travel to Florida before its merger with Delta Airlines. Ernie Boch Jr.'s father is also largely credited with bringing the "Automile" concept to U.S. Route 1 in Norwood. With this concept, a large cluster of competing automobile dealerships join together to publicize the "Automile" as an automobile shopping center. Shortly after the death of Ernie Boch Sr., Boch Jr. appeared in a television commercial paying tribute to his father. Boch Jr. was in a car, watching images from an old commercial featuring his father, in the rear view mirror. Boch Jr. smiled and drove away.
Ernie Jr.'s first car was a 1971 Volkswagen Beetle, British racing green. He bought it in 1974, when he was 16, from the used-car department at his family's Toyota dealership.
His father, Ernie Boch Sr., received some criticism from the Boston Brahmin culture and other elements of the upper class as a member of the nouveau riche of the region.
In October 2015, Boch Jr. sold the majority of his dealerships, although they will retain the Boch name and he will continue to be the public face of the dealerships. He will retain ownership of his Ferrari and Maserati dealership, and will remain CEO of Subaru New England.
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