Many years ago, when Tom Brittain took over the family car dealership, he also took over the family business of giving back.
In the spring, Brittain — the owner of Brittain Motors in East Palestine — was acknowledged for continuing his family’s philanthropy when he was awarded the 2023 Torch Award for Civic Leadership by the Better Business Bureau. The event celebrates BBB-accredited businesses and leaders that exemplify BBB standards for trust. Torch Awards honor those for business practices based on a dedication to trustworthiness as well as service through volunteerism, while the Civic Leadership is bestowed upon one business in particular for outstanding community service.
“When I heard we were receiving the award, I thought it was for being an accredited business, which means we have not received a complaint against us, and I was pretty appreciative that our commitment to honesty and integrity as a business was being recognized,” Brittain said. “But then when I realized it was for community service and that only one business receives that award, I was really surprised but really honored.”
The BBB serves Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties, including what Brittain called “big metro areas.” Earning the Civic Leadership Award over a long list of other businesses with triple the exposure and traffic than that of the village that Brittain Motors calls home speaks volumes for Brittain’s service to the community.
“East Palestine isn’t a big city,” Brittain said. “We’re not Warren, Youngstown or Boardman. I was kind of shocked that we received that kind of recognition. I guess it means we’re doing something right.”
While Brittain makes a valid point, the recognition has less to do with “doing something right” than it has to do with doing what is right. The way he sees it, giving back to the community isn’t the price of doing business, but rather a pivotal part of Brittain Motors’ business practice.
“If we see a need, we fill a need and sometimes we are asked for help and we rarely refuse,” Brittain said. “That’s the way we have always run our business and that’s the way we continue to run it. It’s just how we do things.”
That’s how the family-run business has always done things. In its 98 years of operations, Brittain Motors has forged out a long legacy of being there for the community.
“My grandfather believed in keeping business local and he believed in giving back. He invested heavily to save local businesses, including the pottery which used to be the biggest employer in East Palestine,” Brittain said. “My father was on the planning commission and was involved in community service for years and was a longtime member of the Kiwanis Club. My mother served on the library board for 20 years. She also was involved with the school board and the PTO. Our business continues to support the schools, youth sports, the local economy and community projects.”
Brittain has also stepped up in the wake of February’s train derailment, providing residents with bottled water and donating to both relief and recovery efforts, as East Palestine gets back on its feet.
It never crossed Brittain’s mind to not do everything he could to help his hometown. It would be out of character for him to do anything else but help.
“East Palestine is a great city. It always has been,” he said. “We just want to do our part to keep it great and make it better. Everybody should. Nobody should ever be bored when there is so much put there you can be doing for the community you live in. There’s always a board to serve on or something around town that needs done and the more hands helping out, the more that can get done.”
selverd@mojonews.com
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