Even as one of Cedar Rapids’ most prominent business leaders, Pat McGrath struggled to contain his emotions Jan. 29 as he was formally awarded the Howard Hall Excellence in Business Award at the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance’s annual meeting.
“Thank you to Juliet (Abdel), Ron (Corbett) and the Economic Alliance for choosing my family for this award,” said Mr. McGrath, his voice cracking. “It comes at a great time.”
Mr. McGrath, president of the McGrath Family of Dealerships, stressed the legacy of the award’s namesake, Howard Hall, who founded two of the city’s most influential businesses – Iowa Steel and Iron Works and Iowa Manufacturing/Cedarrapids Inc. – as well as establishing a lasting community footprint through the Hall-Perrine Foundation and the Brucemore historic site.
“We’re very proud of our mission, how we do business, our values … our vision of where are we going,” Mr. McGrath said. “But what really drives us is our passion, our purpose, our why. And I bet many of you connect with that without a question. Howard and Margaret Hall had the same passion. And our purpose is pretty simple. It’s to change people’s lives. There’s no better feeling.”
Mr. McGrath’s career is rooted locally. After earning a marketing degree from the University of Northern Iowa, he joined the McGrath family business in 1980, “starting wherever he was needed, and learning every aspect of the operation over time,” said Kelly Lind-Daufeldt, senior vice president of U.S. Bank, who introduced Mr. McGrath for the award.
“That hands on-experience, paired with a clear vision for growth, helped transform a single dealership with 30 employees into the McGrath Family of Dealerships that we know today, with 13 automotive dealerships, four motorcycle dealerships (and) more than 900 team members across the region. At the heart of that growth is Pat’s unwavering commitment to people and the McGrath mission – do the right thing, exceed expectations, make a difference.”
Mr. McGrath then briefly interrupted, jokingly suggesting that Ms. Lind-Daufeldt was “reading a bunch of fiction” and asked, “can we move on? I have a speech, and I need to get going.”
In his acceptance speech, Mr. McGrath again praised the community-focused work of Mr. Hall, referencing his efforts to bring a cobalt radiation therapy machine to Cedar Rapids to treat an employee who was battling cancer – an innovation that led to establishing the Hallmar nursing care facility and, later, the Hall-Perrine Cancer Center.
“That was 70 years ago,” Mr. McGrath noted, his voice again welling with emotion. “Can you imagine the number of lives that they have (changed)? I’m passionate about changing people’s lives. And I can’t imagine 70 years, from an employee with an issue, to what we now know as the Hall-Perrine Cancer Center. That blows me away. And how many decades is it going to keep going and affect even that many more lives?”
Mr. McGrath then transitioned into a remembrance of his wife, Mary Kay McGrath, who passed away in February 2024. He noted that one of his late wife’s passions was the revitalization of the Czech Village district in southwest Cedar Rapids, and told a detailed story about her efforts to help Brad and Britt Danielson open Cafe St. Pio in 2019.
“Did she change his life, his family’s life? I believe so,” Mr. McGrath said. “Did she (help) a vibrant change go on a little bit in the Village? I think she maybe did. Maybe a couple of people will walk in there someday and say, let’s meet at St. Pio. And maybe somebody’s life gets changed by a meeting there. Who knows? But (the point is) there is no better feeling, when we run our companies, what it comes down to is people and changing their life.”
Mr. McGrath has won four Chevrolet Dealer of the Year awards, placing him among the nation’s top auto dealers. And one of his most visible community legacies is Triple Play Park in southeast Cedar Rapids, formerly Hitter’s Park, which he and his wife Mary Kay purchased and revitalized into a youth baseball and softball facility that now serves as a regional athletics destination.
And as the recognition concluded, Mr. McGrath became emotional once again, as the family business is set to continue in the hands of his children – Lindsay McGrath-Vasquez, Gavin and Jaymie – and their cousin, Murphy.
“Maybe we’re doing some pretty good stuff,” he said, “and we’re on a path that we need to stay.”
