LEWISTON – As he sells his successful business, Tom Auger is handing out plump checks to say thanks to employees who helped him to build the VIP Discount Auto Center chain.

“I don’t want to make a big deal out of this,” said Auger, whose chain included 49 stores in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. “It’s no big deal.”

People who worked for VIP for at least five years are being given checks for $10,000, $20,000, $30,000 and $40,000, and a few employees will get far more, Auger said. All told, dozens of employees will receive nearly $2 million.

The money is being given in a manner that is tax free, said the former owner’s son, Tommy Auger Jr.

The Augers announced the sale of VIP to Quirk Tire & Service Corp. of Massachusetts in early October. The senior Auger did not specify how much he made from the sale, but said, “We ended up with quite a bit of money.”

VIP’s marketing and advertising director, Butch Lenberg, who has worked for Auger and his family for eight years, said Auger always gave Christmas bonuses, “but certainly nothing like this.”

“These people worked hard,” the 74-year-old Auger said. “They’ve done all kinds of jobs. Some of them started at $7 an hour. Really, these people earned that. They made this company, not me.”

Chuck Sarchi, VIP’s purchasing agent, has seen the company grow from seven stores to its present size during the two decades he has worked for Auger.

“Tom always says whatever we give we get back tenfold,” Sarchi said. “I’m going to use the money to help other people, family members, my stepson. …” Doing that, Sarchi said, means “I’m going to increase my fortune tenfold, too.”