Sonic Automotive has opened a delivery center for its EchoPark Automotive used-car store program in Georgia’s second-biggest city.
The delivery center in Columbus, located in the western part of the state near the Alabama border, is the 38th overall EchoPark location and its fourth in Georgia.
There is also a delivery center in Augusta, along with retail hubs in Duluth and Marietta.
“With the opening of our new delivery center in Columbus, we look forward to serving more guests in Georgia and surrounding areas with yet another convenient location that will provide the best car shopping, selling and buying experience online and in-store,” Sonic chief executive officer David Smith said in a news release.
“As we continue to expand the EchoPark brand, we remain committed and focused on delivering the best quality pre-owned cars with the best proven value from the most caring staff to deliver award-winning guest experiences. Our mission is literally in our name, Every Car deserves a Happy Owner. And we’re proud that our 5-Star ratings and reviews speak to that.”
Earlier this month, Sonic announced the opening of a EchoPark retail hub in Cary, N.C., a suburb of Raleigh.
The location was formerly a Ford dealership.
That hub is EchoPark’s third location in North Carolina, which is the home state of Charlotte-headquartered Sonic. There is an EchoPark retail hub in Charlotte and a delivery center in Greensboro.
When consumers think used cars, many think of CarMax, the nation’s largest publicly traded used-car retailer. And there’s a good reason for that. The company’s reputation as a large-volume used-vehicle retailer shone strong during the company’s fiscal year 2022.
CarMax recently released its fourth quarter and full 2022 fiscal year results, and the company’s share of the nationwide age zero- to 10-year-old used-vehicle market increased to a record 4.0% in calendar year 2021. This was up from 3.5% in 2020.
And Bill Nash, president and chief executive officer of the used-vehicle giant, said in the company’s recent earnings call …
Read more
The Thompson Organization and Walser Automotive Group each ramped up their efforts to help others recently.
At Walser, the Minneapolis-based dealer company said it is thinking about the success of its employees in a new way — by focusing on their children.
On Tuesday. the dealer group announced an extension of its scholarship program; a move launching this month to provide new education benefits to employees’ children and dependents.
The Walser Driven to Succeed Scholarship is offering up to $10,000 in tuition assistance in support of higher education. The scholarship will support students of Walser employees who are pursuing technical and associates degrees, four-year and masters-level programs.
The program, funded by the Walser Foundation, allows children and dependents of Walser employees to apply to the scholarship annually up to four years. Among other eligibility criteria, applicants are asked to submit an essay based upon one of Walser’s four core values.
“Our company leans on our core values for so many things — it’s a driver of who we are and how we do business. We’re proud to integrate these values into this new scholarship program,” Walser Foundation director Nancy Warner said in a news release.
The group highlighted that the family-focused scholarship is the latest initiative by Walser specifically focused on the notion of family. Walser chief human resources officer Sherry Schultz said the offering of family-focused benefits speaks to the wants and needs of employees.
“We know that family is a top-ranking personal core value among our employees. We know this because we’ve asked. Understanding that, we’re continually evaluating our benefits that support it. In this case, family continues to be a huge driver of our employee engagement and retention strategy,” Schultz said.
In January, Walser rolled out up to $10,000 in fertility and adoption assistance for its employees. The 27-rooftop dealer also offers four weeks of paid maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
Walser went on to mention that the onset of COVID-19 prompted the company to initiate its paid family care leave program, allowing qualifying employees two weeks of paid time off to care for sick family members.
“Diversifying our family-focused benefits is critically important. Not all Walser employees are parents to young children anymore. The Driven to Succeed Scholarship can powerfully impact children of our employees who are looking to the next step in their higher education journey,” Shultz said. “We’re incredibly proud to be a part of that.”
The Walser Foundation, which donates more than $500,000 annually to nonprofit organizations, also offers a public-facing scholarship to high school students in the places where it does business.
Thompson Organization effort to help Ukraine
On Friday, the American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) highlighted the efforts of a Pennsylvania dealer group to help people suffering from the violence now happening in Ukraine.
AIADA said the Thompson Organization was driven to act when a church in its community put out a call for donations to send to the country impacted by the Russian invasion. Thompson asked customers and community members to join in a week-long donation drive for humanitarian aid.
From March 12-18, Thompson dealerships and service centers collected personal hygiene and baby products to be delivered to St. Anne’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Warrington, Pa.
“The turnout was overwhelming, to say the least. They were able to fill more than 40 boxes with needed supplies,” AIADA said about the Thompson Organization, which delivered the supplies in one of its full-size vans from the service department.
Auto Remarketing’s sister publication Cary Magazine reported in August that Sonic Automotive would be launching an EchoPark Automotive used-car standalone store in the Raleigh, N.C.-area in early 2022.
On Tuesday, that came to fruition, as the retailer announced the opening of a EchoPark retail hub in Cary, a suburb of Raleigh.
The location was formerly a Ford dealership.
The hub is EchoPark’s 37th location overall and third in North Carolina, which is the home state of Charlotte-headquartered Sonic. There is an EchoPark retail hub in Charlotte and a delivery center in Greensboro.
“Expanding EchoPark’s footprint within our home state of North Carolina has always been an important part of our growth plans for the brand,” Sonic chief executive officer David Smith said in a news release.
“We look forward to welcoming guests from across North Carolina and surrounding states to enjoy our award-winning guest experience, whether they’re buying a car or simply selling us their current vehicle,” Smith said.
Sonic president Jeff Dyke added: “With the opening of our EchoPark Raleigh retail hub, we continue to enhance the service we provide our guests by offering them yet another convenient option to shop online or in-store.
“North Carolina remains a key market for us as we continue to execute our growth strategy to meet the increasingly strong demand for pre-owned vehicles across the nation,” Dyke said.
Another busy week of activities among dealer groups unfolded with more acquisitions, store openings and executives in leadership positions.
While Penske Automotive Group made a move overseas, let’s begin this dealer roundup with Foundation Automotive Corp. adding the 30th dealership to its portfolio.
On Thursday, Foundation announced its second acquisition so far this year in Texas by gaining SOUTHFORK Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, which is located on the South Freeway in the Manvel-Pearland area.
“I’m very excited to welcome SOUTHFORK to the Foundation family. It’s always extra special to have another store in our hometown. The Texas market is incredible. We are eager to continue our growth here,” Foundation chief operating officer Chuck Kramer said in a news release, which also mentioned Foundation corporate office is in Houston as the group has 16 dealerships in the Houston and Dallas areas.
SOUTHFORK represents the largest volume from a single store in the current Foundation platform.
“This deal was especially enticing to us because of the leadership of Chris Godwin, Bruce Glascock, and Alfred Flores. They created a culture and a pathway to success that has been unparalleled in our experience,” Foundation Automotive chief executive officer and president Kevin Kutschinski said. “I have personally developed a close friendship and bond with these gentlemen that will last well beyond this deal.”
When it comes to acquisitions, Foundation acknowledged this was a smooth one, as both parties had one main commonality.
“The fabric of our dealership has been our investment in our community for the last 6 years. We are proud of what we have accomplished, and of the support our community has given us,” Godwin, Flores and Glascock said in the news release.
“We believe that Foundation was the perfect match to continue to serve and enhance our employees and the community. We want to thank all of our employees that have worked together to form the culture of the great SOUTHFORK Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram team. We are truly blessed with the relationships we’ve built, and we wish them luck in the future,” Godwin, Flores and Glascock continued.
Foundation said Henry Pimentel has been at SOUTHFORK CDJR for the last four years, most recently as general manager, and will take over as managing partner of the dealership.
“I am extremely excited for the new transition and opportunity. I’m thankful to be able to continue to grow with our staff here at SOUTHFORK CDJR, and carry on with the community involvement we are so passionate about,” Pimentel said.
Penske expands in UK
On Friday, Penske announced that Sytner Group, its U.K. subsidiary, has acquired three BMW MINI dealerships and a collision center in the United Kingdom.
Penske highlighted the acquired dealerships are located in South East England, north of London, complementing the existing presence of 32 BMW MINI franchises operated by the company in the U.K. market.
According to a news release, this acquisition is expected generate $250 million in annualized revenues for Penske and was funded using existing capacity under the company’s U.K.-based credit agreement.
Year-to-date 2022, Penske said it has added approximately $550 million in annualized revenue through acquisitions and open points.
“I am pleased to announce that we have expanded our relationship with the BMW and MINI brands in the U.K.,” Sytner Group CEO Darren Edwards said. “The acquisition of these dealerships enhances our position as the largest retail partner for the BMW and MINI brands in the U.K. and provides an opportunity for our business to build additional scale in this important market. We welcome these new businesses to our team.”
Leith opens new Honda rooftop in NC
Moore County in North Carolina includes the towns of Aberdeen, Southern Pines and Pinehurst; with the latter community being the home of the famous golf course that has hosted the U.S. Open multiple times.
Leith Automotive Group now has a new Honda operation as sparkling as those Pinehurst fairways with the opening of a new, expanded facility adjacent to the original Leith Honda Aberdeen location on U.S. 15-501.
“The growth in Aberdeen is so great that we just outgrew our building. It was time.” Leith Honda Aberdeen general manager Scott Weaver said in a news release.
Leith highlighted the new building includes an expanded showroom giving customers a more relaxed environment to shop and explore the showcased inventory. Also, the waiting area has expanded for customers’ comfort and includes business workstations for those who need to work while they wait.
According to the news release, Weaver and service manager Mark Posey are most excited about their new state-of-the-art service department. The new facility holds twice as many service bays as the former building, complete with new tire balancers, express bay lifts and individual fluid and air filling stations.
“When we have to walk to the parts counter to get oil and washer fluid for our vehicles, it adds to the customer’s wait time,” Posey said. “Now we will have oil and washer fluid, water, light, and electrical reels right at our fingertips.”
While Leith Honda Aberdeen might have a new building, Posey said a commitment to take the best care of their customers remains in place.
“We’ve got people that we have retained since I’ve been here. I have worked on their mother’s and grandmother’s cars.”
Leith is one of the largest automotive groups in North Carolina with 39 franchise locations throughout the state.
Stuckey names new HR director
Our dealer group roundup wraps up in Pennsylvania.
Stuckey Automotive, which caters to customers in Blair and Centre counties in the central part of the Keystone State, has named Samantha Longenecker as director of human resources.
In her new role, Longenecker will develop, administer, and execute policies as it pertains to recruitment, management and employee relations. Stuckey Automotive employs 300 full-time professionals among its five dealerships, collision centers and corporate headquarters.
“When we created this position, we allowed ourselves to take all the time necessary to find just the right person and I’m so glad we did. The moment we first met Samantha, we knew she was the one we could trust with our most valuable asset — our team,” Stuckey Automotive president Matt Stuckey said in a news release.
“We now have a seasoned professional to serve as an employee advocate. We’ll look to her expertise to create seamless onboarding and training processes, enhance employee relations, and foster new recruiting methods. To have Samantha on board is a huge win for Stuckey Automotive,” Stuckey added.
Prior to joining Stuckey Automotive, Longenecker enjoyed successful tenure as director of human resources at Peerstar LLC in Altoona, Pa. Before her time at Peerstar, she held human resources positions at Morrison’s Cove First Federal Credit Union, Mattern House and Roaring Spring Paper Products.
“Matt and his team should be commended for building a culture that allows everyone to prosper,” Longenecker said. “When a business invests in the well-being and happiness of an employee as much as Stuckey Automotive, there is a seismic lift in productivity and employee loyalty. Stuckey Automotive got it right. There is an air of enthusiasm and a constant stream of laughter that adds to making every day a great day. I am especially fortunate and excited to be part of it all.”
With the opening of Genesis of Lafayette in Louisiana, the Genesis brand now has its first standalone dealership in the U.S.
The store, owned and operated by Arthur LeBlanc Jr. and Sterling Automotive Group, is the first of several dealerships Genesis has planned for the U.S., with six additional locations under construction and 20 more in the planning phase, the company said.
“We are glad to partner with Arthur LeBlanc and Sterling Automotive Group on our first standalone retail facility in the United States,” Genesis Motor North America chief operating officer Claudia Marquez said in a news release. “I want to extend my thanks to the entire Sterling Automotive Group for creating a space beautifully designed and so befitting of our remarkable products.”
LeBlanc added: “Genesis is an exciting brand and I’m pleased to be investing in its bright future.”
As part of the grand opening, the dealership and Genesis Motor America donated $15,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Acadiana.
“Genesis is proud to be giving back in Lafayette,” said Dana White, chief communications officer of Genesis Motor North America, in the news release. “Thank you to Arthur LeBlanc for his partnership in supporting the Boys and Girls Club and the community of Lafayette.”
Dealership M&A in Florida, Texas
Elsewhere, Key Auto Group has purchased Bob Pforte Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Marianna, Fla., from Bob Pforte, according to a news release from Performance Brokerage Services.
The dealership has been renamed Key Chrysler Doge Jeep Ram of Marianna.
“After 57 years as a dealer, it was not an easy decision to sell. I met with George Chaconas and Courtney Bernhard of Performance Brokerage Services after an unsuccessful attempt to sell with a prior broker, and felt they had the reach and commitment to see this through to the finish line,” Pforte said in a news release.
“It was a pleasure working with George and Courtney, and I appreciate the efforts they put forth. I wish success to the new owners and look forward to spending more time in our real estate development business.”
Todd Jackson, regional vice president of Key Auto Group added: “We knew we wanted to expand in Florida. After the successful purchase of our General Motors dealership in Perry (Fla.) with Courtney Bernhard and George Chaconas, we quickly entered into our second purchase agreement for Bob Pforte Motors. We look forward to working with George and Courtney on more dealership acquisitions in the near future.”
In other news shared by Performance Brokerage Services, Mark Abernathy sold McKaig Chevrolet Buick in Gladewater, Texas to Bill Dickason.
The store has been renamed Bill Dickason Chevrolet Buick.
Sonic Automotive and its EchoPark Automotive subsidiary have their first-ever chief technology officer.
Hired to the role is Stephen Carvelli, who was most recently vice president of software development engineering for Comcast Corp.
His 25-plus years of tech experience includes technology strategy, implementation and digital retail roles at places like Lowe’s, Chico’s and American Eagle.
“We are thrilled to bring Stephen Carvelli on board as our company’s first chief technology officer,” Sonic and EchoPark chief executive officer David Smith said in a news release.
“His expertise in technology strategy, combined with his prior work developing digital retail solutions, aligns with our commitment to providing an exceptional guest experience to consumers who shop online or in-store at our Sonic and EchoPark dealerships,” Smith said.
Sonic and EchoPark president Jeff Dyke added: “This is a big day for our company and the future of our technology platform. Stephen’s background leading technology infrastructure strategy and his success implementing digital retail initiatives complements our growth plan and goal to provide an exceptional digital and in-store experience for our guests. He’s also a great cultural fit with our teammates.”
Carvelli said, “I am excited to join Sonic and EchoPark and support the company’s goal to provide an exceptional digital and connected in-store guest experience. By keeping our guests at the forefront of everything we do, and leveraging the latest technology, we will deliver a differentiated digital automotive guest experience.”
The company certainly is ramping up its digital retail offering, including the EchoPark.com ecommerce platform going live in select markets in late 2021, as reported here by Auto Remarketing correspondent Arlena Sawyers.
The platform’s early results are positive and its F&I sales are better than expected, Smith said in the group’s latest quarterly earnings call.
“To date, over 90 percent of the end-to-end online transactions were out-of-market sales and were completed in as little as 10 minutes,” Smith said. “We expect to roll out the new digital platform to our entire EchoPark network later this year allowing us to market our entire EchoPark inventory nationwide.”
Sonic Automotive said Tuesday it has opened a delivery center in the Tri-Cities region of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia for its EchoPark Automotive used-car program.
EchoPark’s Johnson City Delivery Center is its fourth location in Tennessee and 36th overall location.
EchoPark’s other Volunteer State locations are in Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga.
“With the opening of the new Johnson City EchoPark location, we are continuing our nationwide growth strategy by providing customers with an additional site to take delivery of their vehicles as well as trade in or sell us their existing vehicles,” Sonic and EchoPark chief executive officer David Smith said in a news release.
“We look forward to offering our guests in Johnson City and neighboring communities a modern automotive retail experience with an exceptional selection of high-quality, pre-owned vehicles,” Smith said.
Rick Ricart had a concise response when asked what he thinks about the current state of the used-car market.
“The first thing that comes to mind is, thank goodness for used cars,” said Ricart, who is president of Ricart Automotive Group.
Ricart elaborated by saying that when used-car values rose, it was a good thing for his business as a franchise dealer.
“Because without any new inventory, with new supply being as low as it’s been, we’ve had to make sure we’re still maintaining our volume in sales of used cars,” he said. “It’s good for the business.”
So good, in fact, that Ricart said during the February interview with Auto Remarketing that his company would soon open …
Read more
In 2017, Zach Terrell was a quarterback for Western Michigan University, helping to lead his team to the Cotton Bowl. Terrell is now a general sales manager for Zeigler Automotive Group, and the company’s president and owner Aaron Zeigler said he likes to hire athletes because of the energy they bring to their jobs. Zeigler […]
