DriveTime has a new facility to serve customers in one of North Carolina’s largest cities.
This week, DriveTime announced the relocation of its Tryon, N.C., dealership.
Located in the Charlotte metro area, DriveTime’s newest dealership sits at 6431 N. Tryon St., with 9,646 square feet of space and approximately 200 parking spaces dedicated to vehicles and North Carolina customers.
The new location is approximately 1.5 miles from the former Tryon DriveTime dealership.
Here are more numbers that might please independent dealerships.
The 2018 NIADA Convention and Expo might have been the 72nd such event in the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association’s long history, but it is No. 1 in all sorts of categories.
NIADA’s first combined Mega-Conference since its December acquisition of the National Alliance of Buy- Here, Pay-Here Dealers drew 2,131 attendees, obliterating the previous NIADA attendance record — set in 2017 — by a massive 26 percent.
This year’s event conducted in June marked the third consecutive year of record attendance for the convention and the sixth straight of an attendance increase from the previous year.
The 2018 event also set records for most dealers in attendance, most expo hall exhibitors and most education sessions. For more than 23 percent of total attendees and nearly 27 percent of dealers, it was their first NIADA Convention.
And reviews of the event were decidedly positive.
More than 96 percent of the attendees and exhibitors who responded to NIADA’s post-convention survey said they would recommend the NIADA Convention and Expo to a friend or colleague, and more than 91 percent said they are likely or extremely likely to attend future NIADA events.
In addition, 86 percent said the convention met their objectives, and 98 percent said they plan to engage with NIADA in the future.
“It exceeded all my expectations,” said Rob Jones of Auto Express in Lafayette, Ind. “We’re coming home with products and information to take our dealership to the next level.”
Dealers and the record 212 vendors and industry partners that exhibited felt they got their money’s worth from the expo hall as 81 percent of respondents to the survey rated their Expo experience “excellent” or “good.”
“As a vendor actively engaged in the non-franchise and BHPH dealer space, this conference was a perfect one-stop shop that allowed me to see many current customers and to engage several new prospects,” said Scott Satterthwaite of American Risk Services. “We look forward to next year.”
Like the number of attendees and exhibitors, the 60 education sessions were the most in NIADA Convention history, featuring an increase in BHPH topics thanks to the new affiliation with NABD, and an all new digital track featuring sessions on everything from Facebook marketing to digital inventory sourcing to cybersecurity.
The keynote address showcased the energy, wit and inspiration of ESPN and ABS Sports college basketball analyst Dick Vitale, while the training sessions featured many of the top names in the used vehicle industry, including Cox Automotive’s Mark O’Neil and TrueCar’s Chip Perry — who spoke as part of the opening Marketplace Keynote Series — as well as attorney Tom Hudson, sales trainer Paul Webb, AFC’s Joe Keadle and many others.
NABD’s Ken Shilson and Ingram Walters and NIADA’s own Steve Jordan, Shaun Petersen, Chuck Bonanno, David Brotherton, Mark Dubois and Justin Osburn were also prominently featured.
In addition, Rep. Stephanie Murphy delivered an inspiring address at Tuesday’s Welcome Lunch, and Wednesday’s Financing Fair gave dealers a chance to meet one-on-one with finance companies to discuss their specific issues and situations.
The convention’s entertainment, which included the Cigars and Martinis Welcome Reception followed by a concert by the Grammy-nominated country duo Big & Rich presented by TradeRev, as well as a closing After Party, was praised in comments from attendees.
NIADA also shared a wide array of assessment from attendees, including:
“This is my third year attending the NIADA Convention, and each year has gotten better and better. I always walk away with a fresh perspective and new ideas to implement in my dealership. I would highly recommend for others to attend and see just how valuable it is for expanding your business.”
— Dan Johnson, LiteHouse Auto, Lakewood, N.Y.
“Great selection of classes, vendors and speakers. Helps me navigate my company into the future by keeping me up to date on current and future technology, compliance and industry forecasts.”
— Gus Camacho, Camacho Auto Sales, Palmdale, Calif.
“Knocked it out of the park this year. … Best convention I have ever attended.”
— Joe Segrave, Benchmark Auto Sales, Asheville, N.C.
“It’s hard to go wrong with new speakers sharing new and innovative ideas. I brought back at least four cost-saving, compliance and marketing ideas that I will use. I met the most helpful tech, tax and marketing vendors, and I will engage with them in the near future. Plus, I love connecting with old friends and making new ones.”
— Darla Booher, Deal Depot, Greer, S.C.
“A must-attend and best event for independent dealers.”
— Joe McCloskey, McCloskey Motors, Colorado Springs, Colo.
“Great first-time experience. It was a lot of fun and also provided a lot of information about the industry.”
— Mike Clement, Rock Solid Auto Center, Mesa, Ariz.
“The first combined Mega-Conference for NIADA and NABD was a smashing success. There were great educational classes, a roomful of vendors welcoming you in the Expo Hall, some great speakers, a Big & Rich concert and, of course, there was Dick Vitale to let us know it was ‘awesome, baby!’”
— Bob Zeserson, Shannon Motors Johnston, R.I.
“Being my first NIADA Convention I was not sure what to expect. The convention location was perfect and easy to navigate, the speakers provided experience and insight on relevant topics and the events outside of the convention provided an environment that was fun and carefree. It was an experience I look forward to having again.”
— Grace Schaefer, Gravitational Marketing
“Wonderful. The best part is always interacting with the other dealers. It was great seeing the first-timers connect with us – we can learn a lot from them. NIADA does an amazing job. The caring level from them is awesome and contagious.”
— John Caudell, Pre-owned Motor Cars, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
“An extremely important event for professionals looking to better their businesses.”
— Jim Winterick Sr., Gulfstream Motor Credit, Miami
“Tremendous experience. Incredible education and training. And I had the opportunity to connect with an incredible group of vendors at one of the largest Expos I have ever attended. Thank you, NIADA!”
— Robert Hogan, American Transmission and Auto Exchange, Jacksonville, Fla.
“Great experience, very informative. A must for every car dealer.”
—Scott Shook, Shook Auto Inc., New Philadelphia, Ohio
“Very pleased, extremely impressed. Outstanding location, networking opportunities and five-star food and beverage. Top-notch from networking to food to stunning location.”
— Renee Perri, Wheels Automotive Dealer Supplies Inc.
“Dick Vitale was amazing. The educational part of the program is what I enjoy the most. I loved the event NIADA put together. I learned a lot and enjoyed myself thoroughly. Everyone was extremely professional and very courteous, and I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed it.”
— Pauline De Maria, Karmike USA, Newport, N.C.
“We were exhibitors and we felt it was one of the best overall experiences we have had. We made many, many lasting contacts and business connections. This was top-notch – right up there with the best!”
— Ron Dent, Florida Auto Tag Agency, Orlando, Fla.
“The entire conference was very professional and extremely informative. The entire staff was friendly. It was enjoyable, to say the least. Above the rest for sure. And the Big & Rich concert was fantastic.”
— Douglas Fernandez, ABC Auto, Tampa, Fla.
“I highly recommend the NIADA Convention. The time spent talking with other dealers — as well as the one-on-one time with the speakers — is worth the time spent away from my dealership.”
— Brenna Stansberry, Park Marina Motors, Redding, Calif.
“As a brand-new dealer and member of NIADA, I was impressed with the level of professionalism and my ability to connect with so many quality vendors, all in a couple of days.”
— Bob Migliori, Boca Leasing Center, Boca Raton, Fla.
“Best conference I have ever been to. How about Big & Rich? They were awesome!”
— David Andrews, City Auto, Memphis, Tenn.
“Being able to network with other dealers and discuss challenges facing our industry was extremely enlightening and helpful.”
— Dan Doherty, Helm Associates, Bristol, Pa.
“The NIADA convention always gets better!”
— Sandra Moss, Moss Motor Co., Dillwyn, Va.
This one cuts close to home because the dealer in question is local to us at Ignite Consulting Partners, and I fear that a significant number of BHPH dealers are similarly vulnerable. And now, there is yet another case on the books that casts BHPH dealers in a negative light.
Without losing a lot of you by going into too much legal and procedural detail, the fact surrounding this case are that in February 2014, Ms. Watson purchased a vehicle from Yates Brothers Motor Co. The contract required her to keep the vehicle insured. There was a dispute regarding coverage, and Yates repossessed the vehicle in early April. It initially claimed that the lack of insurance was the sole reason for repossession. After the repossession, Watson provided written proof that she did have insurance at all times. Nevertheless, Yates sought a $500 repossession fee and when Watson did not pay it, Yates sold the vehicle.
In the lawsuit and trial that followed, Ms. Watson was awarded actual damages of almost $3,000, other damages of almost $8,500 and $87,000 for her attorney’s fees. Who knows how much the dealer had to pay to its own lawyers. You read that right. A $500 dispute turned into a verdict of almost $100,000 and again, that doesn't include its own attorney’s fees.
Many of the reported facts in this case come directly from my nightmares. I’m paraphrasing a bit for the sake of brevity, but if you want to research the case, it’s Yates Brothers Motor Company, Inc., v. Donna Watson, and it was decided by the Court of Appeals in Texas in March.
The allegations of the lawsuit included that BHPH dealer:
• Used a tow truck its employee had access to in the repossession
• Charged customer $500 for repossession even after it was provided proof of insurance
• Claimed one reason was lack of insurance for repossession and then added other reasons later
• Didn’t follow its own policies
• Didn’t have adequate processes for the recording of administrative tasks
• Installed a GPS device in vehicle without obtaining customer consent or providing notice
To these allegations, I’ll add one more of my own: It sure seems like the dealer failed to honestly evaluate the situation it was in. Unfortunately, I think that happens a lot in our business. Hoping that the customer can’t afford a lawyer or nobody will scrutinize your practices closely is not a safe strategy.
I’m compelled to write about this case because this is the danger all BHPH dealers face. Don’t simply read this post and move on to the next chore. Ask yourself whether your dealership could withstand this type of attack. Ask yourself whether you have the resources to defend yourself.
Perhaps most importantly, ask whether you pro-actively protect your business and take compliance seriously.
Steve Levine is chief legal and compliance officer of Ignite Consulting Partners, which offers compliance, technology, process improvement and cyber security guidance to car dealers and finance companies. The combined experience of the Ignite team allows them to develop strategy, overcome internal obstacles and implement meaningful change. Contact info@IgniteCP.com to learn more. You can follow Steve on Twitter @LawyerLevine for compliance and industry-related content.
Frazer Computing is making sure its dealer management system can help buy-here, pay-here dealerships with two critical functions — potentially selling parts of their portfolio as well as texting with their customers.
Most recently, AGORA, a Texas-based provider of technology solutions for the financial services industry, on Monday finalized an integration functionality relationship with Frazer.
Through the integration with AGORA, dealerships on Frazer can have their loan information concurrently available on AGORA where they can securely select loan pools forbidding or financing from more than 60 finance companies that acquire loan pools or finance them on the AGORA platform.
The entire placement, bidding, and acquisition of loan pools are completed inside the AGORA platform, without exposing private customer data, transaction activity, and collection notes to outside parties.
AGORA founder and chief executive officer Steve Burke said, “By establishing this first of many DMS integrations, dealers can seamlessly and securely make their portfolios available for sale or financing — avoiding unsafe emails and data files.
“Data files will go the way of the dinosaur, Blockbuster, BlackBerry and any other companies that failed to recognize the need for innovation. Data files have been eliminated by the Frazer integration, and dealers now have more liquidity than ever before,” Burke continued.
Since its launch in April of last year, AGORA’s flagship loan exchange platform has rapidly evolved in the secondary market for auto loans, allowing buyers and sellers to publish and exchange loan data directly in an efficient and secure environment without the need for intermediaries or brokers.
“We are always working to deliver increased value to our customers. We believe this could be one of the most popular integrations we have ever added for our buy-here, pay-here customers,” said Michael Frazer, president of Frazer.
Burke shared that AGORA is honored to have Frazer as its first integration, and the AGORA development team is putting the finishing touches on integrations with other leading DMS providers.
Management expects that in the next few weeks AGORA will be fully integrated with DMS providers covering more than 75 percent of the dealerships nationwide.
Burke added, “Soon all dealers will be asking 'Does my DMS do this?’”
AGORA was created in response to the many friction points and inefficiencies that exist in the manner that auto loan portfolios currently trade – namely poor and inconsistent data, lack of transparency from the brokers that previously dominated the market and heightened regulatory concerns over unsecured transmission of personal consumer data.
“Our integration partnership between Frazer and AGORA helps create a seamless suite of products and services to dealers from loan origination through loans sales — creating speed, efficiency, security and liquidity benefiting the entire market,” Burke said.
Visit www.agoradata.com for more information.
And Frazer recently integrated with another BHPH dealership service provider.
Textmaxx Pro, an award-winning business texting solution that is part of the Leedom Group of companies recently announced it has completed a full integration with Frazer Computing.
“We are extremely excited about our full integration with the Frazer DMS platform. This partnership will bring a best-in-class solution to their dealers and provide robust capability to harness SMS messaging across all phases of operation including sales, service and collections,” said Chris Leedom, founder and chief executive officer of Textmaxx Pro. “We are pleased to serve the Frazer universe of dealers with another incredible product that will help them succeed.”
Textmaxx Pro can enable a broad menu of SMS messaging options including broadcast texts, text communication with a single customer, and a broad menu of predesigned reminders and messages.
Frazer dealers will even be able to text enable their existing dealership landline as a result of this integration.
“We are very excited about this partnership,” Michael Frazer said. “We have really beefed up the texting capabilities within Frazer as part of this new integration. And we know that whenever Frazer gets together with a Chris Leedom company it means great things for our customers.”
Dealers can learn more about the integration by contacting Dave Leedom at Textmaxx Pro by texting keyword “FRAZER” to 95000 or by visiting http://textmaxxpro.com.
Operators can get some treats ahead of Halloween as the biggest buy-here, pay-here specific event of the year is headed back to Las Vegas.
The NABD Buy-Here, Pay-Here Subprime Conference, powered by the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association, is set for Oct. 8-10 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, offering the industry’s best BHPH-specific training for both new operators and BHPH veterans.
The conference features education from the BHPH experts at the National Alliance of Buy-Here, Pay-Here Dealers and NIADA, including Ken Shilson, Ingram Walters and Chuck Bonanno, as well as top names from the subprime sphere.
Attendees will learn about new industry technology, the latest marketing strategies including digital marketing, collections and underwriting, and best practices that work today – and in the future.
There are also opportunities to network with industry experts, explore ways to secure capital to fund your operation, get updates on compliance and legal issues, and check out an exhibit hall filled with the latest products and services to improve any BHPH business.
“NABD continues, bigger and better than ever,” said Shilson, NABD president and founder. “You can't afford to miss this event. Opportunity knocks for BHPH operators who capitalize on it — and this conference will show you how to do it.”
The discounted early registration rate of $495 per person applies through Sept. 22. Group discounts are also available.
For more information or to register, visit www.nabdsubprimeconference.com or call (832) 767-4759.
America’s Car-Mart and DriveTime combined to make four moves involving their dealership network in four different states during the past month.
DriveTime shared developments in connection with three locations, including the opening of a new dealership in Woodbridge, Va.
DriveTime’s newest dealership sits on 2.64 acres with 6,621 square feet of showroom space and almost 170 parking spaces dedicated to vehicles and Virginia customers.
Located 20 miles south of Washington, D.C., Woodbridge is home to the Leesylvania State Park and the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The area takes its name from Thomas Mason’s wooden toll bridge for the “King’s Highway” traffic across the Occoquan River.
Turning its attention South, DriveTime also relocated one of its dealerships in Florida.
Located three miles from the previous site in Sanford, Fla., DriveTime now has a store at 3575 N. US Highway 17-92, in Sanford. The new dealership site will hold 165 vehicles on almost 2.81 acres with more than 7,262 square feet in the showroom.
Sanford, known as the “Historic Waterfront Gateway City,” is home to the Seminole State College of Florida, the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
DriveTime also relocated one of its stores in Texas, too.
Now located at 4715 S. General Bruce Street in Temple, Texas, the new dealership site will hold more than 300 vehicles on almost five acres with more than 10,000 square feet inside the showroom.
Meanwhile, America’s Car-Mart also announced the opening of a new dealership located in Pryor, Okla.
This addition brings Car-Mart’s dealership count to 140 and will be the 26th dealership in Oklahoma and the first new dealership opening for fiscal year 2019.
The company said the dealership will be managed by Jason Henson.
“This will be the fourth dealership managed by Mr. Henson as we look to expand our number of customers served by our top performing general managers,” company officials said.
As the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association revamps its Certified Master Dealer program, an Alabama operator was honored for doing more than just helping customers secure a vehicle.
A&D Motors Inc., whose philanthropy has made a difference throughout its small hometown of Arab, Ala., has been named the recipient of the 2018 NIADA and Cox Automotive Community Service Award, presented by Manheim.
Dealership owner Jennifer Gant accepted the award from Patrick Brennan, senior vice president of marketplace for Cox Automotive Inventory Solutions, during Wednesday night's National Leadership Awards Banquet at the 72nd annual NIADA Convention and Expo at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Fla.
“I knew the moment I started with A&D Motors 20 years ago that my job was not simply to sell someone a vehicle, but to make a positive impact in their life,” Gant said.
“The legacy of giving that began with my late husband, Donald Gant, lives on through the A&D employees, who tirelessly contribute their time and efforts into every community event,” she continued.
The award, which recognizes an independent dealership for outstanding contributions to its community and the innovative ways it collaborates with community partners to help further their missions, includes a $10,000 donation from Cox Automotive and the NIADA Foundation to the Parkside Outreach Program, the dealership’s charity of choice.
The program, developed by Gant, helps with emergency outreach for families affected by disasters as well as providing support for less fortunate children in the community. Gant said her vision is to grow the program into a county-wide mission.
“Making a difference in the lives of others has long been a big part of the Cox Automotive culture,” Brennan said. “Jennifer and her team at A&D Motors have continued to support the less fortunate in their community, and we applaud their efforts, their impact and their embodiment of the spirit of community service.”
Independently owned and operated since 1992, A&D Motors donates to multiple charities and organizations throughout the year.
The dealership has supported the purchase of Christmas gifts for local families, sponsored Big D Scholarships for multiple area schools and helped fund the local food bank.
In addition, Gant and her team raised $20,000 through a “Cruisin 4 Scotty” event created to support a family whose sole provider fell ill, and partnered with Baileyton United Methodist Church to sponsor Backpacks for Kids, which sends weekly snacks home with underprivileged children.
NIADA to relaunch Certified Master Dealer program
In other news developing from the conference, NIADA is re-launching the Certified Master Dealer program this summer.
NIADA’s Retail 20 Groups moderator and dealer consultant Justin Osburn, the course’s new instructor, announced the reboot this week during the Certified Master Dealer Discovery Forum, part of the 72nd annual NIADA Convention and Expo at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort.
The session, attended by both CMDs and dealers interested in earning that designation, offered dealers a sneak peek at the updated curriculum.
Osburn’s first session of the new CMD will be held Aug. 15-17 in Tampa, Fla.
NIADA highlighted the CMD program has earned rave reviews from its alumni, who include some of the nation’s most successful independent dealers. It teaches dealers how to take their business to a higher level by providing strategies for sustainable success in a more efficient and profitable dealership.
“Never before have we experienced such rapid change in the car business, and the foreseeable future promises more change in technology, more change in the processes to facilitate technology and more change in selling and buying habits,” Osburn said.
“Independent dealers need advanced tactics and strategies more than ever — not only to remain competitive, but to sustain long-term profitability. The Certified Master Dealer program offers dealers and managers the tools to stay ahead of our changing business,” he continued.
During the past year, NIADA chief executive officer Steve Jordan and the association’s executive committee have been working to retool CMD for 2018. That initiative included surveys, dealer research and examination of the course’s content to ensure it delivers best-in-class education.
NIADA plans to offer the course four times each year at various locations across the country. Future dates and locations will be announced over the next few months.
Since it began in 2001, the Certified Master Dealer program has built a rich tradition offering dealers the highest level of automotive education, and the reboot aims to uphold that tradition with more relevant content and more concrete takeaways than ever before.
The new CMD curriculum is a more intense and practical course, addressing all aspects of the dealership from effective management practices and business planning to marketing to finances, offering new ideas for analyzing your business and increasing profitability.
For more information or to register for the August session and future classes, visit www.niadacmd.com.
More dealer assistance is set to arrive this summer, especially for buy-here, pay-here operators who have to juggle the end-to-end process of finding inventory, reconditioning vehicles and finalizing deliveries.
Stemming from dealer feedback to make a challenging audit process easier, NextGear Capital will be introducing a self-reconciliation tool that is designed to save dealers time and provides them with greater control over their vehicle audits. Combined with other recent audit process improvements, NextGear Capital insisted dealers will be able to experience up to 80 percent fewer audit-related interruptions and have the ability to reconcile units seamlessly from their devices.
With a mobile-first solution for reconciliation, the company highlighted dealers are empowered to take charge of their audits through a simple three-step process via NextGear Capital’s Account Portal. After logging in, dealers select a vehicle, take four photos, then submit them to clear outstanding audits in real-time.
Randy Dohse, NextGear Capital senior vice president of operations, explained this process can significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to resolve audits and allow dealers to avoid floor planning delays.
“After hearing dealer opinions on the audit process from our annual client survey, we were determined to make streamlining the entire auditing experience one of our top priorities,” Dohse said in a news release.
“We wanted to build more trust with dealers through increased transparency and simplify the overall experience to return time back to them so that they can focus on their business,” he continued. “Improving customer experience and addressing customer feedback with effective solutions are critical components for any business.”
NextGear Capital emphasized that dealer feedback was crucial in determining where improvements to the auditing process could be made. After conducting a comprehensive survey to gauge dealer feedback, results showed that the audit process was one of the more time-consuming tasks of daily floor plan management.
These results inspired NextGear Capital to further improve the auditing experience for dealers everywhere.
“None of us love the audit process. So I was very straightforward with our account rep and actually they had one of the regional guys fly in to talk to us about what we were feeling and what we were experiencing, and why that was such an issue for us,” said Heather Moreno, owner of Lightning Motorsports in Grand Prairie, Texas.
“They listened, they made changes, they’ve streamlined the audit process, they’ve worked with the auditors and I have found NextGear Capital to be incredibly responsive,” Moreno continued.
Efforts to streamline the auditing process have changed the way dealers interact with NextGear Capital. Beyond the transparency and flexibility that the account portal’s self-reconciliation tool provides, dealers now can get twice as much time to fully clear an audit, streamlined notifications and the ability to advise on scheduled vacation and auction days, all of which can be easily done from a smartphone or tablet.
“When we revised our audit reconciliation process, we knew that we were tackling a major pain point for dealers,” said Lucas Hancock, NextGear Capital senior director of risk.
“Empowering dealers to self-reconcile units combined with the most flexible auditing process in the market will positively transform how we communicate with and conduct business with dealers for the foreseeable future,” Hancock went on to say.
For dealers who are constantly on the go, NextGear Capital reiterated that the self-reconciliation tool and audit improvements can provide the benefit of a flexible and efficient process, with fewer interruptions and more time to get everything done.
Dealers also can receive improved visibility through the “My Audits” tab in their account portal dashboard, which will show units that need to be verified, audit due dates and potential financial impact if no action is taken.
My Audits is set to launch this summer, with additional self-reconciliation features to follow.
“Access to an industry-best combination of improved flexibility, functionality and convenience on audit processing means dealers have more time to concentrate on dealership sales and operations,” NextGear Capital said.
For more information about NextGear Capital’s self-reconciliation tool launching later this year or the audit process, visit www.nextgearcapital.com or contact a local NextGear Capital representative.
