John Carroll - “After the brand, it’s undoubtedly dealer support,” added Harley about the benefits of a franchise deal. “If you’re the prospect and you become the franchisee, we don’t say ‘Good luck. Send us a check every month.’”
John Carroll - To stay in the fold, dealers in both groups have a set of standards to maintain. The appearance of the lot has to retain a franchise look with specs on signage. Payless requires a paved lot, no dirt or gravel.
John Carroll -The same is also true for advertising. In Birmingham, they stick strictly with TV. In Tampa, it’s newspapers. In Jacksonville, it takes a combination of both. It all depends on what is successful in the marketplace.
John Carroll - The advisory council also works closely with the GM Minority Dealers Association, a separate national organization.
John Carroll - To help them cope, said Cole, minority dealers also gather in a Dealer 20 Group setting twice a year to share ideas.
For the three Dagenais brothers, one of the biggest challenges they faced while negotiating to buy out the local Ford store in Escanaba, Mich., involved keeping their pledge of strict confidentiality. In a Midwestern town like Escanaba, that commitment required ...
John Carroll - “When I was approached to consider purchasing the Chevrolet franchise to add to my existing GM lineup,” said Curry, “I was excited about the opportunity because it was just that, an opportunity. By adding Chevrolet, our dealership became a ...
John Carroll - For anyone trying to sell a dealership, nothing beats a combination of financial health and clear potential for new growth. But with the economy in a swoon, demonstrating either of those traits these days is no easy task.
John Carroll - About 15 years ago, said Trenary, who runs three dealerships in the St. Louis area, Ben Turec screened a television spot he put together from several years’ worth of bloopers swept up from his ad agency’s cutting room floor. Blown lines, pratfalls, ornery animals; it all ...
John Carroll - “With the franchise, you get a great computer system, monitoring of all facets of buy here pay here,” said Duncan. “You get a consultant that comes in and visits periodically.