While economic challenges face everyone, the focus has been on the housing market and the auto industry. Have local auto dealers felt the impact? Of course. Then why build new dealerships now?
“If we simply maintain the status quo, we’ll be left behind” says Gerry Wood. “Import brands, being built in the States, have a real advantage. They’re not tied to some of the encumbrances the domestic dealers are. Therefore, they’ve been able to concentrate on innovation. Their technological advances affect everything from fuel economy to safety. Being able to adapt more readily, they were able to listen to what consumers said they needed, and delivered on it. They’re definitely here to stay.”
Wood added, “I purchased the Kia franchise in 1997 and have tracked the brand’s position in the marketplace since that time. Here and abroad, the brand was taking off. Customers recognized the evolving sophistication and were sold because of its benefits. Simply put, a considerable segment of customers were asking for change ó good vehicles at an affordable price.”
The growth was clear. Kia Motors of America recently opened a $1 billion plant in Georgia, and there are more new models in the pipeline.
Wood said, “In February, we opened our new Kia dealership in Salisbury. We already carried the full product line and had Kia factory trained technicians in place. Now we have a state-of-the-art facility to showcase some of today’s most exciting vehicles.”
In addition to the KIA dealership, Gerry Wood Auto Group has a Chrysler dealership, and in mid-2008 opened a new Honda building. Gerry Wood Auto Group employs approximately 94 staff members.