This dealership opened in November 2010 and will also open a new collision center later this summer.
“My ownership here is not about baseball,” Morgan, 67, said. “It’s about filling a need to a great community and providing excellent customer service.”
His minority partner, John Voss, said that a study was done breaking down the accidents that occured in the Monroe/Middletown area that revealed an undercoverage of body shops.
In two months, Joe Morgan Collision Center will open, employing 54 new people.
“We’ll service all brands of cars with the most current, technical equipment and the highest quality employees,” Voss said.
Expanding service areas is a common theme. Beau Townsend Ford, in Vandalia, has undergone a $1.5 million expansion to their service department by adding 19 additional service bays to their already existing 25.
“We did a market study that concluded there was a serious need in this area,” said Joey Beckett, Fixed Operations Manager for Beau Townsend Ford. “We were inundated with customers and were having to schedule appointments two to three weeks out, so we invested in expansion giving us almost 50 bays now.”
Beckett said the project was handled by a local construction company and all equipment was purchased locally, which helps spur the local economy.
A total of 12 new positions will also be added as a result of the expansion.
All of these projects and expansions coincide as car makers are seeing increased sales numbers for 2011. So timing is important.
Kevin Newton, General Manager for Walker Toyota, in Miamisburg believes they’ve positioned themselves to handle the increase in the market.
Walker Toyota is undergoing a multi-million-dollar expansion and renovation project that will increase their showroom and add service bays.
“Our sales floor is going from a 1 to 2 car showroom to having room for more than 20 cars,” said Kevin Newton, General Manager for Walker Toyota. “It will be a state-of-the-art facility when it’s completed and will allow us to really take care of our customers and make us one of the largest dealers in the state.”
While projects like these take years to plan and coordinate, their openings are integral to be prepared for an influx in customers, as both new and used car buyers are expected to increase in the coming fiscal quarters.
“We were one of the fortunate auto dealers in the area as our business never really tailed off,” Beckett said. “Last year was a record year for us from the parts and service end and this year is tracking better than last year. When we made the decision to do this project, a lot of people were struggling. We know it’s going to come back even more than it is now and we have to be ready.”
After 31 years without a major renovation, Walker Toyota felt it was necessary to position themselves for the future.
“This project was five years in the making,” Newton said. “We have a great future ahead here and we’re trying to be ready for it ahead of time.”
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