Suzuki of Wichita is switching brands rather than shutting down in light of the Japanese brand pulling out of the U.S. market.
The dealership is undergoing $700,000 in improvements to meet Subaru standards, but owner Scott Pitman says the dealership philosophy will remain the same. Specifically, that means salespeople will remain salaried rather than being paid a commission.
Shortly after Suzuki announced its plan to leave the U.S. car market, Pitman bought half the equity in a Subaru store across town and moved it to his location. The store sold about 600 cars per year at the previous location, and he hopes to more than double that figure to between 1,300 and 1,800 vehicles annually.
Boosting those sales will take more than a friendly, pressure-free sales staff, and Pitman plans to keep more than that intact. Just as with past sales, he will also cater to buyers poor credit, saying half of his customers last year came through credit leads.
[Source: Automotive News]